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Black College Students’ Hardship in Post-Secondary 
Education 

John Eleby 
Department of Sociology 

California State University, Los Angeles 
 
KEYWORDS: Black College Students, Race and Racism, Structural Hardships 
 
ABSTRACT 

This study is designed to pinpoint the hardships Black 
students endure and why these students are treated differently. 
Some of the barriers related to college access and college 
environmental settings (which I label “internal issues”) that have 
affected Black college students include the cost of higher 
education, which that can lead to them dropping out due to being 
unable to afford their education, a lack of spaces of belonging, and 
difficulty finding helpful mentors for guidance. These internal 
issues are compounded by challenged Black students often face 
outside college contexts (labeled “external issues”), including 
raising dependents, a lack of community or family resources, and 
experiences of racism. Taken together, internal and external issues 
interact to impact Black college students’ experiences and 
outcomes in post-secondary education. 

 
INTRODUCTION 
 Black students in the United States must deal with several 
unnecessary barriers created by policies and ideologies that 
systematically exclude them from post-secondary educational 
success. When Black individuals encounter a system that 
historically has not accounted for them or treat them as equal, it 
can create hardships that affect their journeys in post-secondary 
education. Some of the misfortune Black college students 
encounter include racism, biases from instructors, and negative 
stigma attached to them due to their skin color. It can also be 
challenging for Black college students to feel connected to a 
particular institution. One of the points mentioned by Broom 
(2018) is academic and social isolation. Broom (2018) delineates 
that when Black college students do not feel connected to the 
college, they will isolate themselves. This can cause them not to 



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be engaged and even affect their coursework. Such barriers have 
been longstanding over time in the U.S. across various types of 
public and private institutions, regardless of what policies 
universities have tried to change to adapt to Black students. 
Unfortunately, Black students continue to be judged for the color 
of their skin in ways that negatively impact their educational 
experiences and outcomes. It is vital that educational college 
institutions acknowledge and work to address barriers that can 
affect these students, so they are in a better position to be 
successful. 

Segregation continues to be a widespread de facto reality 
for Black people in the U.S., especially in education. According to 
Hakkola (2019), there remains a lack of recruitment efforts for 
students from segregated Black communities by post-secondary 
educational institutions. The recruitment process is used by 
colleges to select who is given opportunities to attend their 
institutions. Yet, past and present practices demonstrate that Black 
people continue to be systematically rejected by dominant white 
colleges through a dearth of recruitment. Beasley (2021) further 
proposes that social engagement can help Black college students 
flourish in college. Black college students’ interactions with staff, 
faculty, and other students can positively impact their education 
and experience at their institutions. However, a lack of Black 
representation in university settings, combined with ongoing 
discriminatory behavior persists today. Black students often report 
that they treated as if they are dangerous to society and should be 
feared, or as if they are less capable or less worthy than non-Black 
students (Beasley 2021). This creates unnecessary barriers for 
Black students to access, belong, and be successful in post-
secondary education. 

One of the solutions to emerge from longstanding Black 
marginalization in higher education was the creation of 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). HBCUs 
were created so Black students could have a safe environment to 
learn and obtain an education without the barriers they would face 
attending a dominant white institution. The first HBCU created 
was the Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, established in 1837. 
Following this great school, a chain of HBCUs emerged to provide 
a space for Black students to learn in an environment that tailored 



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to their needs and best interest. Unfortunately, most Black students 
cannot afford to travel and pay the tuition necessary to gain the 
HBCU experience, leaving most Black students to navigate the 
public and private colleges most financially and geographically 
accessible to them.  

Unfortunately, not much has changed for Black students’ 
experiences in post-secondary education. Though Black students 
may be accepted at higher rates than the past, their skin color and 
unique experiences living in the U.S. can make it harder for them 
to feel part of the school compared to non-Black counterparts. A 
pervasive marginalization and associated of subjective belonging 
have long term consequences for Black students throughout their 
journeys in college and after graduation. Previous researchers 
have found similar themes that Black students still encounter at 
their institutions. The college educational system still has a long 
way to go to become diverse and be a place for Black students to 
feel accepted and trusted.  

The purpose of this research is to document the hardships 
that Black students in the United States face when navigating 
higher education. To accomplish this, I conducted 20 semi-
structured qualitative electronic interviews with former and 
current college students from different generational cohorts and 
states who self-identify as Black or African American. My 
findings suggest that, while their experiences can and do vary, 
Black students generally continue to face a set of hardships that 
systematically marginalize them from a positive educational 
experience in colleges and universities in the U.S. These negative 
experiences span time and space in ways that threaten to continue 
to affect Black educational outcomes at the individual and 
intergenerational levels. 

