Date of Award
5-2025
Culminating Project Type
Dissertation
Styleguide
apa
Degree Name
Higher Education Administration: Ed.D.
Department
Educational Administration and Higher Education
College
School of Education
First Advisor
Emeka Ikegwuonu
Second Advisor
Rachel Friedensen
Third Advisor
Jennifer Jones
Fourth Advisor
Lydia Ross
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords and Subject Headings
First-generation students, mandatory fees, knowledge, attitudes
Abstract
The study was conducted to understand first-generation students’ knowledge and attitudes toward mandatory fees. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Winkler and Siriam’s academic capital framework and Yosso’s community cultural framework. Participants in the study were undergraduate students from the University at Buffalo. The study utilized a quantitative research design that used a survey to measure (a) how much students knew about the mandatory fees assessed at their institution; (b) attitudes surrounding the services provided by the fees; (c) to establish if there were any relationships between payment methods for school and the academic and cultural capitals; and (d) predicting payment methods based on a student’s knowledge, attitudes and capitals. Additionally, demographic information was collected and used for the study: (a) student classification; (b) gender; (c) race; (d) Pell recipient status; and (e) first-generation status. The study’s findings reveal that students are unaware of how much they pay in fees and cannot correctly identify the services provided by those fees. Additionally, the results showed attitudes are favorable for services provided by the fees along with significant correlations between the capital and predictions for payment in terms of grants, scholarships, and loans. Lastly, suggestions for institutional changes include transparency in fees and having services clearly listed for students.
Recommended Citation
Colon, Ivanna, "Navigating the Educational Landscape: Examining the Knowledge and Attitudes of Mandatory Fees Amongst First-Generation College Students" (2025). Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration. 97.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/hied_etds/97
Comments/Acknowledgements
DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to my ancestors who came before me and who have paved the path I am on today with their blood, sweat, tears, and ultimately their lives. This work is dedicated to the women in my life who raised me and shaped who I am today, may their spirit live forever Sheilah Adrianne Makaraushka, Donna Christine Smith, Eleanor Louise Smith, and Cordelia Uetta Franklin.
This work is dedicated to the old me, unsure if I was capable but knew there was more to life. This document is a testament to your resilience and grit to survive and succeed against all the odds.
This work is dedicated to my late husband, Erik Manuel Colòn, there are not enough words to encompass what I need to say about you. Meeting you changed the life I thought I wanted for myself. Our love gave me the biggest blessing, our daughter Adrienne. You believed in my dreams when I wasn’t sure of the path. You made me believe that the world needs me and all of my talents. One of the most important lessons you taught me is that anything is possible. All you need is dedication, time, and love in your heart. My life has ever been changed by your presence and love. I know that you are not physically here, but you have been with me on this doctoral journey with me, in my heart and spirit. You are and will continue to be the inspiration for the work that I will do. Until we meet again, my love-Te amo contodo mu corazon, siempre!
This work is dedicated to my family. These are the folks that have been there through the thick and thin. You’ve seen me at my best and my worst and you still love me. Let this dissertation serve as a reminder that we can do great things. I love you Justin, Elsa, Kiera, Deshawn, Samantha, Eliciyah, and Christopher. This work is dedicated to my work family. To Jackson, Wafa, Vanessa, and Jacqui thank you for being the best co-workers and supervisor I ever could have asked for. Thank you for being there to share all the great moments. Being in this space has allowed me to grow personally and professionally and you all have played a very big part in that journey. Thank you for allowing me to be in your lives! To Cohort 15, I am proud of all of you and the work we have accomplished. To Kelsey, we started together, and we will finish together, and we did! To Prachi, thank you for just being you-you never let
me give up, you let me cry, you let me just be me and I am forever grateful for our friendship. To Tiffany, WigCapsXBonnets. To Kevin, we may not have always agreed but we learned from each other. Thank you for allowing me to share time and space in your world. Know that your presence is truly missed today, forever and always. This work is dedicated to all of my students and mentees past, present, and future. Know that I will always stand with you and for you. I AM ALWAYS ROOTING FOR YOU!
Acknowledgments
Receiving this doctorate has been a deep and introspective process, a battle between the mind, the spirit, and the heart. At the core of it all, God allowed me to see it through! Thank you. I want to take this time to thank my husband Carlos for not only being my husband but for being all the things when I wasn’t sure what I needed. Thank you for loving me and caring for me through this dissertation. Thank you for allowing me to smile, cry, and be grumpy (sometimes, lol) in pursuit of my dream. I know in my heart; that I couldn’t have done this without you. Please know that I am eternally grateful for all the love, challenge, and support! Remember you don’t have to shave your legs for me ~Keb Mo.
To Adrienne, you gave me the best job in the world-becoming a mom. I look at you and I marvel at all of the things you do. This work is dedicated to you and the bright future you will have because it has been written. Trust your gut, open your heart, and never forget to lead with love-it will never return to you void. To Olivia, you gave me the next best job, being a bonus mom. I know I am not one to be mushy, but I hope you know how much I love you. You are such a beautiful young woman, and I want the absolute best for you. You have such a light and confidence, and I hope I am around one day when you let it all shine. You continue to teach me things about myself and the kind of mom I truly want to be for you and Adrienne. As you take the next steps on your journey, know that you are capable of doing all the things-even the ones that scare you.
To Dr. Emeka Ikegwuonu, there is not enough room on this page for me to say how thankful I am for you during this journey. I believe that God puts you in spaces and places with people for a reason, and he knew what he was doing pairing us together. Thank you for believing and seeing my worth and work. To the rest of the amazing professors at St. Cloud State University, Dr. McCullar, Dr. Jones, and Dr. Friedensen thank you all for taking the time to teach, mentor, and plant those seeds. You all are faculty goals! To Dr. Stephan Santa-Ramirez, Dr, Lydia Ross, Dr. Tatiana Parker, Dr. Debra Dean, and Dr. Tempitope Folasade Adeoye, thank you for the suggestions, advice, mentorship, and overall love. No one takes this journey alone, thank you for being a part of my tribe. We are all locked in now-forever!