Leaving College in Rural Central Appalachia: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study of Lived Experience and Meaning-Making

This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how individuals raised primarily in rural Central Appalachian communities interpret and make meaning of their decision to engage in college departure prior to degree completion. The study examined college departure as a lived experience shaped by family obligations, cultural identity, and rural structural conditions. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, and Western North Carolina who had enrolled in higher education but did not complete a degree. The main research question was: How do rural Central Appalachian residents interpret their college departure? Hermeneutic phenomenological thematic analysis uncovered several interconnected themes, including limited inherited institutional knowledge, familial and cultural expectations, organizational barriers, institutional misalignment, and autonomy in decision-making. Participants described college departure as a conscious and meaningful choice within their context, rather than academic failure. These findings deepen understanding of rural students' educational decision-making and help inform more culturally responsive institutional practices.