Ph.D. in Higher Education student, Maria Luna-Torres’ research paper entitled Drop out among Community College Borrowers: Understanding Loan Use among Low-income and Minority Students at a Large Urban Community College was recently presented at the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) conference. This research is part of her candidacy paper.

Luna-Torres felt truly privileged to be able to present her study at CSCC.  “I had the opportunity to get constructive feedback from other scholars who are nationally recognized researchers and scholars in the field of community colleges,” she said. 

The research focuses on examining the effects of student loans on the enrollment outcomes of low income and underrepresented groups at community college.  Luna Torres said that her findings suggest that the most vulnerable student population—low-income and not-college ready—are the students who are increasingly using student loans to pay for college.  These findings have serious implications for colleges as these same students hold a greater risk for not graduating, and consequently, at greater risk of default.

According to Luna-Torres, the state recently adopted its new long-range plan for higher education, titled 60X30. In that plan, lowering student debt is one of the state’s priorities. Her research will help inform policies and strategies in order to address state and national student debt issues.   “My study is a great opportunity to showcase the timeliness of the research that the College of Education’s Department of Higher Education & Leadership Studies [DELPS] is producing,” said Luna-Torres. “The findings from this study are especially relevant to today’s state and national conversations on college affordability.”

Luna-Torres has a tremendous amount of respect and high regard for Higher Education assistant professor Lyle McKinney and Higher Education associate professor Catherine Horn. “Their dedication and professionalism inspire me to be a better researcher,” she said.  “While at times I may feel overwhelmed by the demands of the program, I appreciate being held accountable to high standards.  I am inspired by their hard work, collaborative spirit, and passion for making our higher education world a better place for all.” 

“From her professional work experiences, Maria has a nuanced understanding of the key policy issues shaping student borrowing and indebtedness,” said McKinney. “She is applying that expertise to carry out timely research that has the potential to improve success, and lower debt burden, among students from less privileged backgrounds.”