 
LITERATURE REVIEW 
Poverty/Class/Income 

One of the many challenges Black college students’ often 
face is growing up in impoverished communities with limited 
educational resources. These communities can cause significant 
stress to the student due to income availability and how they are 
perceived. In these communities’ parents must work two jobs to 
support their families and hustle to have enough funds to put food 



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on the table, which can limit their availability to assist young 
students with educational needs. Economic issues also distract 
Black students from their academics and affect their ability to 
apply and attend universities if they must work to support or assist 
their families. Heimans and Singh (2019) argue that individuals 
who need food security, health security like access to clean water 
and food, and or electricity might face decreased chances of 
success. 

K-12 schools in poverty-stricken communities typically 
do not have the resources to prepare Black students properly for 
college (Simon and Steele 2020). These schools are mostly in 
impoverished communities where there is often violence, minimal 
resources for families, and instructors who may feel underpaid and 
treat these students differently. There are usually metal detectors 
to ensure students are not bringing in weapons, with Black 
students being the prime suspects (Bell 2015). Black students can 
also be victims of bullying owing to skin color or if they cannot 
afford the most popular clothing and wearing off brands. If any 
Black college students have had these negative experiences 
described above, how are they supposed to feel they belong at a 
UC or Cal State institution? 

Family structure was demonstrated by Simon and Steele 
(2020) as a factor in financial hardship, especially if they come 
from a single-family outcome. Mammen and Woodford (2010) 
describe low-income mothers’ experience striving to be successful 
in post-secondary education. In many cases, these families are 
single parents and mothers who are left to fend for themselves due 
to the father being in the criminal justice system, often because 
they were compelled to break society’s norms to make a living for 
his family. How can a Black mother who is a college student with 
children attend school and be successful when she has external 
responsibilities? There is a lack of acknowledgement and support 
for these types of students, and they can struggle in college as a 
result. 
 Poverty can also bring about problems in the household 
for Black college students. In their study, Brown et al. (2015) 
demonstrated that family issues can cause tremendous 
psychological and physical effects on the children involved. One 
of the issues mentioned by Brown et al. (2015) shows that when a 



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family is not financially stable, it can cause several issues, 
including domestic violence. How is a Black college student 
supposed to succeed in post-secondary education when they are 
exposed to hostile environments, often due to economic pressures, 
at home? These actions can harm the students regardless of 
whether they witness the hostile environment directly or 
indirectly. When Black college students are trying to escape such 
a hostile environment, the last thing they need is to enter a college 
that treats them like they don’t belong or create another set of 
barriers they must endure.  

The community Black students are raised in affects their 
financial status, resource access, and choices. Bourke et al. (2019) 
focus on situational, institutional, and dispositional barriers that 
affect low-income individuals pursuing their education. The 
situational barrier is defined as an individual’s 
circumstances. The institutional barrier is defined as how to apply 
for school and funding. Finally, the dispositional barrier is the 
psychological factor in the equation. The dispositional barriers 
Black students’ experiences that can affect their mindset in 
continuing their educational journey. According to Bourke et al. 
(2019) it is essential to factor in those three variants together when 
dissecting the access and success rates of Black people from 
poverty-stricken communities.  

In addition to the negative situational and institutional 
barriers Black students from poor communities’ face, they often 
hear the message that they cannot be successful. Black college 
students often report that they are seen as a threat as to society, as 
a stereotype persists that Black people – especially those who live 
in poverty-- are thugs or criminals They may also be seen as a 
welfare case, or that they are not as bright as the other kids. 
Sometimes Black students are the object of pity. Rather than 
providing solidarity and meaningful support, people feel sorry for 
these poor Black college students. These kinds of experiences can 
affect Black students’ mindset and even lead them to stop pursuing 
their education and instead focus on the external responsibility of 
providing for their families. 

 
 
 



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Detachment/Marginalization/Mental Health 
 Feelings of detachment start forming when society 

rejects an individual due to its rules and standards. Heimans and 
Singh (2019) mention that Black college students can feel 
detached from society as they are marginalized in the institutions 
around them. This experience of marginalization and detachment 
can cause students not to seek post-secondary education. When 
Black students make it into college, they continue to face 
difficulties due to the stigma attached to their communities. They 
often realize that their culture is not welcome or accepted, which 
reinforces feelings of marginalization and promotes severe 
detachment from the college. When individuals begin feeling this 
way, one of two things can occur. They might transform and try 
to be the person society wants them to be. In this case, they might 
try to abandon all their cultural beliefs and practices to no longer 
be outsiders. Conversely, they may stay to themselves and 
disappear in the background. Both outcomes are harmful. 

 Black students often experience racism and 
discrimination in post-secondary educational institutions even 
though it can and often does can start sooner. Black students are 
reportedly more likely to be investigated and punished than any 
other category of students on campus due to negative stereotypes 
if they are suspected of any violation on campus (Scott and Allen 
2020). In their study, Allen et al. (2018) describe that some 
individuals do not have the proper relationship with the staff to 
gain information necessary to help them navigate higher education 
due to bias and stereotyped treatment. Allen and Jacques (2020) 
imply that these interactions harm Black students’ educational 
achievement. Black college students may encounter rough 
interactions from the first day they enter their institutions. They 
feel they must walk on eggshells most of the time because they do 
not want to be perceived in a negative way.  

