College access and success programs, which typically take place during out-of-school time, range widely in their size, target demographics, and services offered. Although concerted funding and energy have been dedicated to college access programs, the field suffers from a significant research and practice gap. Studies have demonstrated that…

In this article, I ask to what extent first-generation college students experience statistics anxiety and what are effective pedagogical strategies for building student confidence and encouraging learning. To answer these questions, I draw on the wide-ranging and developing literature on blended teaching methods--most commonly defined as the…

Although student loan debt has been rigorously studied over the past several decades, scant research has investigated how institutions of higher education communicate debt to current and former student borrowers. As COVID-19 forced the United States Department of Education to cancel the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement as part of a student's…

As a growing number of higher education institutions commit to first-generation student success, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers should aim to better understand how to deliver on promises to first-generation students within institutions and across the higher education landscape. First-generation students are a particularly important…

This research uses first-generation college students' scores as reported on the Ruffalo Noel Levitz College Student Inventory (CSI) pre-college survey to investigate if attitudes students hold before starting college impact their academic outcomes. Additionally, CSI data is disaggregated by first-generation students' participation in a TRIO…

Indigenous Alaska Native first-generation college students bring a wealth of knowledge and skills yet struggle in Western institutions. The problem is that many Alaskan postsecondary faculty continue to design courses based on Western academic instructional practices instead of culturally responsive strategies when teaching Indigenous Alaska…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the academic and psychosocial challenges, supports and resources that Latino men who are first-generation college students experience while attending a Hispanic Serving Institution in the California State University system. Theoretical Framework: Latinx Critical theory (LatCrit)…

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of four-year university and college students identifying as first-generation in college (FGC) and second-generation immigrant (SGI) in the United States, with a focus on a sense of belonging at this identity intersection. These student groups experience multiple cultures simultaneously…

Research focused on first-generation students' experiences studying abroad is nascent, with all five extant studies published since 2019 (Brunsting, Chiles, et al., 2023). There is strong overlap between first-generation, students of color, and community college students for study abroad participation, as participants in studies were…

Research has suggested that although there has been an increase in the percentage of students obtaining four-year degrees, there is still an achievement gap between minority students and their White counterparts (NCES, 2018). While higher education institutions are being held accountable for enrolled students' retention and graduation rates, close…

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to understand the experiences of first generation working class students/graduates as they navigated the transition from the K-12 system into the postsecondary degree-granting institution. This study aimed to explore the academic preparation, including the attainment of social and cultural capital,…

This qualitative study investigates the financial stress and financial well-being of 10 diverse at-promise students attending three university campuses in the midwestern United States. The study's data included 29 individual participant interviews conducted during the fall, spring, and summer semesters of the 1st-year of their college careers.…

The aim of this study was to explore family relationship experiences of first-generation college students (FGCS) as they transition to and persist through college. The sample includes eight undergraduate FGCS (aged 18-22). Seven participants identified as female, and one identified as Questioning. Participants' descriptions of their social class…

Previous research shows that low-income and first-generation college students are less likely to obtain the benefits associated with attending graduate school. No-loan programs, which typically administer financial aid through institutional grants, are designed to improve access and success among students from low-income backgrounds, but we know…

COVID-19 is a deadly pandemic that caused many colleges and universities to send students home and move courses online or to a hybrid of online and in-person learning. This qualitative study provides research on the impact of COVID-19 on the motivators and barriers of first- generation college students (FGCS). The study used a sample of FGCS…