Sick of Subpar Support: An Exploratory Study of Chronically Ill College Student Experiences

This study investigated factors that chronically ill students perceived as influencing their experiences in higher education. Twenty undergraduate students who were currently enrolled in a 4-year, private institution participated in semistructured interviews to discuss their experiences. Findings from a reflexive thematic analysis revealed three key themes: (1) some participants described numerous illness-related financial barriers to higher education; (2) multiple participants recalled challenges when accessing illness- or disability-specific resources on campus (e.g., student health and disability services); and (3) many participants recalled feelings of pressure to meet performance standards in instances where chronic illnesses made meeting those expectations difficult. Recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.