Institutions increasingly use first-generation categorizations to provide support to students. In this study, we sought to understand how students make meaning of their first-generation status by conducting a series of focus groups with 54 participants. Our findings reveal that students saw first-generation status as an organizational and familial…

Parental engagement and support have been shown to have a positive impact on the academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being of undergraduate students (Harper et al., 2012). While continuing-generation college students utilize knowledge and insight from their parents to navigate the collegiate experience, first-generation…

Research has shown how important is for young people to acquire digital competencies that are necessary to successfully participate in society. Still, it has been reported that university students display poor digital competencies and that inequalities resulting from demographic and social factors persist even among young people who have managed…

The purpose of this study was to explore and make meaning of the lived experiences of traditional first-generation college students who studied abroad for academic credit through a college or university-sponsored study abroad program for at least one undergraduate academic term. Semi-structured narrative interviews were conducted with five…

The purpose of this qualitative study, using an interpretivist phenomenological approach, was to gain an understanding of experiences of first-generation college students at a mid-sized, private, religiously affiliated institution that allowed them to thrive. This was accomplished by utilizing two rounds of semi-structured interviews, with…

Recent research into imposter phenomenon, or internal feelings of questioning competence, has shifted away from conceptualizing the feeling as an individual characteristic that requires an individual solution toward instead examining the role of context. We used a 2 (Generational Status: First Generation vs. Continuing Generation) × 3…

Over the course of eight weeks, a mixed method action based research study was conducted to analyze what effect a career portfolio development program had on the career preparedness of six first-generation student-athletes at a post-secondary academic institution. This study was quantitative in nature through the collection of retention rates,…

To navigate the labour market graduates turn to their social network for valuable resources. However, existing disparities in accessing and exerting network resources may result in more precarious transition outcomes for first-generation graduates. To gain deeper insight into how social networks facilitate the transition process, this study…

This article delves into the formidable obstacles first-generation students (FGS) encounter within the South African private higher education sector which locates the study on which it is based in the literature around the overall experience of first-generation students. Extensive research has underscored the various challenges faced by FGS,…

As first generation (FG)/low income (LI) students enter the elite profession of medicine, schools make presumptions about how FGLI students allocate their time. However, their lives are markedly different compared to their peers. This study argues that while all forms of capital are necessary for success, time as a specific form keeps classism in…

Feminism has re-emerged as important and even influential discourse among women, including within higher education. Public support by prominent women has brought an upgraded version of feminism into the mainstream. This version of "neoliberal feminism" however, overlooks the challenges faced by many first-generation, undergraduate women,…

This qualitative phenomenological study will examine the experiences of first-generation African American male students' transitional support into higher education at a 4-year university. Existing research in this area suggest transitional support and college preparation are vital components of academic success. However, research is limited on the…

This study examines the need for and proposes the establishment of the BRED FIRST Center of Transformation, specifically for first-generation college students at Kentucky State University (KSU). According to FirstGen Forward (n.d.-a), first-generation students are those whose parents do not have a college degree. In this proposal, student success…

While most undergraduates agree that a college degree is worth the investment, perceptions about the value of postsecondary education are not uniform across all learners. This brief discusses perceptions of the financial value of college among three key demographic groups--first-generation students, parenting students, and students who work while…

The present study aimed to examine the inter-relationships among perceived parental involvement, autonomy support, academic motivation, and academic achievement of first-generation university students. Gender, family structure, and socioeconomic differences were also examined. Data were collected from 427 first-generation university students and a…