If we analyze the college environment, Harris and Linder 
(2018) describe what a typical person of color would experience 
in educational institutions. One of the examples uses in their study 
come from Amy, a Black female student. Harris and Linder 
(2018:149) quoted Amy saying, “the classroom is a constant 
struggle. Sometimes you really wish that you could just put down 
your arms and not fight as much, but it does not always go that 



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way. And then also like I am marginalized in so many areas that 
it is hard sometimes to keep fighting.” When Black college 
students must endure this kind of treatment of always having to 
fight to fit in and accept that can cause detachment and fatigue 
among Black college students. Harris and Linder (2018:150) 
delineate that, “David perceived that white student, who did not 
have to go through life “seeing” or “getting” race, invalidated his 
views in the classroom simply because they were not their own 
views or experiences.” When Black college students try to educate 
them on their cultures and backgrounds, it is shrugged off or 
deemed invalid.  

Black students deal with stigmatizing biases in higher 
education that derive from stereotypical representations prevalent 
in the media that link Blackness with threat. This can have a severe 
impact on their mental health, impacting educational success. Barr 
and Neville (2014) explore mental health and racial ideology in 
post-secondary education, finding that the educational system can 
generate mental health problems for Black students if the 
environment is hostile or the student has encountered racism or 
discrimination. This can prohibit Black college students from 
being engaged if the environment is causing them not to focus and 
lead to feelings of marginalization. When Black students feel 
isolated, as described by Harris and Linder (2018), they are also 
more likely to leave the educational system. They may also carry 
trauma due to the experiences that were rendered while in college, 
which can follow them outside of college institutions. Bringing in 
old stereotypes and dehumanizing Black college students by 
treating them harshly or making them feel detached thus only 
causes unnecessary problems for both the student and the college. 

This research on Black student belonging suggests that 
college campuses should be an environment in which Black 
college students can confidently enter and connect. Space is a 
significant aspect of this environment and is key to Black college 
students' success. Chapman-Hillman, Collette, and Beasley 
(2017) describe that when Black students can have a space they 
identify with, it can give them a sense of belonging and 
attachment. It allows them to see and connect to other Black 
students and can provide a support group during their time at the 
institution. It also gives them confidence that they can be a 



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success. Giving space does not mean providing Black college 
students with an area with little to no resources, but rather it means 
that their unique needs should be satisfied. Black college student 
space means having faculty and staff supporting them in 
designated spaces and throughout institutions of higher education. 
These spaces are too often unavailable on college campuses, to the 
detriment of Black student belonging and success.  

According to Beasley (2021:241), “Black students 
attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) 
report higher levels of engagement compared to their same-race 
peers at PWIs.” Black students are given more support at HBCUs, 
which encourages attachment to the institutions, peers, and 
academics. In non-HBCU colleges, Chapman-Hillman, Collette, 
and Beasley (2017) find that having BSC (Black Studies Courses) 
assists Black students with developing their identity and 
attachment to the institutions as they receive their education. Pan-
African Studies is an excellent example of BSC because it offers 
courses to help Black college students identify their roots. Pan-
African Studies explains diverse Black experiences, views Black 
history beyond slavery, differentiates between African and Black 
American History, and shows why Black people are essential in 
society. Black students are more able to recognize racial barriers 
and can use them as motivation to succeed rather than reasons to 
disengage (Chapman-Hillman, Collette, and Beasley’s 2017). 
Every campus should have Black Studies and Pan African Studies 
courses available for Black and non-Black students to learn more 
about Black cultures. Black students deserve to feel welcome and 
be able to compete and be successful at their colleges. 
 
METHODS   
 Qualitative and semi-structured interviews were 
conducted with twenty participants using the Zoom platform. I 
used two sampling strategies to attain the data I listed above. First, 
I utilized the purposive sampling method because I was looking 
for participants who fit the criteria, I have former and current 
Black college students. Using the purposive sampling granted me 
access to the participants needed to gain the data needed to provide 
a reasonable and formal study. The second sampling strategy 
method I implemented was convenience sampling. I located the 



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individuals using my personal and professional networks. 
Convenience sampling allowed me to select participants who are 
close to me, which allowed for rich, conversational interviews. 

The participants of this study chose the date and time the 
discussions took place. The earliest was around 10 am, and the 
latest was around 5 pm. The length of the interviews ranged from 
17 minutes to an hour and five minutes, with an average of 40 
minutes each. The topics discussed their experiences as Black 
students attending either a community college or a university. I 
protected their rights by having them sign a consent form stating 
the rationale of the interviews and their rights as a participant in 
this study. I also have their transcript and audio data secured in a 
OneDrive account with a password that is needed to access the 
data. Only my Chair and I have access to the participant’s 
information. I used pseudonyms in my reporting to protect the 
identities of my participants throughout the report. 

