The Connection Between Distance Learning and Retaining Minority Students
Abstract: When determining student retention strategies, U.S. higher education administrators tend to focus more on the minority student population due to the fact that certain underrepresented ethnic groups represent an at-risk student population that has a higher chance of not attending college or being retained once admitted. However, in a declining fiscal environment, American postsecondary institutions struggle to find alternative ways in which to increase the persistence rate of its minority students. With its ability to break down barriers, especially for marginalized populations, institutions might view distance learning as a plausible solution for increasing minority student retention. The purpose of this paper is to examine what impact distance learning might have in improving the retention of first-year minority students at postsecondary institutions. This will be accomplished by providing a literature review on the connection between minority student retention and distance learning.