Jan. 26, 2006

Aiding First-Generation Students

Students who are the first in their families to attend college differ from their peers in important ways. They are more likely to be from low-income backgrounds, for instance, and on average they got lower grades in high school.

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“There is a unique set of concerns and expectations among first generation students,” John Pryor, director of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at the University of California at Los Angeles, said at a news conference unveiling the 2005 version of “The American Freshman.” “Institutions need to understand and validate the needs and concerns of these students to help them transition to college and achieve their educational goals.”

Past research has indicated that students whose parents have no education beyond high school are significantly less likely to graduate than peers whose parents have at least a bachelor’s degree.
This year’s data, based on surveys of 263,710 freshman students at 385 4-year colleges nationwide last fall, offered many details on this segment of the population in 2005. About one in six freshmen were first-generation college students, including 14.7 percent of all male students and 16.9 percent of all female students. Almost 30 percent of first-generation students come from homes with annual family incomes under $25,000, compared to 9.2 percent of non-first-generation students.

First-generation students also report receiving lower grades in high school; about 37 percent of them reported a cumulative high school grade point average of of “A- or higher,” while more than 48 percent of their peers reported that level of achievement.

According to the report, mentors and high school educators play an important role in helping a first-generation student decide whether to go to college. Researchers found that encouragement from a mentor account was a “very important reason” for going to college for such students (20.5 percent) as compared to their peers (14.9 percent). Advice from a teacher or high school counselor was also more important (40.9 percent and 44.2 percent) for them than for students whose parents attended college (33.7 percent and 36.4 percent).

Victor Saenz, director of followup surveys with the UCLA program, said Wednesday that more institutions are “being thoughtful on interviewing” first-generation students and trying to reach out to their high school counselors and teachers to help them realize that college is a possibility. “Colleges should be careful and mindful about how they communicate admissions information to their broader communities,” he said. “People who live in rural, urban and poor areas need often need more education on this matter, so colleges in these areas should explore ways to increase outreach efforts.”

The financial burdens faced by some first-generation students tend to impair their “engagement,” academic and otherwise, once they get into college, said Pryor. Research has shown a correlation with one’s level of engagement and his or her successful completion of a degree.

Because of their financial situation, “first-generation students are more likely than their peers to think that there is a very good chance that they will get a job to pay for college expenses (55.1 percent versus 45.2 percent),” according to the report. They also expect that there is some or a very good chance that they will work full-time while attending college (36.7 percent versus 24.7 percent).

“With less time on campus working at a job,” said Pryor, “they tend to be less likely to be there when student organizations meet or when certain lectures take place.”

To account for that problem, Pryor said that campus administrators may want to review what events are offered at what times. “Do these things always have to be at night?” is one question they might consider, he said.

Saenz added that it would be a good idea for admissions counselors to advise such students on ways to get jobs on a university’s campus, as research assistants, or in other “engaging” positions.

Saenz said that a compelling critique of the UCLA report on the subject of first-generation students is that it does not analyze data on two-year institutions, where many of these students end up enrolling. Until 2000, the report had included such measurements, but the data was based on 15 to 20 institutions, so it was difficult to generalize, he said.

The Cooperative Institutional Research Program expects to release a detailed report on first-generation students in the fall.

Other highlights from the 2005 “American Freshman” report include:

Two out of three (66.3 percent) entering freshmen believe it is essential or important “to help others who are in difficulty,” the highest this figure has been in the past 25 years, according to researchers.
The survey revealed an all-time high in the percentage of students who believe there is a good or some chance that they will continue to volunteer in college, at 67.3 percent.
In the year after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, 45.0 percent of American freshmen supported increased military spending; 34.2 percent express the same opinion in 2005.
The percentage of entering college students who report that they frequently or occasionally drank beer as high school seniors dropped to an all-time low in 2005, declining 2.1 percentage points to 43.4 percent.
Men are more likely than women to report that they are attending college to be able to make more money (73.5 percent versus 69.0 percent for women). Female students’ top reasons include “to learn more about things that interest me” (81.4 percent), followed by getting training for a specific career (73.1 percent).

