Constructing past, present, and future communities: Exploring the experiences of community among last-dollar scholarship students

This study explores sense of community (SOC) among low-income college students. The development of a SOC among college students, especially low-income students, may be particularly vital because of its implications for student success. Six low-income Arizona State University students were selected based on receipt of a prestigious last-dollar scholarship. Using narrative inquiry, participants were interviewed about their understanding and experiences with communities. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Participant narratives were created to provide context and in-depth understanding of experiences. We identified the following themes: (a) mutual support and caring; (b) shared values and goals; (c) interaction and intentionality; and (d) community as self-constructed, intersecting, and nonlinear. These findings expand existing literature on SOC, with an emphasis on low-income students in university settings. This research offers an opportunity to examine ways in which universities and student services can provide students an opportunity to better understand their own SOC.