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Abstract
As a college preparatory program, TRIO Upward Bound (UB) cultivates capital among first-generation, low-income Students of Color. However, limited research is available regarding which services specifically provide capital and how the capital guided participants pathways to and through higher education. Unfortunately, the assets of marginalized populations that are typically under-represented in higher education are not highlighted as much as the deficits. In this qualitative study, I utilized Blooms (2008) concept of college-going capital to explore the experiences of TRIO UB participants by employing narrative inquiry as a research design to support a constructivist paradigm as I examined the impact of TRIO UB providing college-going capital. Data collection included semi-structured interviews and a photo elicitation project along with holistic and categorical data analysis for the stories of six African American TRIO UB alumni who at the time of the study were successfully matriculating in higher education. The findings conclude that college-going capital is established through campus visits, college entrance test preparation, and financial aid workshops along with simulated college activities such as cohort modeling and residential programming. Additionally, TRIO UB alumni indicated that their communication and leadership skills were developed as program participants allowing them to successfully interact in collegiate environments as well as assisted them with developing a network of college educated individuals to motivate them and support their academic goals. Furthermore, the research suggests that access to higher education translates to opportunity when college and university staff, faculty, and administrators are committed to shifting from the pre-conceived deficits of first-generation, low-income Students of Color and focus on the assets that these students bring to the world of academia. The findings of this study have implications for practice, policy, and future research.