— Rob Capriccioso

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Comments

It is a pity that two-year colleges were dropped from the study, rather than expanded to a more representative sample.

It is a further pity that for-profit proprietary schools are not included in the data.

One expects that lessons learned from accommodating first-generation students at traditional schools could have widespread application at for-profit proprietary schools.

Chydenius, Senior Fellow at Free Curricula Center, at 9:21 am EST on January 26, 2006

Fighting to Provide a Better Future

Mr. Capriccioso’s points are right on target.

I teach at a university situated in a smaller town with no metropolis nearby—and most of my students are first-time attendees. Over 60% of our students are women. Many of the local men are compelled by circumstance to work full-time at local factories or businesses; college is considered out-of-reach. Although professors do all they can to accomodate working students, we often feel as though we are fighting an uphill battle. A weak statewide high school system compounds the problem—promising low grades and on- and off-again motivation in college.

The solution can’t just include an on-campus net created by staff and administrators for those first achieving students. Employers MUST become educated about what is required to succeed at college and begin to support these fledgling students. Parents and family MUST begin to understand what is really required to succeed in college and not only allow time and space to achieve—but also try to mentor skills that college students need. Time management and study skills can’t simply be impressed on students who sit in a seat for 50-minutes and then run to a 10-hour shift at a local business. Family who not only expect the student to perform a full-time job, but full-time chores and babysitting do the new college student a tremendous disservice. Going to college full-time IS a full-time job.

What family, friends and bosses may not recognize is that college professors and administrators are not just fighting for an individual student’s time—we are fighting to provide for a better future. I dare thoughtful people in our community to get on board and help support first-time college students.

Shari Dinkins, Instructor at University of Southern Indiana, at 9:45 am EST on January 26, 2006

Gaps in study

It really is too bad that the community colleges and proprietary schools were left out. That tends to be representative of the nation’s overall perspective of who “college” students are. Millions of students seeking postsecondary education are non-traditional and are continually overlooked.

Paul Billingsley, VP Higher Ed at American Education Corp, at 9:55 am EST on January 26, 2006

Two-Year Colleges should have been included in this discussion. First generation students make up 52% of those attending, according to the Two-Year College English Association College Facts and Data Report: 2005 ( http://www.ncte.org/groups/tyca/featuredinfo/122335.htm )

It is astounding to me that the people who are working most often with first generation students, and with non-traditional students as well, would be removed from this study.

Sharon Mitchler, Overlooking Two-Year Colleges at Centralia College, at 11:05 am EST on January 26, 2006

I disagree with much of the article’s thrust. Consider this: “First-generation students also report receiving lower grades in high school; about 37 percent of them reported a cumulative high school grade point average of of “A- or higher,” That level of grading inflation is harmful to student learning motivation in K-12. Remember, these are not isolated grades of “A,” but an accumulated average. I do agree that the inflation is a considerable K-12 mark of failure.

As to treating first generation college students differently, no, No, NO! I am a first generation college student and graduate. Nothing you can do will do more to damage the credibility of college degrees earned by first generation students than to besmirch those achievements with special treatment for those entering students. The outcome, if done, will lead to lower standards for first generation students and possible suspicion that those who got that special treatment are intrinsically inferior.

Marvin McConoughey, at 11:15 am EST on January 26, 2006

To Marvin

Maybe you were the exception, not the rule? First-generation students need much more study. And it’s important to remember that there are ways to define “at-risk” populations other than in terms of race and SES. This may be the way.

