The Relationship Between a Retention Program and the Persistence and Graduation Rates of First-Generation Low-Income Students at an Urban, Public University

Addressing the Sophomore Slump: First-Generation College Students’ Completion of Year Two of Study in a Rural Bachelor’s Degree Granting College

“…In addition, poor planning academically and financially could be costly for those students who complete their bachelor’s degree in 5-6 years compared to a traditional 4-year plan. Consistent with many other studies, financing college for the first-generation college student indicated the lack of parental knowledge of the terms and processes related to financial aid and its complexities is limiting to many (Choy, 2001; Thayer, 2000; Whitley et al., 2018). This lack of family knowledge was conveyed in the following responses.…”

“…Lack of family support has been cited as a major factor of first-generation college students choosing to apply to or discontinue their education (Covarrubias & Fryberg, 2014; Thayer, 2000). Factors such as family achievement guilt or a lack of parental involvement in the planning process, and the absence of encouragement have been attributed to lack of first-generation college student persistence.…”

“…Therefore, students who have family support, early in their school careers, are more likely to enroll in college and persist to graduation (Bui & Rush, 2016). Unfortunately, many first-generation students are likely to report less support from their families for attending college (Covarrubias & Fryberg, 2014; Thayer, 2000).…”

“…High school grades as well as other academic measures such as standardized tests, have been recognized as one of the most reliable predictors of academic achievement and college persistence (Allen et al., 2008; Hoffman & Lowitzi, 2005; Stewart et al., 2018). However, first-generation students are likely to enter college with less academic preparation and have limited access to information about the college experience, either first-hand or from relatives (Thayer, 2000; Whitley et al., 2018).…”

“…These students often experience an additional barrier to attending college named “family achievement guilt” (p. 2031). Family achievement guilt is described as a discrepancy between the opportunities available to students and those available to non-college educated family members (Cloyd, 2019; Covarrubias & Fryberg, 2014; Covarrubias et al., 2015; Thayer, 2000).…”