Identifies keys to the success of tribal colleges in meeting the educational needs of American Indian students, focusing on programs and special services for tribal college students, and the role of college personnel (i.e., teachers, administrators, and board members) in serving first-generation students. (DMM)

Two case studies of men from diverse cultures, African American and Vietnamese American, illustrate the potential for underachievement among first-generation gifted students at comprehensive universities. Amplifying previous studies, this research provides an examination of attrition and highlights influences on underachievement. Conclusions…

A well-staged career research paper project can help students develop their voices and better integrate personal experiences with researched sources.

This study sought to uncover elements of campus culture at a large, predominantly white metropolitan university in the Southwest which hinder or support Chicano student persistence. Because the concept modeling research design required complete immersion in the lives of students, the number of participants was limited to two. The two students…

This paper examines the diverse group of students in the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program at the New Brunswick/Piscataway campuses of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. This program identifies, recruits, prepares, and assists academically talented, first-generation, low-income, and traditionally underrepresented…

This digest discusses the challenges facing first-generation students, and offers strategies for helping them to transfer to four-year institutions. A first-generation community college student attends a community college, and his or her parents have not obtained a college degree. Large waves of immigration have affected community colleges; many…

Draws from in-depth interviews with 107 African-American, Hispanic, and Native American baccalaureate recipients regarding personal, educational, and societal influences on their decisions to persist in school and graduate. Highlights characteristics common to graduates, the problem of low teacher expectations, and strategies for successful…

Diverse university student cohorts are becoming the norm in rural universities. As universities reach out to an increasingly diverse group of students in rural areas it has become evident that traditional support structures are inadequate to meet the needs of students who tend to be mature aged women and first generation students. Studies have…

The Educational Training Academy (EdTrAc) is an NSF-funded project of Normandale Community College to increase the number, diversity, and skills of students preparing to be elementary and middle school teachers with a specialty in math and science. Overall, this evaluation indicates that the EdTrAc implementation is on track after its first year…

This booklet presents the stories of several students who were the first generation in their families to go to college, in order to dramatize the door-opening, life-changing power of Pell Grants and related student assistance. These stories synthesize interviews with more than 20 low- and moderate-income students who could not have attended…

This Summary of Findings examines some of the special populations that community colleges serve (including single parents, first-generation students, and students aged 40 or older), and highlights a key area of training provided by community colleges, information technology. Faces of the Future is the first national survey to include both credit…

This study analyzes urban youths' career decision-making in a career and technical education program that provided work-based learning experiences and a pathway linking high school, community college, and work in biotechnology laboratories. The program provided work experiences not generally available to adolescents, and enabled students…

This guide presents policies and procedures of the Student Support Services Program at Wichita State University (Kansas) that are designed to serve the special needs of limited-income and first-generation college students. Part 1, an overview of policy, includes the program's mission statement, a statement of principles, general guidelines…

The influence of family background, including parental education, on college student attrition was evaluated with first- and second-generation American students. A total of 701 enrolled students and those who left before graduation were surveyed at a primarily residential private liberal arts college and at a primarily commuter state-supported…

The U.S. Department of Education's Strategic Plan 2002-2007 (2002) established an objective to "reduce the gaps in college access and completion among student populations differing by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and disability while increasing the educational attainment of all." Upward Bound, which made its first awards in…