I analyzed the data by using thematic coding in the 
Qualitative Data Analysis web-based program, Dedoose. I 
uploaded the transcripts and inductively coded on themes related 
to Black students’ experiences as they navigated college. This 
included environmental factors outside the educational institution 
and factors within higher educational systems. I drew from 
language used by the participants when developing my thematic 
codes to stay as true to their perspectives as possible. 
 My position on the data is personal since I have 
experienced racism and discrimination in post-secondary 
education. I understand and can relate to the participants’ 
experience. Because I can relate to them, it makes the interviews 
richer and more profound since the participants feel they are 
talking to someone who knows the struggle of what they have 
experienced. It also allowed them to be more comfortable and 
open in the interviews. The rationale behind this study was based 
on my experience as a current Black college student at a post-
secondary institution college; the obstacle we must take is unique.  

The limitation of this study is that I am not using 
quantitative methods, so my data is strictly based only on the 
participant experiences. My sample was a convenience sampling 
strategy based on 20 participants and thus cannot be generalized 
to the general population. Time constrictions inhibited the 



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collection of a bigger, more generalizable sample that includes 
statistics that confidently reflect the broader population of Black 
colleges across time in the U.S. Nonetheless, the findings are 
broadly consistent with previous research on Black students’ 
experiences and outcomes in the U.S. indicating a high level of 
external reliability.  
  I chose participants I know who fit the criteria to be part 
of the project. I conducted phone banking to inform them about 
the project I am analyzing. I let them know what the interview is 
about and how they will contribute to the study. I read to them 
their rights as a participant in the study so they will have the proper 
knowledge going forward with the interview. I also notified them 
of the importance of the interview and how it affects Black college 
students today. My relationship with these individuals made it an 
easier transition to convince them to participate since I am not a 
stranger but a friend, former classmate, or co-worker. 
 
FINDINGS 
 The study findings stated several factors. I will break 
down these findings by themes and use the twenty participants’ 
narratives as evidence. Some of the findings that will be discussed 
are financial issues, racisms, and bias. Every participant had 
experienced racism and bias in their institutions. Also, students 
with dependents have had extra barriers versus those who have no 
children. Homelessness had been experienced by a few 
participants in their educational journey. Overall, the study 
findings describe Black college students’ hardships by analyzing 
them as internal to the institutional landscape of higher education 
or external to it (i.e., community, family, societal factors). 
 
Internal Hardships  
 Internal hardships are experiences of hardships that Black 
college students have within their colleges. Some of the findings 
that were discovered in this area were financial barriers due to not 
having enough income, which can affect their education. The lack 
of space for Black college students to identify with or make a 
connection within their institutions was also discussed by 
interviewees. While mentorships were identified as a hardship due 
to Black college students’ difficulties in developing meaningful 



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and beneficial relationships at their educational institution, they 
were a beneficial factor when mentorship was accessible, 
attentive, and respectful.  
 

Financial Barriers 
 Financial barriers were one of the questions asked and 
many Black college students identify them as a hardship. Since 
most of my participants come from the lower class, a few from the 
middle class, and none from the upper class; affording college is 
expensive, depending on the school you attend. Since many Black 
college students come from lower class communities, they can run 
into financial issues. Jerry stated, He had to work two jobs to pay 
his tuition, and it affected his schoolwork, so he had to quit one to 
raise his grades. Some Black college students can’t find a job on 
campus, so they must go off campus, which makes it more 
challenging since work-study is based on your school schedule. 
An off-the-campus job typically does not consider school 
schedules and is based on the company needs and not the students. 
Mark stated, “But when I transferred, I was working off campus 
and working more hours; however, my coursework was not up to 
par.” Finding work to pay for books and tuition is challenging; 
financial aid issues have also come up. Susan stated her financial 
aid would be delayed, and there was no accountability in the 
office. She would be rushed off, and it cost her an extra semester 
to graduate because she had to drop a class, she was supposed to 
take due to insufficient funds. Jae and Jack both had to drop out 
of school for a semester to get the funds to take courses through 
focusing on work. Resources need to be shared with every student, 
and when Black college students do not have access to or lack 
knowledge of these resources, further assistance should be 
provided so they will have the proper support in their educational 
journeys.  
 

Mentorship 
When Black students enter a college, traditionally they are 

to be welcomed, and supposed to feel accepted by their peers, 
administrations, staff, and faculty. Unfortunately, that does not 
happen frequently, and most of the Black college students I 
interviewed stated that mentors were their most prominent 



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supporters in post-secondary education due to a lack of 
relationships developed due to negative biases and stereotypes. 
Mentorships heavily impacted Sarah, and they helped her 
graduate from her institutions. One of the quotes she stated was, 
“I had a mentor who was a counselor who was not assigned to me; 
however, she would go out of her way to assist me in my goals 
and keep me encouraged when I wanted to leave college.” Her 
second and most important comment about her mentor was, “She 
made me feel like I belong at the college and guided me to 
resources that help me succeed and never judge me or look at me 
differently because I was Black.” Showing interest in Black 
college students’ educations can positively impact their 
educational journey. Mentors are significant to Black students in 
post-secondary education because they need that prep talk and an 
extra push to make it through their prospective programs.  

