The number of first-generation students on college campuses is rising, comprising 20% of new incoming students in higher education. First-generation college students (FGCS) do not access mental health treatment at the same rate as their non-first generation college student (NFGCS) peers and are at higher risk for leaving college early. The current…

The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) engaged with BERK Consulting to conduct twelve focus groups with adult learners across the state in 2022. Funded by the Lumina Foundation, the study focuses on populations furthest from educational opportunities, including those from racial and ethnic groups with the lowest attainment levels;…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions to student learning from K-12 to universities and continues to manifest negative effects on students. To better understand the challenges our students face and how those obstacles have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we surveyed our undergraduate ecology students who ranked obstacles to learning…

Issues regarding the steadily rising cost of college education, especially among disadvantaged college students, have gained enormous attention among scholars due to the recent global financial crisis. This has led government and colleges to outline financial literacy empowerment initiatives. With an emphasis on financial literacy and education,…

Although first-generation students represent a substantial proportion of doctoral students, few studies have examined their experiences and outcomes. We contribute to this nascent area of inquiry by comparing experiences and outcomes of first-generation and continuing-generation students during the first 3 years of doctoral education. Contrary to…

This article is an overview of the Latino population within the United States, and within higher education. Changes in demography have led to an increase in Latinos in higher education. First-generation Latinos face unique cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic challenges on campus. As a result, there has been an increase in English-language…

First-generation students of color (FGSoC) experience the impostor phenomenon at predominately White institutions (PWIs) and lack the support that is needed in order to effectively navigate the realm of higher education. Continuing feelings of self-doubt, fear of being exposed, and feeling fraudulent illustrate the need for a support system for…

One-third of the entering freshman class is a first-generation college student. Prior studies show that first-generation college students are low-income, they tend to graduate in six-years, and likely to leave college after their first year. Researchers have found that high-impact practices is one way to help remedy the various challenges that…

Problem: There are many societal, institutional, interpersonal, and intrapsychic factors that prevent first-generation students from college success. Though researchers have discussed a plethora of factors that inhibit first-generation student success in the K-16 pipeline, there has been little research focused on the ways in which this group…

While higher learning institutions are restructuring their curriculums to meet business and organizational needs, the knowledge gap for first-generation college students remains wider than that of their peers who are not the first to attend college. While organizations and higher learning institutions have developed programs to meet…

First-generation students represent 36% of first-time, full-time enrolled students in public community colleges and are at increased risk of failing to complete a degree or credential. First-generation students also have higher drop-out rates than non-first-generation students. At both state and national levels, institutions of higher education…

One of the challenges of 21st-century academia is meeting the often-competing demands from students, universities, and professional associations. Among many diversities, students at regional universities, such as the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), often have higher rates of first-in-family learners than metropolitan counterparts. Law…

As nations continue to use OECD data to ensure preparedness for global competitiveness, questions concerning how inequality is constructed and maintained in different nations are critical. Drawing on Bourdieu and Savage, I argue that social capital continues to perpetuate social inequality both prior to and during university attendance despite…

This qualitative study explored the high school to college transition experiences of ten successful firstgeneration college students (FGCS). Participants were college seniors at an historically black university in the United States. A generic qualitative research design was used, including in-depth, semi-structured interviews to collect and…

Anxiety can impact overall performance and persistence in college. Student response systems (SRSs), real-time active-learning technologies used to engage students and gauge their understanding, have been shown to elicit anxiety for some students. Kahoot! is an SRS technology that differs from others in that it involves gamification, the use of…