Using grounded theory methodology, we examined the experiences of first-generation Latino/a college students. Themes emerged in students' interactions with and perceptions of peers, advisors, and faculty members. A model derived from the data was developed to describe the unique ways first-generation Latino/a students sought information relating…

First-generation and rural college students are considered by many retention theorists and practitioners to be an at-risk population. This study examined the details of the first semester in postsecondary education from the perspective of a group of students who met the demographic criteria of being first-generation to go to college, from rural…

This volume examines conceptual frameworks and models that flow from scholars' definitions and operationalizations of social class: status attainment theory, human capital theory, the financial nexus model, Bourdieuian theory, and critical race theory. Since students often have multiple social locations that affect their educational process, the…

For the majority of community-college professors, teaching is the most important part of their jobs, and it is not easy. Community-college students are a diverse bunch, but often face a particular set of challenges. Many entering students are not prepared for college-level work. While some students plan to transfer to competitive four-year…

This report uses data from the 1989-90 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study and the 1993 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study to examine the postsecondary experiences and outcomes of first-generation students relative to their peers. After an overview of the demographic, aspirational, and enrollment characteristics of…

MetLife Foundation created a national awards program to identify and reward community colleges that are best promoting educational and economic advancement of underserved youth and adults. Jobs for the Future, a Boston-based national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping young people and adults gain skills needed to succeed in a changing…

Uses psychoanalytic and family systems theory to explore the following: (1) how college matriculation for first-generation college students is linked to multi-generational family dynamics; and (2) how these students reconcile (or do not reconcile) the often conflicting requirements of family membership and educational mobility. (Author/BJV)

The Freshman Empowerment Program is a group process designed to support first generation freshmen. This article discusses the research compiled regarding the success of this program following its initial implementation. Results indicate that GPA was significantly higher for those students involved in the program compared to similar students who…

Little is known about first generation students whose parents did not attend college and specifically their experiences surrounding educational outcomes of college. This study used structural equation modeling to investigate differences in first generation and non-first generation students using data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students…

This article examines themes of academic resilience in the descriptions of academic achievement by three students at Benjamin High School, one of the least affluent high schools in Bayside, Florida. Through ethnographically informed interviews conducted during their senior year, coherent themes emerge that provide insight into these students'…

Grounded in the philosophy that academic advising is a robust form of one-on-one teaching, this monograph places advising in a new light, one that brings it to the center of the institutional mission and activity. This monograph challenges all readers to embrace the tremendous potential that academic advising has for educating today's college…

This study investigates whether there are differences in first-year college success patterns (retention) between first-generation students and non first-generation students attending a multi-campus community college. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of remediation, family income, and the influence of a parent's highest level…

Title III, the Strengthening Institutions Program, is one of the most important federal programs for rural community colleges. Created by the Higher Education Act of 1965, Title III provides institutional aid to qualified colleges and universities that serve large numbers of first-generation, low-income students and students from groups…

This research note describes data on college persistence, educational attainment, and remediation, and explains the difficulty in interpreting this data.

This research describes data on college persistence, educational attainment, and remediation, and explains the difficulty in interpreting this data.