Susan P, at 12:45 pm EST on January 26, 2006

We have an Educational Opportunity Program that has received national recognition( one of 4 institutions in 2004 selected for the Noel-Levitz Enrollment/Retention Award)for outstanding achievement in enrolling and retaining disadvantaged students of which 99% are first generation students! Special couseling and mentoring is an integral part of the program as is the first year packaging of financial aid whereby we attempt to provide a full grant package for direct expenses. Our first generation students have a final grade point average and retention/graduation rate that rivals our general admission students...this is accomplished through the extra efforts of tutoring, counseling and mentoring provided by the program. The NYS Opportunity Program has been around for over 35 years and is a model program supported by taxpayer dollars thru the NYS legislature. Programs of this type that produce future taxpaying and productive citizens that expand the economic base and break the poverty cycle should be funded with increased dollars annually but instead are targeted for reduction most often due to fiscal exigency and misinformed politicians who think funding duplicates other federal aid programs,etc.. I am glad to see more exposure and studies of our first generation potential students and their promise for achievement as they are our future in many ways.

Daniel Sistarenik, Director of Financial Aid at SUNY New Paltz, at 3:35 pm EST on January 26, 2006

Just a note of clarification re: the methodology. CIRP is a pay-to-participate survey & unfortunately very few 2-year colleges are willing (or able) to pay. They were not actually “dropped” from the study, but merely excluded from the results discussed in this article.

I coordinated our college’s participation in CIRP numerous times in the past and the folks at HERI will provide comparative results for all 2-year colleges (or any other category) that may be of interest.

Steve, Institutional Researcher at Roanoke-Chowan CC, at 3:35 pm EST on January 26, 2006

I was the first in my family to graduate from high school and am now a grad student. I agree with McConoughey that we should not lower the academic standards or provide special treatment while in school for first generation college students. That would be condescending to those students and unfair to the rest of the student body. I do, however, believe that being the first in your family to attend college is a great achievement and should be considered the equivalent of a good hobby or travel experience which supposedly carries some weight in admission and scholarship decisions.

tere, at 4:50 pm EST on January 26, 2006

Educatonal Advantage

In response to Tere’s comments, I find it interesting that one might consider being first generation an admissions special consideration, but not an academic skills issue. The first and foremost concern of universities — and why these studies exist — is retention. Without programs focused on retaining first generation students, drop out and dismissal ratios are high, investment in time and money is lost on the part of both students and universities. If we eliminate programs to retain students viewed as retention risks, then there is more likelihood that first generation status will be viewed as an admissions red flag instead of an advantage. Why? We are in a time of continuous budget crunching and saving time and money become a problem. Furthermore, state funding continues to erode, diminishing state perogative over their own “state” universities. With radically diminished incentive to keep them, state universities are tightening admissions standards and slowly we are seeing first generation and low income studnets being edged out of the college population. The time management issues are the very issues that force them out because they are likewise financial. To read that some programs meet with more than a 75% retention rate is heartening because it means that these programs are more than just a bandaid on a moral wound, but that the issue IS manageable and that universities can be assured that there is some merit to continue supporting programs that work to improve first generation student retention.

Ian Lee, Program Advisor at BGSU, at 1:36 pm EST on January 30, 2006

To Tere and Marvin, I, too, am a first-generation college student and currently work with a college transition program that targets this population. While I agree that “special” treatment is unwarranted, additional support services/encouragement are a must. I find that many first-generation college students do not take advantage of the support services available to them and all other student on the college campus (tutoring, writing centers, etc.) because of a.)competing priorities (i.e., full-time job to pay college expenses) and/or b.)the absence of a “nagging” parent or other family member who encourages (whether it’s appreciated or not) the average student to seek these services when trouble arises. Providing mentors and extra counseling on these services to first-generation college students is not a hand out but a hand UP, ensuring that these students use all of the resources at their disposal. This kind of involvement from the administration of my undergrad alma mater made all the difference for me.

Kim, at 2:50 pm EST on January 30, 2006

A closer look at first-generation college students

The cover story of the Winter 2006 Colby Magazine takes a close look at first-generation college students’ challenges and triumphs at the liberal arts college in Maine.

http://www.colby.edu/colby.mag/is...res.php?issueid=33&articleid=413

Ruth Jacobs, Colby College, at 9:35 am EST on January 31, 2006

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Aiding First-Generation Students

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Comments

Fighting to Provide a Better Future

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