As a college degree becomes increasingly important for individuals seeking employment, the numbers of first-generation students continues to grow. With the first-generation student pool comprised largely of members of working class families, ethnic minorities, women, and or adults, community colleges have always viewed first-generation students as…

The Transition Class is an alternative model to the traditional college sequence of developmental courses. Offered as an option to prospective students before they complete the college application and financial aid procedures, the 12-week Transition Class is nongraded and free of charge. By taking the class before they fully matriculate in the…

This study examined the impact of background, aspirations, achievement, college experiences, and price on the persistence of first-generation (F-gen) and continuing generation (C-gen) college students at 4-year institutions using the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study of 1995-96 (n = 24,262). The authors found differences between the two…

In this article, the author talks about the disproportionate gap in the graduation rates in colleges and universities, which highlights the need for the higher education community to rethink strategies for improving the retention of students of color. To increase the graduation rates of students of color, the author suggests addressing the issue…

This study tested a causal model of student college predisposition that incorporated traditional measures of influences (parents' education, income, gender, parents' expectations, grades, school activities), as well as two additional influences (first-generation status and mentoring) identified in qualitative studies of pre-college through early…

This article describes what is known from prior research about the impact of student financial aid program design, operations, and marketing on the formation of family (including parents' and children's) college-going aspirations, expectations, and plans, and the resulting college-going behaviors of potential students. The review focuses on the…

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, this report examines eighth grade school variables that might predict college attendance for students whose parents have no college education (n = 2,521). The selected school variables are amenable to public policy and/or skilled leadership, and they include "school structure" (e.g.,…

This book examines how individuals from low-income families in the United States are able to attend college. Part 1 focuses on the odds against a poor person attending college, looking at the reality of growing up poor in the United States and the odds against escaping such poverty. Part 2 examines how poor people beat such odds, presenting a…

In the 1994-95 academic year, the Southeast Campus of Tulsa Junior College, in Oklahoma, conducted a survey of new students to determine differences in educational perceptions and expectations based upon the educational background of the students' parents. Questionnaires were distributed to all incoming students, with 1,579 completed…

Focusing on the cultural issues facing students who are the first in their families to attend college, this volume addresses the difficulties in bridging the two worlds of college and home and describes campus programs to help students overcome cultural barriers. The issue contains the following chapters: (1) "Transformations: Cultural Challenges…

The analysis presented in this report examines the relationship between the immigration of "generational" status of Asian and Hispanic students and various educational indicators and outcomes. Data are from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. Generational status refers to the number of generations the student's family has…

This document presents testimony and statements from one of a series of Congressional field hearings intended to critically review all the programs associated with the Higher Education Act of 1965. Issues addressed in the testimony and prepared statements include: how the United States can maximize the number of students, including non-traditional…

This document presents testimony and statements from one of a series of Congressional field hearings intended to critically review all the programs associated with the Higher Education Act of 1965. Issues addressed in the testimony and prepared statements include: how the United States can maximize the number of students, including non-traditional…

Though recent research indicates a stronger sense of purpose and satisfaction among faculty at community colleges relative to four-year institutions, criticism of community colleges for alleged deficiency in facilitating transfer to the four-year schools is widespread. This function however, is only one of the many comprehensive services provided…

This paper summarizes the findings of a ten year study on a Pre-Engineering program aimed at dramatically improving both the recruitment and retention of under-represented students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at The University of Akron. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate The University of…