Written by Elizabeth Exline
When Joshua Grove began his Bachelor of Science in Business with a General Management Certificate program at 澳门天天彩开奖记录 (UOPX), he faced a multitude of challenges.听
He was a first-generation college student with little understanding of the application process or university experience and no one to learn from. He鈥檇 never written an essay in his life, he says, and didn鈥檛 know more than five 鈥渦seful buttons鈥 on a calculator. He assumed he鈥檇 spend his life working in manual labor because college was 鈥渇or other people.鈥
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Getting ready for and applying to college can seem daunting to a first-generation college student with no one to turn to for help. And that鈥檚 just the first step. The actual college experience presents a unique set of barriers to first-gen students, which is reflected in graduation statistics.
Six years after entering postsecondary education, only 20% of first-generation college students will have earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree, according to the . Compare that to the 49% of continuing-generation students who statistically attain a bachelor鈥檚 degree after the same amount of time.
First-generation college students, in other words, have to start from scratch in a lot of areas, from figuring out how to pay for college to learning how (and whom) to ask for help along the way.
Here, we break down what the first-gen college experience is really like 鈥 and how to succeed.
Even the definition of the term is up for debate, which may reflect the challenges and opportunities that come with being a first-generation college student.听
Is a first-gen student one whose parents and siblings never attended college? Or a student who has just one parent who never attended college? Or a student who had one or two parents who attended but didn鈥檛 complete college? What about students whose parents earned an associate degree but not a bachelor鈥檚?
According to the (and the federal government, which it cites), the definition of a first-generation college student is a person whose 鈥渂iological parents did not complete a four-year college degree.鈥
Like Grove, Kalen Baliles found himself in this group when he took a job with a gas and oil company after high school. His dad had been in the Air Force and had completed some college courses but never earned a degree. His mom didn鈥檛 attend college.
Yet the expectation to prioritize his education was still there for Baliles. In high school, he recalls, he had to keep up his grades to play sports or go out with friends.
Those turned out to be seeds that flourished by the time Baliles was holding down a full-time job in 2012. 鈥淚t was a dream to go back and actually finish [college] and show my family, 鈥楬ey, we can do this,鈥欌 the UOPX alumnus says.
The data on first-generation college students paints a picture that is concerning. Beyond the dismal graduation rates cited above, reported the following statistics in May 2021:
How much education your parents have, in other words, greatly predicts how much education听you听will have. And听.
It鈥檚 also worth noting that, even though first-generation college graduates may earn less than continuing-generation graduates, they鈥檙e still earning more than the national annual mean wage, which was $65,470 in May 2023, according the听
So, what specific challenges do first-generation college students face? And how can they overcome them? Read on.
While being the first in your family to attend college can be a source of pride, it can also cause some unexpected rifts. Grove, for example, encountered this in his own family where he describes having to overcome an unwarranted stigma. In his family, a four-year degree didn鈥檛 automatically command respect, despite his feeling proud of his accomplishment and the hard work it took to earn his degree.
This situation is not uncommon, although students may encounter variations. Baliles, for instance, had a very supportive family 鈥 his kids began to take school more seriously when he started college, and his wife decided to go back to school and get her Bachelor of Science in Nursing 鈥 but he didn鈥檛 have anyone to reach out to when he had a math question or needed help with his accounting class.
Other students might face for leaving behind their family (and their family鈥檚 way of life). This is especially true among immigrant families in which the student serves as a translator and intermediary between the family and their new country.听
Pamela Roggeman, EdD, dean of the College of Education at UOPX, puts this concept in a real-world context. She notes how family members are often proud of the relative who gets into college, but they don鈥檛 always offer the day-to-day support that person needs to succeed. 鈥淲ill they offer childcare in order for you to meet a group deadline?鈥 she asks. 鈥淲ill they understand when you miss another birthday party or family reunion?鈥
A lot of times, there can be tension. Establishing boundaries can help, and so can open communication when both parties truly want to see the student succeed.
Baliles鈥 situation highlights another solution. 鈥淒evelop a network,鈥 he advises. He and three other classmates discovered in an operations management course that they worked well together, so they reached out to their academic advisors to enroll in future classes together.
Not all first-generation college students are low-income students, but many of them lack the financial resources and acumen of continuing-generation students. According to a on first-generation college graduates, the median adjusted household income was much higher for those whose parents had a college degree. Looking at all households, those with no parents with a bachelor鈥檚 degree had a median income ($65,200) about a third less than those with a parent with a bachelor鈥檚 degree or additional higher education ($100,900).
That means first-gen students not only have to figure out how to pay for college, but they also have to learn the language of financial aid and scholarships.
Grove felt the impact of this lack of knowledge when he started college. 鈥Financial aid and disbursements were a challenge I was unprepared for,鈥 he recalls.
