Rural Students\u27 College Choice and the Impact of Dual Enrollment Programs and College Cost

This article explores the college-choice processes of two college students who graduated high school from rural areas in New York State. Hossler and Gallagher’s (1987) three-stage model of the college-choice process was used as the theoretical framework for this study. To gain in-depth knowledge about students’ predisposition, search, and choice stages, narrative inquiry was employed. This article specifically highlights how dual enrollment courses played key roles within the college-choice processes of these students. These findings suggest that there is a need for additional education about college costs and dual enrollment programs for rural students and their families