The opportunities and costs of graduate school: Exploring perspectives of low-income students participating in a cohort-based program to support graduate studies in computing

Objectives. This paper presents a qualitative study of low-income students’ perspectives on attending graduate school. Expanding access to computing careers has been a perennial focus of educational programs and research; much of this effort has focused on diversity in gender and race and access of K-12 schooling to computing studies. In contrast, relatively little programmatic effort and research has been focused on the disparities in socioeconomic access to computing careers and higher education studies. Participants. Our participants were low-income students in a scholarship and cohort-based co-curricular support program called Flit-GAP (Florida IT Graduation Attainment Pathways), which, in part, aimed to provide students with relevant information and financial support to attend graduate school. Study Method. We conducted a qualitative interview study with students as they entered Flit-GAP, and we followed up with students who matriculated into graduate school to understand how their perspectives had shifted. Our analysis, grounded in theories of capital, examined the ways students weighed their options to attend graduate school and the ways Flit-GAP influenced their perspectives. Findings. Our findings indicate that low-income students have a particular sense of the opportunity cost in attending graduate school and that some have naïve ideas about the costs and processes of graduate school, which could become prohibitive of them learning more about the process. Our participants were also highly influenced to consider graduate school by peers and mentors who served as role models and provided advice or clarifying information. Conclusions. We position our findings relevant to those in programmatic, supportive, or institutional roles that aim to expand access to graduate school. By understanding what is on the minds of low-income students and what could be compelling encouragement, programs can help tailor their messages to expand access to those who do not initially consider attending graduate school as an option.