A lack of financial resources can also affect first-generation students鈥 overall college experience. It may impact the number of colleges they can apply to (due to application fees), and it may affect how they spend their free time. After all, between classes and working, there鈥檚 little time or money left for student organizations and clubs.
Beyond financial resources, many first-generation students often don鈥檛 know about scholarly resources available to them, such as tutoring, counseling and technology assistance. Such resources can help improve a student鈥檚 academic success 鈥 and accessing them may just be a matter of knowing where to look.
Time is in short supply for most working adults. For working adults who happen to be attending college 鈥 and are the first generation to do so 鈥 even more so. One unexpected consequence of this dearth might be a student鈥檚 inability to seek internships that can lead to job opportunities down the road.
鈥淭hey can鈥檛 afford to work for free, and their parents do not have professional networks,鈥 explains Linda Banks-Santilli in her article 鈥.鈥
Mentorship, in fact, is a critical service many first-generation college students live without, often to their detriment. This can impact their career opportunities after graduation and even their application to college in the first place.听
Mentorship can offer other advantages, too, notes . Understanding how to balance work and school, knowing where to look for scholarships and figuring out how to get involved outside of the classroom are all valuable skills that need to be learned.
One way to overcome the work-school-life balance is to find a school that fits your needs. 澳门天天彩开奖记录, for example, offers multiple start dates throughout the year as well as online classes with 24/7 access to course materials. Students can essentially learn when it works for them.
Recognized student organizations (RSOs) at 澳门天天彩开奖记录 are another resource. Designed with the working adult in mind, RSOs provide a sense of belonging and support for students as they balance academic, professional, familial and personal responsibilities. RSOs are also the bridge between the classroom听and careers, helping students 鈥渄emonstrate their newfound skills and use them for professional enrichment.鈥澨
When it comes to finding success as a first-generation college student, here鈥檚 how to stack the deck in your favor.
1.听听听 Find a school that supports you with dedicated resources for students. 鈥淩eally take a look at the support that your institution is offering,鈥 Roggeman advises. 鈥淔irst-generation students are the ones who really need [resources like] technology resources and extra tutoring when it comes to those core subject areas that they haven鈥檛 dipped into in a long time. 鈥楬ow do I write? How do I do math?鈥欌
2.听听听 Connect with other first-gen students. No one understands your struggles and triumphs quite like other first-generation college students. By helping one another throughout the process, everyone goes further and you combat the isolation that sometimes pervades a new experience, Roggeman says.
If you can鈥檛 find that network in class, get online. There are plenty of organizations dedicated to first-generation student success, including and .
3.听听听 Leverage the resources you have. 鈥淚 took advantage of Phoenix Connect, the student library, academic and financial counseling, student discounts and peer groups throughout my studies,鈥 Grove recalls.
Baliles also relied on school resources during his education. In addition to being in regular contact with his academic advisor, he checked out UOPX鈥檚 Career Services from day one. 鈥淚鈥檝e revamped my resum茅,鈥 he says, 鈥渁nd I finally know how to write a good cover letter!鈥
4.听听听 Join an RSO. This can help you gain access to opportunities for personal growth, cultivate leadership ability, access mentorship and scholarships, and develop career plans.
5.听听听 Stick to a schedule. Organization spells success when it comes to college, and that鈥檚 true for first-gen and continuing-generation students alike. Baliles, for example, got up at 3 a.m. every other day to read coursework. Then, after his regular workday, he鈥檇 focus on his school papers and team projects. By dedicating three days a week to this schedule, he was able to successfully complete his program.
6.听听听 Develop your self-advocacy gene. College isn鈥檛 high school. When you鈥檙e taking class with 100 other students, no one will notice if you regularly skip it or drop out altogether. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to have to fight to stay in,鈥 Roggeman says. Be prepared.
Paying for college can feel like its own education. Between navigating financial aid and writing scholarship essays, there鈥檚 plenty to learn.
The good news about paying for college is there are lots of options. Students can pursue financial aid in the form of loans and grants, and they can explore scholarship opportunities both at their school of choice and externally. (There are expressly for first-generation college students.)听
Often, students combine two or three of these approaches to cover their costs. The best place to start is by filling out the (FAFSA庐) and researching scholarships online.
First-generation college students may face a bevy of challenges from time management to finances, but the experts all agree on one thing: First-gen students are smart enough to succeed. They just need a road map to get started.
Elizabeth Exline has been telling stories ever since she won a writing contest in third grade. She's covered design and architecture, travel, lifestyle content and a host of other topics for national, regional, local and brand publications. Additionally, she's worked in content development for Marriott International and manuscript development for a variety of authors.
This article has been vetted by 澳门天天彩开奖记录's editorial advisory committee.听
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December 15, 2021 鈥 4 minute read