Barriers to accessing tutoring services among students who received a mid-semester warning

For this focus group study we recruited from a population of 345 university students who had been informed of their poor academic performance in at least one course, but who had not utilized peer tutoring in the semester they received the warning, in order to determine if stigma played a role in their decision not to seek help. We learned from these students that perceived stigma does play a role, but other barriers emerged as well--personal obstacles, lack of knowledge about services, the availability of easier options, and systemic obstacles.