Retention of 1st-year students is a challenge facing higher education and remains relevant for all stakeholders. Low persistence negatively affects individual students, institutions, and society as a whole. Nationally, a significant number of students have reported working while in college, particularly 1st-generation, low socioeconomic status…

The number of first-generation college students entering into the higher education system continues to increase; many of these first-generation college students enroll in college without the necessary tools and skill sets needed to foster their academic and social success. Previous research has focused on the types of institutions first-generation…

This study aimed to take asset-based approach and identify Latino male students who were persisting in college, and to identify what strategies made them successful. This qualitative study consulted Tinto's revised student departure model, Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital, as well as Yosso's theory of community cultural wealth. A…

The expression 'student success' has gained traction in the university sector and has been applied to various aspects of the higher education (HE) learning trajectory. Yet, 'success' is an amorphous term that means distinctive things to various stakeholders in any educational undertaking. When the literature on this field is examined, it is…

Familial and social experiences shape college transitions of first-year, first-generation college students who are foster youth. This chapter describes these experiences and offers recommendations to enhance support for foster youth in college.

Background: Previous research has shown that, when succeeding in higher education, first-generation (FG) students endorse more performance-avoidance goals (i.e., the fear of performing poorly) than continuing-generation (CG) students. Aims: In this study, individual mobility is examined as a predictor of performance-avoidance goal endorsement. It…

This study employs an anti-deficit perspective in exploring how the parents of first generation, low-income African American students positively influence their child's choice to attend college. This study examines the positive direct and indirect actions taken by African American parents with limited monetary resources to encourage their child to…

'One day a poster announcing the preparatory course at the university appeared in a village. Pokusa [surname, "desire" in Polish] was among the first to enrol. He was accepted after passing an exam. Now he is one of the best students! -- All you need is a good will -- he explains.' That is how a local newspaper in 1953 encouraged peasant…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the math and science beliefs of underrepresented students, with a focus on first-generation college (FGC) students. We do so by estimating a typology of high school students based on their mathematics and science beliefs and examining which group(s) students were more likely to be in. We used latent…

Recent studies question students' learning gains on college campuses. Even though academic challenges are further complicated for first-generation college students who arrive at college under prepared, little is known about how these setbacks contribute to students' cognitive and behavioral study approaches in college. Situated within a culture…

College seniors face several potential stressors associated with the transition from college to career. This study examined the types of concerns reported by 320 college seniors and the degree of stress associated with these concerns. Researchers measured coping strategies with a focus on the use of problem-focused versus emotion-focused coping.…

First-year courses have been used to bolster college student success, but empirical evidence on their efficacy is mixed. We investigated whether a first-year science of learning course, focused on self-regulated learning, would benefit first-generation college students. We randomly assigned students to a treatment condition involving enrollment in…

The Maine Community College System provides this letter in accordance with 20-A MRSA §10013. This law requires the Maine Community College System (MCCS), University of Maine System (UMS), and Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) to provide the following information about first-generation college students by January 15th of each year: (1) Data regarding…

Although institutions of higher education have been increasing efforts to recruit and retain Black women graduate students, Black women are still low in numbers in graduate programs. Black women have experienced decades of socio-historical challenges that impact their persistence and resistance in graduate education, with the most common being…

More students than ever have been provided access to higher education; however, the increase in enrollment is outpacing the data on successful completion rates. Student engagement has been identified as fundamental for college student success and retention. The purpose of this study was to provide a description of the student engagement of…