Source : Me
If you're interesting in learning more about the topic, feel free to check out the sources in this review of literature either as you read (by clicking on the numbers in parentheses) or after you've finished reading (by clicking on the numbers in the Works Cited section below).
Throughout the years, education is commonly depicted as the great equalizer, that it can bridge the gap between rich and poor. The message that having a college degree can improve one's future is nearly ubiquitous. In fact, the government tends to spread this message to students and parents alike from as early as elementary school. However, in reality, there is a possibility that it has contributed to the growing income inequality, as "Higher education is not currently supporting equal opportunity and social mobility as much as it should."(6)
Struggling, Then Dropping |
Solutions |
What are first-generation college students? The definition varies. Depending on what definition is used, the number of "first-generation" students can vary from being as low as 22 percent to as high as 77 percent. Even so, regardless of how they're defined, first-generation students still fare much more poorly than others, enrolling and graduating at lower rates (11). Today, first-generation students are a growing segment of the population, making up about 20% of all college students (1). First-generation students, especially those from low-income families, come with many struggles that students with college-educated parents often don't have. First of all, they tend to be less informed about the processes of preparing for and applying to college(2). To add salt to the wound, they also lack the resources needed to be successful. Many of the sources show that first-generation students tend to work at least a part-time job while attending college. They are also more than twice as likely to drop out (7). This is supported by a longitudinal study done by Ishitani (8) showing that within the first year, first-generation students with parental income of less than $25,000 have a 26% risk of leaving college compared to the 10% risk for students with two college-educated parents who have higher incomes. This is consistent with the Pell Institute's estimates(4) , which is cross-listed under the US Department of Education site, with figures stating that first-generation students are nearly 4 times more likely to leave after the first-year with 26% compared to 7%.
First-generation students are at a higher-risk for dropping out as they often lack the resources, whether it'd be finances or information, needed to be successful, as mentioned earlier. They do not have access to vast professional networks through their parents, therefore it is more difficult for them to have an internship which can improve their chances of their applications being accepted. Also, they tend to enter "academically underprepared" (5), as compared to students with college-educated parents, who tend to be wealthier, as they do not have access to private tutors, nor do they go to private schools. Furthermore, according to multiple sources, first-gen students tend to enroll in community colleges or public 4-year universities, which are much cheaper, closer, and less selective in the hopes of a good education for a low price. This is usually because their support network, usually family, are closer and/or that they cannot afford expensive plane tickets. |
First-generation and low-income students receive an excellent education at smaller private colleges, which provide a more personalized, rigorous, and
engaged college experience than larger public universities provide—and at a fraction of the cost to society. A higher proportion of first-generation and low-income students graduate with no student loan debt from smaller private colleges than from public doctoral universities I believe that one of the reasons for this, especially in the case of Emory, would be generous financial aid, which reduces the net price that students have to pay. Unfortunately, many people tend to look at the "sticker price" of the tuition along with other costs.
However, there are ways for colleges and universities to help steer first-generation students towards a better outcome.
Colleges can: (3) 1. Provide mentors and role models (9) 2. Connect FGCS to faculty and staff as well as other successful FGCS. At Emory, this is done by the 1915 Scholars Program as the program provides a peer mentor, usually an older first-gen student who has faced similar obstacles as their mentee, a graduate mentor, an alumni mentor, and a faculty mentor, all of who would provide the FG freshman with support and guidance and in some cases establish communication networks to check and see if the student is on track and doing what they need to do so that they wouldn't slip up and fall behind as FG students are especially likely to leave college early. 3. Connect the FGCS families to college. FGCS families are normally out of the loop when it comes to college as many families do not know of the expectations and demands of colleges. Therefore, their families may not understand what the students do in college, affecting the student's development. Furthermore, a majority of FG students go to college in order to help their families, with 69% saying so compared to 39% of students whose parents already earned a degree (1). |
Table from: "Talking ‘Bout My Generation: Defining ‘First-Generation Students’ in Higher Education Research" (11)
Regardless of how they're defined, first-generation students tend to be significantly less prepared to succeed when it comes to college. As shown above, the more education each parent has, the more likely it is for the student to succeed. Just having one parent with a bachelor's degree, can raise a student's chances of success. Furthermore, even if at least one parent did not get a bachelor's degree, students tend to be more successful, the more educational experience each parent has. Therefore, it is essential that there is early intervention from as early as middle school, when students start to take the PSAT, in order to bridge the gap.
