Undocumented Community College Students: Understanding How Social Support Facilitates Their College Persistence.

This article examines the social support available to undocumented students at community colleges and how such support influences their persistence in higher education, using Shumaker and Brownell's theory of social support. Through a qualitative case study at a multi-campus community college in Virginia, the research found that undocumented students primarily rely on emotional support from family and peers, as well as piecemealed material assistance and information from external sources, due to limited institutional resources. Only a few highly involved students accessed meaningful support from faculty and administrators, highlighting a gap in systematic campus-based support. The study suggests that community colleges can enhance persistence by developing peer mentoring programs, fostering faculty engagement, and involving students' families, while also calling for further research on diverse undocumented student populations and varying state policy contexts.