Perceptions of the Home Environments of Graduate Students Raised in Poverty

Current literature has identified a growing achievement gap experienced by students raised in poverty. However, some students from poverty can defeat the odds and succeed academically with advanced degrees. Nine graduate students self-identified as being raised in poverty participated in this study. The home-related experiences that led to their academic success were explored. Basic qualitative inquiry and constructivist narrative analysis were used as a framework for this study. Data collection methods included face-to-face and telephone interviews. Data transcriptions were coded and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings suggest that graduate students raised in poverty need a broad support system inside and outside the home. They also indicated that activities and routines were critical to their continued academic success and how academic work often became an escape from the chaos around them. This study calls attention to the academic importance of a broader support network for students raised in poverty