These mentors also help them deal with encounters or 
issues they may face as Black college students. James stated, “I 
still remember [name of camp counselor] and other counselors 
that I forgot to name, but I’ll never forget their faces, but they were 
like our mentors, our coaches, our supporters, and they love us.” 
His statements describe what every Black college student needs to 
feel when they enter any institution, regardless of whether it is an 
HBCU. Every Black college student needs that community and 
love from their institutions. The few Black college students who 
did not experience this kind of mentorship in their institutions had 
to go outside the college to find someone to help them succeed, 
like Justin, who had his parents to lean on for that mentorship and 
guidance, or other Black college students who had friends external 
to college to lean on to deal with some of the issues they would 
face in college.  

 
Lack of Space 

  All the participants felt that there was a lack of space with 
which they could identify. They had to find an area or room to get 
a sense of belonging. Stacy, Jack, and Fred were all part of a Black 
Student Union club where they found unity and a support group 
to lean on during their post-secondary education. Jack stated, 
“Without BSU, I wouldn’t have graduated because I needed that 
support from my people.” When I asked my follow-up question 



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about whether he felt supported by other peers and faculty that did 
not look like him, he said no. His support strictly came from the 
advisor of the club and BSU. 

Stacy liked the group because it gave her space. She 
stated, “I would get stares like I do not belong here.” However, 
BSU made her feel welcome. Space is important to Black college 
students who need that to feel welcome. The other 17 participants 
who were not in the BSU had difficulty identifying a space and 
had encounters with staff and faculty that made them 
uncomfortable. Mariah stated, “I had a hard time finding 
resources, and when I would ask someone, they would just brush 
me off or have an attitude.” George stated, “Black staff was more 
helpful than non-Black staff and friendlier.” Campuses with a 
space for Black college students allow them to see themselves as 
more belonging and able to receive assistance to avoid interactions 
that can lead to detachment. If Black college students do not have 
an area they can identify with, their likelihood of dealing with 
hardship increases. All seventeen participants without the BSU 
had issues connecting to their college due to a lack of space. 
 
External Hardships 

External hardship deals with anything outside of college. 
Several issues can affect Black college students’ educational 
journey. Some of the findings are external issues such as Black 
students who have children or dependents they must care for, 
because not all students come straight from high school. Family 
structure and culture was identified as a hardship because many of 
the participants experienced single parent household. Housing 
was an issue for a few participants, and it highlighted that Black 
college students also go through housing hardship. Internal and 
external racism and bias are also described below in the findings 
because all participants experience this inside and outside of the 
college.  
 

Black College Students with Dependents 
There have been times when a few of my participants had 

to leave college to care for family members. Five of the female 
participants I interviewed have children. Jasmine’s story was very 
compelling. She stated, “Once I became a mom, I had to neglect 



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my education in preference for my daughter. So, it wasn’t that I 
did not want to be in school; I had to be home to be a mom.” There 
was no support for dependent students at her college, so she 
dropped out. The childcare services at her college were too 
expensive. Henry stated he had to drop out to take off his 
daughters; however, in his case, he was able to return shortly 
afterward. These are just a few examples of participants who had 
external responsibility, and their college needed tools and access 
to resources to assist them in their situation. Which role these 
parents adopt plays a critical part in their education because they 
may have to choose which one is more important; being a full-
time parent or a full-time student. Institutions need more resources 
for parents because Black college students are no longer just 17 or 
18 years old. The age demographic is changing from younger to 
more senior, and the older students and even the younger students 
have children, and that needs to be considered when serving Black 
college students. 
 

Housing 
Housing was identified as a hardship among my 

interviewees. If students do not have stable housing, that will 
affect their grades, basic needs, and other issues caused by 
homelessness. I had five participants who experienced 
homelessness during their time in college. Joe stated, “I had to 
move out of a family member’s house because they thought I had 
money since I was attending college. When I told them no, I do 
not have all this funding, I was kicked out and stayed in my car 
for six months while going to school.” Housing is critical for 
Black college students to be able to focus. When I asked these 
participants did the institution help them in their situations, they 
said they were just given a piece of paper and rushed out of the 
office. That is why Meeka stated, “Not just having stability, but 
just personally to feeling like you’re going, you’re going through 
this process by yourself.” Housing is an issue for Black college 
students, especially those with dependents, and there should be 
resources for these students and support so they can complete their 
degrees and meet their basic needs requirements. 

 
 



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Family Structure and Culture 
 Black college students’ background is crucial to their 
success because most low-impoverished communities do not 
promote post-secondary education college-going. Most of these 
communities define success as completing high school and 
obtaining some employment to take care of yourself and your 
loved ones. I asked participants if post-secondary education was 
promoted in their households. Below are some of the responses 
and findings.  