Works Cited
1) Banks-Santilli, Linda. "The Unique Challenges of a First-generation College Student." Quartz. Quartz, 03 June 2015. Web. 7 Sep. 2016
2) Cunningham, Alisa, Michelle Asha Cooper, Lacey Leegwater, and Edward Smith. Issue Brief: Supporting First-Generation College Students Through Classroom-Based Practices. Rep. Institute For Higher Education Policy, Sept. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2016.
3) Demetriou, Cynthia, and April Mann. "Encouraging First Generation College Student Success." Nacada Academic Advising Today. Kansas State University, June 2012. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.
4) Engle, Jennifer, and Vincent Tinto. "Moving Beyond Access — College Success for Low-Income, First-Generation Students." (2008). The Pell Institute. The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
5) Engstrom, Cathy, and Vincent Tinto. "Access Without Support Is Not Opportunity." Change Magazine. Taylor & Francis Group, Jan.-Feb. 2008. Web. 8 Sep. 2016.
6) Hill, Catharine Bond. "Income Inequality and Higher Education." The Presidency. American Council on Education, 10 June 2015. Web. 5 Sep. 2016
7) "1st-Generation College Students." (n.d.) Marquette University Counseling Center. Marquette University. Web. 7 Sep. 2016. <http://www.mu.edu/counseling/documents/1stgenerationcollegestudents.pdf>.
8) Ishitani, Terry T. "A Longitudinal Approach to Assessing Attrition Behavior among First-Generation Students: Time-Varying Effects of Pre-College Characteristics." Research in Higher Education 44.4 (2003): 433-49. Springer. Springer, Aug. 2003. Web. 27 Nov. 2016. <https://www.iwu.edu/first-generation/Ishitani.pdf>.
9)Opidee, Ioanna. "Supporting First-gen College Students." University Business. Professional Media Group, 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.
10) Rine, P. Jesse. Expanding Access and Opportunity: How Small and Mid-Sized Independent Colleges Serve First-Generation and Low-Income Students. Rep. Council of Independent Colleges, Mar. 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.
11) Toutkoushian, Robert K., Robert S. Stollberg, and Kelly A. Slaton. Talking ‘Bout My Generation: Defining ‘First-Generation Students’ in Higher Education Research. Rep. Inside Higher Ed, 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
2) Cunningham, Alisa, Michelle Asha Cooper, Lacey Leegwater, and Edward Smith. Issue Brief: Supporting First-Generation College Students Through Classroom-Based Practices. Rep. Institute For Higher Education Policy, Sept. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2016.
3) Demetriou, Cynthia, and April Mann. "Encouraging First Generation College Student Success." Nacada Academic Advising Today. Kansas State University, June 2012. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.
4) Engle, Jennifer, and Vincent Tinto. "Moving Beyond Access — College Success for Low-Income, First-Generation Students." (2008). The Pell Institute. The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
5) Engstrom, Cathy, and Vincent Tinto. "Access Without Support Is Not Opportunity." Change Magazine. Taylor & Francis Group, Jan.-Feb. 2008. Web. 8 Sep. 2016.
6) Hill, Catharine Bond. "Income Inequality and Higher Education." The Presidency. American Council on Education, 10 June 2015. Web. 5 Sep. 2016
7) "1st-Generation College Students." (n.d.) Marquette University Counseling Center. Marquette University. Web. 7 Sep. 2016. <http://www.mu.edu/counseling/documents/1stgenerationcollegestudents.pdf>.
8) Ishitani, Terry T. "A Longitudinal Approach to Assessing Attrition Behavior among First-Generation Students: Time-Varying Effects of Pre-College Characteristics." Research in Higher Education 44.4 (2003): 433-49. Springer. Springer, Aug. 2003. Web. 27 Nov. 2016. <https://www.iwu.edu/first-generation/Ishitani.pdf>.
9)Opidee, Ioanna. "Supporting First-gen College Students." University Business. Professional Media Group, 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.
10) Rine, P. Jesse. Expanding Access and Opportunity: How Small and Mid-Sized Independent Colleges Serve First-Generation and Low-Income Students. Rep. Council of Independent Colleges, Mar. 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.
11) Toutkoushian, Robert K., Robert S. Stollberg, and Kelly A. Slaton. Talking ‘Bout My Generation: Defining ‘First-Generation Students’ in Higher Education Research. Rep. Inside Higher Ed, 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.