Coaching support students with disabilities goal attainment in higher education

Earning a degree from an institution of higher education (IHE) improve employment prospects and increases lifetime earnings. The rate of graduation for IHE students with disabilities is lower than for the student body at large. Coaching supports IHE students in earning their degrees. This study examines the effect of coaching on the attainment of self-identified academic-related goals among IHE students with a disability (n = 30) and self-selected strategies used to attain these goals. Participants made progress on 93% and met 77% of their goals. They did so quickly with a mean number of sessions of 2.2 (SD = 1.5) to achieve goal attainment. Participants reported attempting 69% of the strategies they selected during their coaching sessions regardless of the category of strategy (i.e., academic responsibilities, adulting, or support). On average, they rated the self-perceived helpfulness of these strategies as 3.96 out of 5. This study, building on previous work, suggests that coaching has a role in promoting the degree completion of IHE students with disabilities.