Challenges Facing First Generation College Students

Running Head: Challenges Facing First Generation College Students

Challenges Facing First Generation College Students

Sabrina Lewis

University of South Florida

Receiving a bachelor’s degree can have a profound impact on an individual. I believe it has an even greater impact on first generation college students. The definition that I am using for first generation college students is as follows “By first-generation, we mean students who are in the first generation of their family to attend a four-year institution of higher education.” (Barry, Hudlley, Kelly, & Cho, 2009). A number of students do not have access to information concerning higher education institutions and how to navigate the admission and registration systems. Just the term “first generation student”, is associated with a number of additional pressures. Being first in a family to do anything has its challenges however if you are first generation in college there a number of obstacles that as a student you would need to overcome.

First generation students have pressure from the family, social pressure, and university pressure to do well. Where exactly do these students fit in to the university structure? That is one of the main challenges faced by these students is the feeling and sense of isolation. “Students in these situations reported feeling overwhelmed by the expectations of college courses, desire to succeed but not knowing how, social isolation and lack of friends in college, and parents who did not understand their current situation (Piney and Haas, 2003).” (Barry, Hudlley, Kelly, & Cho, 2009) There is not a designated club or organization at a university entitled first generation. The sense of isolation on campus and within the family is something that can be difficult to overcome. There is no one in the immediate family that would be able to assist the student with some of the basic questions about a higher education institution.

A number of these students are being admitted to the university but are having a difficult time succeeding. It is not only the pressure but also the lack of services available to assist them. Being successful in college requires a number of different components. One of these components is successful navigation of the university system. “Further, first-generation college students may be lacking personally relevant models who have achieved success in similar situations and parental support specific to college related experiences may not be available (Barry, Hudley, Cho & Kelly, in press).” (Barry, Hudlley, Kelly, & Cho, 2009) Financial aid and registering for classes is a difficult task that can be challenging for students who do not receive any assistance. As a student who was not considered first generation, I relied heavily on my family support system and counted on their advice. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not have any of those additional resources. For this reason, I believe that the universities need to revisit the programs designed to aid these students.

Here at the University of South Florida there are a number of programs designed to assist first generation students. However the majority of these programs are either for the first two years of college or preparing them to attend college. The programs here are not geared at tracking students once they have been admitted to a specific degree program. I believe that programs would be more effective if there was support provided to students throughout their time at the university. For research purposes, I would be interested in seeing exactly how many students from specific programs such as College Reach Out Program (C.R.O.P.) actually attend a university or college. I believe every program should be researching all of these statistics to determine the effectiveness of the particular program and ways to improve.

However a number of the programs have been modified and changed to adjust to the difficult economic times. “At public institutions, in particular, state policy affects the ability to create and sustain such a program. Some public colleges with many needy students and limited state aid simply can’t afford them says Shirley A Ort, associate provost and director of scholarships and student aid at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and one of the architects of the Carolina Covenant.” (Supiano, 2010) The more difficult it is to establish permanent funding sources for these programs the less access first generation students will have to a college education.

The less access there is to funding for first generation college students ultimately means the decline in minority applicants as well. “The university also found a strong correlation between first-generation students and minority status, and it hoped to identify ways to enhance the racial diversity of its student body, particularly because affirmative action has been banned in the state’s university system since 2000.” (Supiano, 2010) The challenge of providing equal access to higher education becomes increasingly difficult and less likely for members of the minority community.

If successful, first generation college students become role models for their family and community. It is essential that they be given every opportunity to succeed and graduate from the university. They will impact their generation and generations to come. Universities will need to reevaluate the services and financial aid that is provided to each of these students.

References

Barry, L.M., Cho, S.J., Hudley, C., & Kelly, M. (2009). Differences in Self-Reported Disclosure of College Experiences by First-Generation College Student Status. Adolescence, 44 (173), 56-68.

Merullo, R. (June 14, 2002). The Challenge of First-Generation College Students. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/The-Challenge-of-First-Gene/12507

Supiano, B. (July 4, 2010). U. of Florida’s Support for First-Generation Students: Helpful, but Pricey. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/U-of-Floridas-Support-for /6613