Approximately 9% of the U.S. population is in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), yet many remain at a pre-college degree stage and experience a range of educational challenges. While existing studies underscore that education, stable employment, and engagement in meaningful activities strengthen recovery capital and contribute to enhanced self-efficacy and self-esteem, students in recovery encounter unique difficulties in practice, including peer pressure to engage in substance use-related behaviors, inadequate support systems, and structural barriers during admissions. Moreover, prospective students in recovery often perceive higher education as a risky and challenging goal, reflecting limitations similar to those faced by other underrepresented groups. However, in-depth research on this subject is limited and prior studies have primarily focused on students attending institutions with Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs). Accordingly, this study examines the experiences of students in recovery at a university without a CRP, aiming to identify the key barriers they encounter during the college application and admission processes and the resources they draw upon to overcome these challenges.
The study recruited undergraduate students in recovery from a large public university—one without a CRP—located in an urban Midwestern community, including 14 participants who reported being in recovery when they applied to college. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted via phone or ZOOM. Interview questions were developed based on a review of previous studies on college access barriers among students in recovery and other marginalized populations, with the aim of identifying potential barriers and facilitators at the individual, interpersonal, and structural levels within the application and admissions processes. The collected data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) inductive thematic analysis approach.
The study identified five categories of perceived barriers to higher education: (1) personal challenges, including balancing family and career obligations, tuition-related financial burdens, and managing health issues during recovery; (2) consequences of past substance use, such as inconsistent academic records, education/employment gaps, criminal records, and pressure to disclose recovery status; (3) social challenges, including campus substance use norms, peer pressure, and the lack of college-educated role models; (4) complex admissions processes characterized by confusion and insufficient support; and (5) stigma, reflecting both anticipated/experienced negative evaluations and internalized bias. Conversely, facilitators were grouped into three categories: (1) personal strengths, such as a strong determination, clear career goals, persistence, and resourcefulness; (2) social support, provided by supportive networks, recovery role models, and encouraging family values; and (3) institutional supports, including consistent assistance from faculty, flexible scheduling, and positive transitions from community colleges to four-year institutions.
Takeaway: Mitigating the barriers—personal challenges, consequences of past substance use, social challenges, complex admissions processes, and stigma—and incorporating the facilitators—personal strengths, social support, and institutional supports—may help higher education institutions develop policies and practices that promote more equitable inclusion for prospective students in recovery.