[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-594525-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-594525-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","overcoming-adversity-among-low-ses-students-a-study-of-strategies-for-retention","Overcoming adversity among low SES students - A study of strategies for retention","","Examines why students from low socioeconomic status (low SES) backgrounds are able to remain enrolled despite multiple forms of adversity. The study uses responses from over 1,000 domestic undergraduate students at the University of Queensland, comparing low SES students with those from higher SES backgrounds. Results show low SES students report more stressors and higher stress levels, while awareness of student support services does not clearly drive retention decisions. The research focuses on stressors and retention factors, informing strategies to improve equity.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/overcoming-adversity-among-low-ses-students-a-study-of-strategies-for-retention/594525/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/overcoming-adversity-among-low-ses-students-a-study-of-strategies-for-retention/594525.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Aldword","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-21","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":33},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What problem does the study address about low SES students in higher education?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"It addresses underrepresentation of young people from low socioeconomic status backgrounds in tertiary education and the need to understand what helps retention beyond recruitment.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"How was the research conducted and who participated?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Over 1,000 domestic undergraduate students at the University of Queensland completed an online survey, with low SES students compared to students who were not from low SES backgrounds.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"What did the study find regarding stress and student support services?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"Low SES students experienced more stressors and higher levels of stress. 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In order to address this, responses to both recruitment and retention are necessary. While many studies have looked at reasons for student attrition, few investigated the factors that enabled students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds to stay in university. Over 1,000 domestic undergraduate students at the University of Queensland completed an online survey, in which students from low SES backgrounds were compared with students who were not. It was found that while most students experienced a combination of financial, relationship, mental and physical health stress, students from low SES backgrounds experienced more stressors as well as higher levels of stress. While the majority of respondents were aware of student support services, these did not appear to be a major influencing factor on students’ reported decisions to stay at university.  \nIntroduction  \nStudents from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds are underrepresented in higher education (Chapman, 2004; Coates & Kraus, 2005; James, 2007; DEET & NBEET, 1990; DEEWR, 2008) . Several higher education reforms in Australia have tried to redress this issue. In 1990, student equity became a national priority alongside the introduction of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme) (HECS) . Despite these efforts, however, the proportion oflow SES students in higher education remained relatively unchanged (Chapman, 2004; Coates & Kraus, 2005; James, 2007; DEET & NBEET, 1990; DEEWR, 2008) . Indeed, as recently as 2008, the Review of Australian Higher Education (The Bradley Review) suggested that a low SES background remained one of the main barri-  \ners to accessing higher education and that students from low SES groups were more likely to drop out of university (DEEWR, 2008). In response to the Bradley Review, different funding initiatives were established to enhance the participation of low SES students. Universities now have recruitment and retention strategies aimed at low SES students (DEEWR, 2009) . In 2009, the Australian government promised to invest $437 million to improve income support for students from low SES backgrounds (DEEWR, 2009) . In addition, the cap on Commonwealth supported places has been removed. It was argued that the capping of university places stems from an elitist view which limits the chances of lower SES students to enter higher education (Bowers-Brown, 2006) .  \nResearch on low SES students to date has largely focussed on the rate of participation and the risk factors that lead  \nvol. 55, no. 2, 2013 Overcoming adversity among low SES students, Ameera Karimshah et al. 5  \nA U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W  \nto student dropout (Assiter & Gibbs, 2007; Landrum, 2002; Murtaugh, Burns & Schuster, 1999; Whalen, Saunders & Shelley, 2010) . Explanations range from individual factors such as motivation to study and time constraints, to socio-cultural elements such as a lack of family support for higher education. Authors such as Tinto (2008), Sullivan (2001) and Schoon (2008) discuss how social and cultural dynamics within the institution act as exclusionary factors for low SES students and cause them either not to attend university at all or to leave after a short period. These factors include unfamiliar cultural practices and expectations, a lack of outreach programmes designed to recruit low SES students and a lack of transitional support for students who may be the first in their family to attend university. While important, this focus upon risk fact","cbCaibWPIp6x4qpd","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibWPIp6x4qpd","pdf",204947,"English","# Introduction\n# Conceptual understandings of low SES student retention and attrition","[{\"question\":\"What problem does the study address about low SES students in higher education?\",\"answer\":\"It addresses underrepresentation of young people from low socioeconomic status backgrounds in tertiary education and the need to understand what helps retention beyond recruitment.\"},{\"question\":\"How was the research conducted and who participated?\",\"answer\":\"Over 1,000 domestic undergraduate students at the University of Queensland completed an online survey, with low SES students compared to students who were not from low SES backgrounds.\"},{\"question\":\"What did the study find regarding stress and student support services?\",\"answer\":\"Low SES students experienced more stressors and higher levels of stress. Most respondents were aware of student support services, but these did not appear to strongly influence decisions to stay at university.\"}]","Overcoming adversity among low SES students - A study of strategies for retention | PDF",1792079321,25]