The Summer Melt Of Rural First-Year Students

For many rural students, the future seems limited, and immediate dreams of college attendance appear to be just out of reach. Rural college-bound students are often faced with parental figures with lower educational attainment than the national average, geographic isolation, declining community infrastructure, and negative social dynamics tied to race, class, and income inequality. In this qualitative case study, I will examine the perceived barriers which contribute to summer melt of rural students. Summer melt is a term applied to students that apply to college, are accepted to college, but melt away from the enrollment cycle in the summer months prior to the fall term for various reasons (Castleman & Page, 2014). Specifically, this study will seek to understand what factors influenced college-bound students in a rural, eight-county district in southeastern Mississippi to elect not to attend college the fall semester after high school graduation