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This study longitudinally tracks students participating in a STEM-focused intervention program to investigate workforce participation patterns and their association with degree completion in a STEM field. Using longitudinal data from the University of Houston's Education Research Center, this study examines the extent to which students participating in a STEM intervention program require additional work to fund tuition and other life expenses. Findings demonstrated a negative effect of workforce participation on college completion and showed that minority students were more likely to participate in the workforce while also receiving financial support from the STEM program compared to peers from other racial backgrounds. Results inform institutional and financial aid policies, as well as admission criteria as it relates to broadening access of under-represented students in STEM. 

PurposeThis study examines the impact of participation in a STEM Enrichment Summer Bridge Program, funded by the NSF Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, on undergraduate student success outcomes, particularly for under-represented students. Design/methodology/approachThe study uses propensity score matching and logistic regression analysis to examine the effects of participation in the STEM enrichment program on graduation and retention in STEM after matching on baseline socio-demographic and pre-college characteristics. FindingsThe analysis found that program participation had a significant effect on increasing both the graduation rates and retention of under-represented minority students in STEM fields. In addition, results indicated that program participation had a particularly strong impact for Pell-eligible students in terms of course grades. Research limitations/implicationsData obtained for this study were limited to a single Hispanic-serving/Asian-serving institution, and therefore are not necessarily representative of the graduation and retention trends of the larger population of underrepresented minority (URM) students across the nation. Originality/valueThis study uniquely adds to the existing body of literature surrounding the retention of URM students in STEM fields by accounting for baseline variables, such as pre-college academic achievement and socio-demographic characteristics, that could lead to bias in estimating results. Specifically, this study addresses limitations of previous studies by comparing participants and non-participants of the STEM enrichment program who are matched on a selection of baseline characteristics.