"I do not know...I have never been a college student" Dual enrollment: the experience, the benefits, and the hurdles.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20267810

The purpose of the study is to determine why disproportionate amounts of at promise students are participating in the dual enrollment (DE) program and to examine its relationship to cultural capital. The study applied interpretative phenomenological analysis as a qualitative research method to understand the experiences of the DE students. Nine DE seniors participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews to yield an understanding of what led them to and concerned them about participating in the DE program. The theoretical framework chosen was Cultural Capital Theory, which dissected how parents conveyed cultural capital by enlightening their children about the worth of securing post-secondary education. The study intends to fill the gap in the current academic literature on why there are few minorities participating in this program. The findings indicated there were two themes and six sub themes; 1) changed behavior, 1a) post-secondary awareness, 1b) high school vs. college, and 1c) reflection; 2) academic preparation, 2a) college/career preparatory programs, 2b) postsecondary plans, and 2c) determination. Future studies should closely examine the value of a holistic case study and an entrance/exit survey for potential and current DE students. A potential theory that could be further investigated is the cultural proficiency framework.