State-Based Promise Programs: The Intersection of State Policy and Low-Income Students' Relationships with Institutional Agents

This three-paper dissertation focuses on state-based promise programs, specifically the intersection of state financial aid policy and promise program scholarship recipients’ relationships with institutional agents. Gaps exist in the literature on promise programs, particularly pertaining to legal research and specific eligibility and renewal criteria, such as the requirement to participate in mentoring programs. Thus, this dissertation will include: (a) a historical law review on Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program, highlighting recent criteria for a College Scholar Success Program including a mentoring requirement; (b) a current legislative review of mentoring requirements in eligibility and renewal criteria for state-based promise programs; and (c) a scoping review of the literature on mentoring in promise programs to inform future research, policy, and practice. The intended audiences for the research are state policymakers, state governing boards for postsecondary education, PK-16 educational institutions, and practitioners in education, government, philanthropy, business, and non-profits. This dissertation will answer the following research questions: (a) What historical legislative precedence of the Indiana 21st Century Scholars program led to a mentorship requirement in a College Scholar Success Program? (b) How does the Indiana legislation regarding a postsecondary mentorship requirement compare or contrast to mentoring-related eligibility and renewal criteria for other state-based promise program scholarships across the United States? (c) What types of support do state-based promise program mentors provide their mentees? (d) What roles do state-based promise program mentors fulfill when supporting their mentees?