Development of a Scale to Measure Academic Capital in High-Risk College Students

This study presents a psychometric instrument that measures academic capital in college students. Academic capital is a set of social processes that aid students in acquiring the knowledge and support necessary to access and navigate higher education. This study establishes the validity and reliability of the Academic Capital Scale. In addition to validating the six components of academic capital identified by St. John, Hu, and Fisher (2011), two additional components of academic capital were identified. Providing scholars and practitioners with a measure of academic capital allows institutions to critically examine and restructure their current support programs for high-risk college students.