Using personal experience combined with research, describes the lives of first-generation college students who are entering a new country. Lists ways in which colleges can do a better job of reaching out to these students. Gives a profile of a nontraditional student and portrays the hardships these students encounter. (RJM)

This article reviews recent literature related to student retention. Since students from first generation and low income backgrounds are among the least likely to be retained through degree completion, institutional retention efforts must take the needs of such students into account if more equitable educational attainment rates are desired. (JM)

Examined the perceptions of campus climate among minority first-generation college students at a Midwestern university. Identified five major interrelated factors connected to the institutional climate's potential influence on diversity and its relationship with persistence and matriculation: perceptions of diversity, barriers to acculturation,…

Examines first-generation students' perceptions of their academic literacy skills and their performance and persistence in college. Indicates that first generation students' self-perceptions represent critical factors in the college experience, underscoring the importance of helping students forge identities as members of academic communities. (SG)

Presents the results of Dr. Ernest Pascarella's National Study of Student Learning, which investigates institutional influences on learning and cognitive development. Presents examples of positive and negative influences on student learning. Outlines recommendations that can influence institutional programs regarding first-generation students,…

Self-regulation is generally accepted as an important construct in student success within environments that allow learner choice, such as online courses. The purpose of the current study was to investigate differences between first- and second-generation college students' ability to self-regulate their online learning. An ANCOVA, with comfort…

In the summer of 2008, the Commonwealth of Virginia was awarded a $1.1 million grant from the U. S. Department of Education. The College Access Challenge Grant Program (CACGP) is coordinated through the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). The focus of the grant is to increase student access to postsecondary education,…

This report examines the path to college for students in academically advanced programs-- graduates of Chicago's seven Selective Enrollment schools, those who completed International Baccalaureate programs, and graduates who had taken a sequence of at least six honors and two Advanced Placement classes. This report expands on the findings of…

This paper summarizes the findings of a twenty year old pre-engineering program that is aimed at improving both the recruitment and retention of under-represented students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The Wright Science Technology and Engineering Preparatory Program (STEPP) was initiated in 1988 for…

Many first-generation college students struggle during their first year in college. Cushman shares the reflections of 16 college students she worked with over two years who were the first in their families to attend college. Students describe how entering a climate where most fellow students come from backgrounds of greater wealth and…

"National CrossTalk" is a publication of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. The National Center promotes public policies that enhance opportunities for quality education and training beyond high school. The primary purpose of "National CrossTalk" is to stimulate informed discussion and debate of higher…

Recounts a young teacher's awakening to the problems and conflicts in community college education, explores issues particularly related to adult students, and provides case studies that exemplify the goals, problems, and needs of reentry, first-generation students. Offers guidance on working with adult students. (DMM)

The author's career path can best be described as "unconventional" or "non-traditional" for a senior student affairs administrator. Being a first-generation college graduate, the author's focus was on what he characterizes as a "clear cut career path" for a Myers Briggs Extraverted Sensing Thinking Judging (ESTJ):…

In this article, the author, an Associate Professor of Education at West Virginia State University, describes teaching classes of first-generation college students whose cultural stories provide rich frames of reference as they explore and process the material of the teacher education program. In the final exam each semester, she asks the students…

Higher education, the California dream for well over 2 million undergraduate students, is turning into a nightmare. The Golden State's promise of unparalleled access to community colleges and universities is fast becoming a tarnished relic of the past. And this state of affairs is occurring at a time when the demand for higher education has never…