The designation of first-generation college students in educational research has been operationalized inconsistently since its inception. This variation makes understanding and generalizing about this complex group problematic. We explore the inconsistencies in definitions of first-generation students using a culture of college resilience…

This study focuses on how first-generation college students understand their first-generation identity in relation to their other multiple identities. Through photovoice methodology, students demonstrate the meaning making of being first-generation college students related to their other social identities. This study discusses four themes: (a)…

Given pandemic restrictions on learning and research, autoethnography has recently garnered renewed attention as a potential alternative. Drawing on our experiences as instructor and student, we make the case that autoethnography is not only relevant to pandemic-era teaching but could also offer an effective pedagogical tool to critically engage…

As first-generation college students continue to make up sizable populations on college campuses (RTI International, 2021a), a better understanding of their unique experiences is needed. As research has shown the effectiveness of internship experiences on post-college outcomes (Blau et al., 2021), first-generation college students may have the…

This qualitative study aims to establish a knowledge base and learn about the experience of first-generation transfer students who have completed their Associate in Art (AA) degree from a community college and have transitioned to a four-year public university. The study aims to examine first-generation transfer students' sense of belonging and…

The Latinx population in the United States has drastically increased over the last twenty years. During the same period, the number of first-generation Latinx students enrolling in higher education post-recession has also increased by as much as 1.5 million students. The expansion of the Latinx student population in Oregon has mirrored the…

There is a lack of significant literature that highlights the lives of students who identify as Black women who are also first-generation college students. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the impact higher education has on the development of the sense of self of first-generation Black women. More specifically, this study sought…

As more Latinx First Generation College Students (LFGCS) attend college, they can face a cultural, academic, and social university context that focuses on individuality and competitiveness that may differ from their own cultural values of communality and cooperation. In this dissertation, I used Community Cultural Wealth and Latinx Critical Race…

This research explored the concepts of Sense of Belonging and Campus Cultural Capital among first-generation transfer students who were accepted to attend the EOP Transfer Bridge Program in 2018 and 2019. The methodology employed for this study was a transformative and mixed methods design that utilized the lens of Student Validation and Critical…

First-generation (FG) college students (i.e., those for whom neither parent/guardian obtained a bachelor's degree) experience more barriers in college, compared with continuing-generation students. These barriers are compounded by subtle messages from instructors that convey the idea that natural talent is necessary for success in scientific…

There has been a continuous increase in higher education enrollment of first-generation college students. This is a positive pattern, but what is concerning, is the plethora of research regarding obstacles that these students encounter, including college acceptance and degree completion (Roksa et al., 2018; Ishitani, 2006). While 30% of doctoral…

The prospect of a college degree can be daunting to many. Even more so for many that lack financial security or emotional support from friends or family. First-generation students can feel this as well with no experiences to refer to, like an older sibling or parent that have been through this situation. Although I personally have not been…

Informed by interviews with administrators, faculty, and students at the University of North Texas (UNT) this case study explores how a public four-year institution and designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), sets a powerful example for leveraging data to improve student outcomes for all. This research shares insights from UNT's efforts to…

The first year of college is a critical time for students, as their early experiences can determine the path of their educational journey. Students are most at-risk for dropping out of college during their first year, and first-generation students have higher rates of departure than their continuing-generation peers. Student engagement, sense of…

Utilizing interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), this study describes how the phenomenon of hope is experienced by six first-generation college students at South Texas Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), how student affairs contributed to that hope, and how these students understood the spaces on a college campus relative to their…