Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce, describe, and document the methods involved in the preparation of a mindset intervention built into a freshmen development course, and established after years of longitudinal research, that is designed to have a positive impact on the outlook, achievement, and persistence of first generation…

A study was conducted to examine instructional characteristics of quality in online courses and their relationship to student outcomes in online courses at a National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements 2-year and a 4-year higher educational institution. Instructional characteristics included learner support,…

Based on 29 in-depth interviews with undocumented Latino college students and graduates in Southern California, this study explores how academic high achievers obtain the information, resources, and emotional support they need to achieve college-student status. The study highlights the importance of the programs offered by schools and nonprofit…

Through their work at the University of Southern California (USC) with students in a face-to-face mentoring program, the authors understood that many qualified low-income and/or first generation students were slipping through the cracks when it came time to apply to college. These were students who had done well in school and had met college…

Community colleges are mission-driven institutions committed to access and community needs. They serve a diverse population: The majority of students are employed, so they have to balance work with school; about one-third are first-generation, so they are navigating an unfamiliar system for the first time in their families; and 15% are single…

Federal financial aid was established under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Since then, changes to the act have increased funding and expanded eligibility for students accessing federal financial aid. While the distribution of federal financial aid has expanded over the last 60 years, untapped financial resources remain every year because…

This article focuses on contemporary research on first-generation college students bringing to light pedagogical interventions that can be used in the classroom to help engage and retain these students. The pedagogical interventions focus on reflective and personal writing in the classroom, creating safe spaces, and opening up opportunities for…

The federal role in higher education has grown over the past two decades, and now a new administration has the opportunity to strengthen policies that support students and their colleges and universities. To help inform these decisions, the Urban Institute convened a bipartisan group of scholars and policy advisers to write a series of memos…

By using two major areas of scholarship drawn from Student Development Theory, this qualitative case study examined first-generation Latina(o) college students in a large urban institution and their experiences with academic advisement applying Transition Theory, based on the work of Schlossberg (1981; 1995) and expanded upon by Goodman,…

Adult learners and first-generation learners, as separate groups, have been matriculating in increasing numbers at colleges and universities over the last few decades. Research indicates that enrollment trends for these two groups are likely to continue to increase in the near future, with a growing number of students being dually classified as…

The purpose of the qualitative exploratory study was to explore the perceptions of successful first-generation (FG) community college graduates to further understand their lived experiences. Community colleges are able to serve the general public yet achieve great status in helping FG students attain their degree. The specific problem was the high…

Despite the changing demographics of high-school graduates with an ever increasing number of low-income and first-generation students in the pipeline to higher education, the college admissions process has, for the most part, remained stuck in a previous era--when far fewer Americans went to college and the price of a degree was much less…

This multiple case study examines how higher education institutions utilize controlling images to establish guidelines of family engagement, including that of first-generation families, low-income families, and/or families of color. Family engagement is limited to the extent to which it aligns with controlling images that paint families as overly…

Although there are numerous evidence-based benefits to undergraduate research for new-majority students (students who are from traditionally underrepresented ethnicities, first-generation college students, students from lower-income families, or transfer students) (Hurtado, S. et al., 2011; Kinzie et al., 2008a; Lopatto, 2007), they are less…

This article describes a pilot program that employed evidence-based strategies to increase first-generation and low-income (FGLI) student engagement. Over two quarters, the instructors offered three resources allowing students to engage at different levels: panel presentations, themed discussions, and a peer mentor program. Students requested…