2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Supporting Low-Income Students’ Pathways to Graduate Education in Computing: Findings from the Flit-GAP Project

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session I

Efforts to broaden participation in computing have largely focused on access at the K–12 and undergraduate levels, with comparatively less attention to inequities in access to graduate education, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds. Graduate education plays a critical role in shaping advanced technical careers and research trajectories in computing, yet pathways into graduate study remain unevenly visible and accessible. This paper presents findings from Computing Graduate Pathways (CGS; pseudonym), an NSF S-STEM–funded, multi-institutional scholarship and support program designed to expand graduate education access for low-income computing students. CGS was launched in 2021 across three public research universities in the southeastern United States and combines need-based financial support with cohort-based co-curricular programming, mentoring, and structured exposure to graduate education pathways. To examine how individual experiences and programmatic supports shape students’ decisions to attend graduate school, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 CGS participants in Spring 2025 who had completed or were nearing completion of their undergraduate degrees and had enrolled in or graduated from graduate programs. Interview data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify project-wide patterns in students’ reasoning and decision-making. Our findings indicate that financial support was a central catalyst in enabling students to consider graduate education as a viable option, particularly when scholarship funding extended across undergraduate and graduate study. In addition to financial resources, students emphasized the importance of mentorship, advising, peer connections, and community-based program activities in building confidence, clarifying graduate school processes, and making graduate pathways feel attainable. As CGS concludes its funding period, these findings highlight the importance of integrating financial, informational, and social supports to expand equitable graduate pathways in computing. The paper offers actionable insights for institutions and funding agencies seeking to design programs that make graduate education more transparent, accessible, and inclusive for low-income students.

Authors

Ms. Nivedita Kumar http://orcid.org/https://0009-0000-8354-9776 Florida International University [biography]

Nivedita (Nivi) Kumar (she/they) is a Ph.D. candidate in Engineering and Computing Education at Florida International University. Their research examines caste, privilege, and equity in transnational engineering and computing education, theorizing caste-blindness through socio-cultural and critical discourse approaches. Nivedita served as a mentor and program coordinator for the JEDI Ambassador Program, guiding undergraduate engineers in equity-focused participatory action research. As a past-UGS Writing Fellow and instructor, they supported graduate writers and inclusive pedagogy initiatives. Their scholarship and service reflect a commitment to developing as a future faculty member advancing justice-oriented, reflexive, and community-engaged approaches in engineering education.
Dr. Stephen Secules http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3149-2306 Florida International University [biography]

Dr. Stephen Secules is Director of First-Year Engineering and Integrative Engineering at University of New Mexico. He is also an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering department. His education research focuses on equity and culture in undergraduate engineering education and methodologies to bring about insight and innovation in education. He co-founded the Equity, Culture, and Social Justice Division and serves as an Associate Editor of Journal of Engineering Education.
Dr. Maimuna Begum Kali http://orcid.org/https://0000-0003-1770-7363 The Ohio State University [biography]

Maimuna Begum Kali is a Lecturer in the Center for Computing Education (CCE) at The Ohio State University, where she teaches undergraduate courses that broaden access to computing to non-computing students. She earned her Ph.D. in Engineering and Computing Education and M.Sc. in Computer and Information Science from Florida International University, and her B.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

Her research examines student wellbeing and support in engineering and computing education, with particular attention to international and post-traditional students. She integrates these perspectives into her teaching through interdisciplinary and student-centered approaches. Her scholarship centers on expanding access and support within engineering and computing education.
Mrs. Tiana Solis http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0036-1124 Florida International University [biography]

Tiana Solis is an instructor and a part-time Ph.D. student at Florida International University. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Science from SUNY (State University of New York) Polytechnic Institute in Utica, New York.

Her research and instructional interests include student access and success in Higher Education and broadening participation in computing.
Dr. Mark Allen Weiss Florida International University [biography]

Mark Allen Weiss is Distinguished University Professor and Interim Vice Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing
Dr. Ken Christensen P.E. http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4170-0521 University of South Florida [biography]

Ken Christensen is Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the Bellini College of AI, Cybersecurity and Computing at the University of South Florida. His research interests are at the intersection of networks and energy in the area of energy-efficient computing and communications systems, and application of communications to improve the storage, distribution, and use of energy in small grids. He has over 100 journal and conference publications and 13 U.S. patents. Ken received the PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1991, MS from North Carolina State University in 1983, and BS from the University of Florida in 1981. Ken is an ABET EAC program evaluator. Ken is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Florida, a Senior Member of IEEE, and a member of ACM and ASEE

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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