Collins, Kelly2021-09-242021-09-242020-07https://hdl.handle.net/11299/224619University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. 2020. Major: Educational Policy and Administration. Advisor: Rashne Jehangir . 1 computer file (PDF); 236 pages.The higher education access of poor, low-income, and working-class students is a powerful lever in combating poverty, promoting social mobility, and enhancing quality of life across socioeconomic strata. The college access of low-income students has been studied primarily through examinations of support infrastructures and the college-going cultures of socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Insufficient attention has been paid to the influence of public policies aimed at increasing access and completion, such as tuition-free public policy. This multisite case study of TRIO programs is designed to provide additional insight into the influence of tuition-free public policy on the college access of low-income students.enCollege accessFirst-generation studentsFree collegeLow-income studentsTRIOTuition-free higher educationThesis or Dissertation