Eight out of twenty participants had a two-parent 
household. Five out of the eight participants experienced being in 
a single parent household due to divorce or separation. Out of 
twenty participants, only four had parents or siblings who 
achieved post-secondary success, including an associate or 
bachelor’s degree. Helen had two members in her family with 
post-secondary degrees. Helen stated, “Having parents who had a 
master’s degrees encourage me to seek my education and show 
me I can be successful at that level.” This statistic is very alarming 
because most of my participants needed someone to look to when 
it came to navigating colleges. Most participants had to witness 
their parents work two jobs and even work themselves to support 
their parents.  

 For the four participants who had a relative who had post-
secondary education success, it encouraged them to be successful 
in college. It enables them and many others to attend college and 
overcome barriers and the other participants. One of the 
participants, Marquise, stated it was a positive experience for him 
to see family members being successful, “We hold secondary 
degrees, and my brother and sister both have master’s degrees.” 
Kenneth stated his mother used to tell him he had to go to college. 
Participants who had previously successful parents typically 
attended college and finished their degrees.  
 For those I interviewed who did not have any siblings or parents 
who achieved a degree in post-secondary education, I am excited 
to report their parents encouraged them. Some of these 
participants are the first generation in their families because they 
took that first step in pursuing their education. Shirley’s mom was 
a single parent who told her to attend college and get a formal 
education. Jackie said her mom told her to “be the first to graduate 



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in the family and set the standard.” Because of those encouraging 
words, Jackie is no longer the only family graduate with a 
bachelor’s degree. Her brother also has one, and they are 
grooming their nephews and cousin to follow suites. Vicky stated 
that she wanted to attend college to experience a different 
community. 

Overall, family culture does impact Black college 
students’ success in post-secondary due to the influence inside the 
home and how education is viewed. It can affect what barrier these 
Black college students will face and how they will respond. 
Family culture also dictates how they will see the world and 
others.  

Many Black communities are not faring well since most 
of the participant’s family members have not finished their 
degrees or have not attempted post-secondary education. The 
sixteen participants who graduated from college and had no one 
with previous experience were motivated by the lack of success 
and were determined to break that barrier. It demonstrates that the 
educational systems need to get Black people more involved in 
post-secondary education starting at an early age because not 
everyone is as fortunate as these participants who encourage 
education in their household. 

 
External And Internal Hardships Related to Bias and Racism 
 Unfortunately, racism and bias exist in the educational 
system. For Black college students this experience is not new. 
Eighteen out of twenty participants in this study reported 
experiencing racism or prejudices from staff, faculty, and peers. 
Brianna shared a story with me that she was going by a sorority 
table and asked how she joined. The non-Black group told her they 
were full. When she was walking away, she heard them say, “why 
Black girls wanted to join us. They need to stay in their lane.” 
There was another incident where a white athlete assaulted her, 
and because of his status, she did not report it because she felt no 
one would believe her. When I asked why she did not want to tell 
anyone, she just stated, “I don’t trust the system here because a 
friend of hers who is white experienced the same thing and was 
denied justice. I am Black, so what chances do I have?” Because 



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of this terrible experience after she graduated, she refuses to step 
foot on the campus and wishes she had just attended an HBCU.  

Leslie shared that on her campus, she was called a 
“Nigga,” and she did not belong there. Raymond shared that when 
he heard about his universities, he encountered the KKK. He 
stated that they call him a Nigga and threaten his life. When he 
told the administration, they did not act upon it immediately until 
he had it printed in the school newspaper. There are many 
incidents that occurred on college campuses that are not reported 
due to Black college students’ distrust within the college system. 
They do not believe either the perpetrator or the college will take 
their complaint seriously.  

The last two examples delineate heavy biases when Black 
college students deal with staff or faculty, starting with Johnny. 
Johnny’s experiences with instructors could have been better in 
his institutions. He stated a teacher was grading bias because he 
was Black. When I asked a follow-up about why, he just said the 
teacher would never talk to him like he does the other students. 
When Johnny comes by during office hours, he would never be 
there or says he is busy. His tone with Johnny was like he was 
afraid of him. He had to retake the course because he felt he would 
not pass with how the teacher was acting toward him. Finally, my 
last example is with Angela, who detailed how she walked into the 
financial aid office and stated she had an issue with her financial 
aid status. The elderly white lady told her, “You people always 
have these issues” smartly. Angela asked what she meant by “you 
people,” so she pointed to the room that was dominated by Black. 
A Black employee stood there looking shocked, so he helps 
instead.  

Overall, Black college students report dealing with these 
issues daily from entering college until leaving. Biases and racism 
can be untaught by having mandatory diversity training and 
having employees who understand the demographic they are 
working with, especially instructors. Those three Black students’ 
stories describe an insight into what they must endure in the UC 
and CSU system. 

 
 
 



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DISCUSSION  
 Overall, Black college students have experienced internal 

and external hardships affecting their educational journey. The 
findings display that financial hardship was a significant problem 
for Black college students. Heimans and Sing (2019) found basic 
needs were an issue and this study also confirms this as a factor as 
most of the participants experienced some basic need insecurity 
as an external factor. Ten of the participants had to gain 
employment to support their families. The primary rationale 
behind this is that fifteen participants had experienced the single 
parent family structure, with only one being a single father.  

