JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Spring 2016 – Vol. 23, Issue 1 © Bell, Hackett, & Hoffman 1 Student Satisfaction and Success in a Low-Income Community College Environment Damon A. Bell Olympic College Cedric D. Hackett California State University, Northridge John L. Hoffman California State University, Fullerton This study was set at San Bernardino Community College, which—at the time of the study—was situated in the second-poorest community in the United States. Unlike much prior research where most students come from middle class and affluent families, low-income status was a condition of the environment that arguably affected all of the students at the campus. The study utilized a campus survey to examine levels of student involvement as well as student perceptions regarding the campus environment. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify patterns of involvement within the survey data, and then relationships between emergent factors were examined. Findings reflect patterns of involvement for low-income students and students of color that are different than in prior research, likely because of the unique nature of the setting of the study. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. Keywords: community colleges; low-socioeconomic environment; low- income students; satisfaction Almost 50 years ago, the Coleman report (Coleman et al., 1966) highlight- ed the significant relationship between family socioeconomic status and stu- dents’ educational achievement and attainment. Since the 1970s, income inequality in the United States has grown sharply and the gap between the rich and poor has continued to widen, especially among families with children (Reardon & Bischoff, 2011). At the same time, social policy changes have curbed social safety nets for low-income families and contributed to the difficul- ty of impoverished families. “Not only do the poor have less money than they