ERIC Review: What Community Colleges Should Do to Assist First-Generation Students

Abstract

In the years since World War II, institutions of higher education have been called upon to educate an increasing number of diverse students with a wide variety of backgrounds and needs. From 1984 to 1994, for example, the total number of White undergraduates in institutions of higher education increased by 5.1 %. During the same period, the number of Asian American, Hispanic, African American, and Native American undergraduates increased by 61 % (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1998). Not only have these institutions been challenged to serve an increasingly diverse student body, they also have increasingly been held accountable for the success of these students. Educators are attempting to understand the students who are coming to college in order to help them be successful.One group of students that educators are trying to understand better than in the past are those students who are the first in their family to attend college. These first-generation students, who do not tend to experience the academic success of their peers, made up 45% of all undergraduates in 1995-96 and are of particular interest to community college leaders. In 1994, 55% of all first-generation students attended public two-year colleges (ERI & IHEP, 1997).The purpose of this review is to answer the global question: What should community colleges do to help first-generation students be successful? The review is based on an examination of the literature relating to first-generation college students. The sources cited include studies of students at both two-year and four-year institutions; the majority of these are public, but a few are private. The studies span the years from 1982 to 1999. They include case studies that involve both students and institutions, small samples of students at two-and four-year institutions, focus groups, longitudinal studies, and research using national-level data.

The academic outcomes of first-in-family in an Australian university: An exploratory study.

“…Definitions of what constitutes first-generation or first-in-family status vary (Aspelmeier et al, 2012;McConnell, 2000). In the US context, the term first-generation is most frequently used, while in the UK and Australia the term first-in-family (FIF) is more common.…”

Staying Within the Margins: The Educational Stories of First-Generation, Low-Income College Students

“…For instance, they often enter higher education with several academic and non-academic deficits compared to their traditional peers (Thayer, 2000;Chen & Carroll, 2005). First-generation, low-income students tend to choose different institutions, have lower educational aspirations and attend college in different ways than non-first-generation students which makes them less successful in completing their educational goals (Astin & Oseguera, 2004;McConnell, 2000;Pascarella, Wolniak, Pierson, & Terenzini, 2003). Many first-generation, low-income students also face cultural and social challenges when they break family tradition by attending college (London, 1992;Rodriguez, 2003).…”

“…London, 1992;Filkins & Doyle, 2002;Inman & Mayes, 1999). However, the most common way first-generation students have been defined is students whose parents have had no college experience (McConnell, 2000;Ting, 2003;Saunders & Serna, 2004;Terenzini, Springer, Yaeger, Pascarella, & Nora, 1996).…”

“…They also have lower degree aspirations and less involvement with peers and teachers in high school. First-generation students are also more likely to be female and older than other non-first-generation students (McConnell, 2000). In addition, some researchers suggest that first-generation students possess lower levels of knowledge about postsecondary admission and financial aid procedures (Vargas, 2004).…”

“…In addition, some researchers suggest that first-generation students possess lower levels of knowledge about postsecondary admission and financial aid procedures (Vargas, 2004). However, a review by McConnell (2000) reported that these findings were mixed in the literature, and thus inconclusive. Still, several researchers note that many students from low-income, first-generation backgrounds do not follow the necessary pathways to make it to college (Astin & Oreguera, 2004;Cabrera, Burkum, & La Nasa, 2001;Goldrick-Rab, 2006).…”