The income in these families has created external barriers 
for Black college students because they must work and depend on 
a scholarship or financial aid. When these students have external 
issues, it can lead to internal economic problems. A few 
participants had to drop out because they needed help to keep up 
with their tuition. There are cases where if a Black college student 
must depend on financial aid and employment, they will not be a 
hundred percent focused on their academics if they must work and 
do schoolwork. Some participants found that quite challenging to 
do and had a challenging time handling both. One of the concerns 
from these interviews is that colleges need to figure out how to 
support Black college students who have financial issues coming 
into their colleges. Are there enough resources or scholarships 
offered for them to participate in? Do the scholarships, if any are 
offered, help them in their educational journey? These concerns 
and issues can and will affect Black college students attending or 
intending to attend any UC or CSU institutions. 
 Black students with dependents face an additional layer to 
external hardship. The barriers that single mothers face is twice as 
problematic compared to someone who does not have children. 
Their external responsibility will affect their educational 
responsibility if they do not have a support system. Mammen and 
Woodford (2010) describe single mothers with children. The most 
challenging road to success is dealing with role conflict. Will they 
be full-time students and focus on their studies or be full mothers 
and put all their energy into raising their children? Being a mother 
or father is a job that does not turn off because you have an 
assignment due. Also, they are Black college students, who are 



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often labeled and treated as irresponsible and looked down upon. 
There is a lack of support for Black college students with 
dependents due to the culture colleges are used to. When these 
types of students are entering college, then additional resources 
are needed to assist them. When a Black college student with a 
dependent cannot get the proper help due to the college not having 
the necessary resources for them to be successful, that creates an 
additional barrier for that student. It will become an internal issue 
due to a lack of support from their institutions.  

College culture should always try to avoid racism, and 
bias; however, it still occurs and heavily impacts Black college 
students’ educational journeys. The old ideology still exist that 
Black individuals are to be feared, which triggers certain 
behaviors from non-Black peers like clutching their purse and 
becoming suspicious when they see a lot of Black students around, 
assuming Black students are uneducated due to the community 
they come from and the class they are associated with. Allen et al. 
(2018) describes that due to racism and bias, they cannot form the 
relationships needed.  

Furthermore, this can cause serious mental health issues 
if Black college students endure constant discriminatory treatment 
constantly. Barr and Neville (2014) delineate that when Black 
college students encounter hostile situations, frequently, it can 
cause them to perceive other non-Black individuals as 
unapproachable due to these experiences. It may cause them to 
react positively or negatively depending on the situation. There is 
a folktale saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but 
words will never hurt me” – however, words hurt, especially if 
they are racially or biased motivated. It can cause Black college 
students to be mentally broken down and unable to focus 
academically.  

Colleges need to implement mandatory diversity training 
to prepare their staff better when dealing with Black college 
students and to be aware of triggers that can cause mental issues. 
The training should be limited to staff and students. They come 
from various parts of the world, and for most students, it is their 
first time dealing with another ethnicity in this environment. 
Training is critical for everyone, especially in today’s critical state 
where Black people’s image is painted as violent when they are 



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just trying to find a path to have the same opportunities for success 
as anyone else. 

 Black college students want to feel they belong to their 
institutions. They want to think that they are on a non-judgmental 
campus where they can be themselves and be accepted for who 
they are. Unfortunately, that is not happening, and it goes deeper 
than having money, what class students are in, or even how they 
are approached by staff, faculty, teacher, and their peers. The 
primary problem at colleges resides internal to institutions of 
higher education themselves. When colleges decide to prioritize 
Black college students, the detachment they are faced with 
constantly will change. This will in turn improve mental health, 
which is likely to positively affect students’ educational 
experiences and outcomes. 
  This research suggests several steps that colleges can 
takes to better integrate Black students into a sense of communal 
belonging. They should have a dedicated space for Black college 
students and not just give them an empty room. A more vigorous 
effort in placing resources in their area would be a significant 
improvement and having someone there to answer questions and 
address their concerns. Hillman and Beasley’s (2017) research 
states that having a space for Black college students can increase 
their chances. The colleges must make a more substantial effort to 
connect them to the community. Training is critical for everyone, 
especially in today’s critical state where Black people’s image is 
painted as violent when they are just trying to find a path to have 
the same opportunities for success as anyone else. Also, I 
recommend that universities dedicate mentors to guide Black 
students, especially in a heavily Hispanic or white college, since 
the percentage of Black students at any college that is not an 
HBCU is generally remarkably low. 

Many of my participants have been in classes where they 
are the only Black student. The ratio of seeing another Black 
student decreases when a Black college student attends a non-
HBCU institutions, so any non-Black traditional colleges need to 
make a better effort in making Black college students connected 
to their colleges, since there is only a small percentage of them in 
attendance at these colleges. The recruiting strategy needs to be 
reviewed due to the percentage of Black people in post-secondary 



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education. inferior quality educations, and the resource for college 
is rarely promoted to our Black generations. These Black college 
students want a chance to improve their lives, and these 
stereotypes and biases must stop starting from administration to 
their peers.  
 
CONCLUSION 

 Overall, Black College students are a unique population 
and need specific resources to succeed in post-secondary 
education. The study suggests that more funding opportunities for 
them are necessary, so they do not have to leave school because of 
financial rationale. Also, connecting them to mentors right away 
will assist Black college students to not feel detachment from the 
school. They will have someone who can relate to them and guide 
them. Having resources for Black college students who have 
children is crucial. We have grown-ups and older people who are 
attending college now. The culture of having all resources 
dedicated to younger college students must change significantly 
for those with dependents so they can continue their education 
without having to deal with role conflicts.  

Increasing diversity training and adding students to that 
training would be extremely helpful, so all students know how to 
deal with diverse cultures. White colleges especially need to focus 
on staff, who must remember that thousands of students come to 
institutions from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Cultures 
will clash, and conflict will arrive shortly after, unless students 
know how to deal with various kinds of people, especially Black 
college students. Knowledge of another culture should not be 
based on just the media and social outlets.  

 Colleges should offer more Black Studies Courses for 
students and staff to take so they can learn more about Black 
student cultures and where they come from. I would recommend 
that all college institutions make it mandatory for all students to 
take a Pan-African Study class. It will help non-Black students 
learn something more about Black college student history than just 
slavery. For Black college students, it would show them where 
they come from, as ancestors of kings and queens. They will be 
able to relate to their Blackness more in-depth and feel more 
comfortable in their institutions. This will help interactions with 



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Black students overall and hopefully provide more positive than 
negative interactions.  

Black college students should be offered a space by their 
institutions that is worthy of their rich history and 
accomplishment. Black college students need to see an area that 
looks like them and is created just for them, not just an empty 
room with chairs and tables. Have a special welcome for them, 
especially if you have a small percentage of Black people at the 
college. As stated previously, most of my participants have been 
the only Black student in a class, so the chances of them seeing 
another Black person in class is very unlikely. It can be extremely 
uncomfortable going into a heavily Hispanic or white department. 
Diversity is needed across the board at the college level for 
students to feel comfortable, especially Black students. Having 
Black college students comfortable in college is not complicated. 
The formula is simple: treat them with the proper respect and 
assist them in their educational journey so they can succeed. 

 
 

REFERENCES 
Barr, Simone C. and Helen A. Neville. 2013. “Racial Socialization, Color-Blind Ideology 

and Mental Health among Black College Students.” Journal of Black 
Psychology 40(2):138–165.  

Beasley, Samuel T. 2021. “Student–Faculty Interactions and Psychosociocultural 
Influences as Predictors of Engagement among Black College Students.” 
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education 14(2):240–51.  

Bourke, Alan, Jim Vanderveken, Emily Ecker, Jeremy Atkinson, and Natalie Shearer. 
2019. “Bringing College Classrooms to the Community: Promoting Post-
Secondary Access for Low-Income Adults through Neighbourhood-Based 
College Courses.” Canadian Journal of Higher Education 49(1):159–75.  

Brooms, Derrick R. 2016. “‘Building Us up’: Supporting Black Male College Students in 
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Chapman-Hilliard, Collette, and Samuel T. Beasley. 2018. “‘It’s like Power to Move’: 
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Hakkola, Leah. 2019. “Obstacles and Pathways: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Diversity 
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Harris, Jessica C. and Chris Linder. 2018. “The Racialized Experiences of Students of 
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Heimans, Stephen and Parlo Singh. 2020. “Schooling and Poverty: Re-Thinking Impact, 
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Huerta, Adrian H., Patricia M. McDonough, and Walter R. Allen. 2018. “‘You Can Go to 
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Jacques, Scott and Andrea Allen. 2020. “‘He Did That Because I Was Black’: Black 
College Students Perceive Municipal Police, Not Campus Police, as 
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Shinn, Marybeth, Jessica Gibbons-Benton, and Scott R. Brown. 2015. “Poverty, 
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Woodford, Michelle, and Sheila Mammen. 2010. “Escaping Poverty: Rural Low-Income 
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John M. Eleby (He/Him) is an alumnus of the B.A. and M.A. programs in 
Sociology at Cal State LA. His research highlights Black college students’ 
experiences in post-secondary education. John is involved in Associated 
Student Incorporation (ASI) as the Vice President for Academic Governance. 
He developed a quantitative survey to measure how grad students are 
serviced by Cal State LA, which the Graduate Resource Center used to 
improve its visibility. He believes one benefit of joining CSF is working with 
other future sociologists to learn to analyze scholarship, which is a great skill 
to have for future employment.  
 


	Black College Students’ Hardship in Post-Secondary Education - John Eleby



