Student Trailblazers:Understanding

First Generation Studentsand

How to Assist in their Academic Success

Ron Elizaga, Ph.D.Traci Haynes, M.S.

Psychology DepartmentColumbus State Community College

Presented at the 2014 Conference on Teaching and Learning

Franklin UniversityJune 13, 2014

Overview

• The first generation student plight• Characteristics of first generation students• What we can do to help

The first generation student plight• First generation student – a student who is among

the first in their family to attend college; parents have not completed a college degree

• Approximately 50% of the college population is made up of first generation students (Department of Education, 2010)

• Approximately 30% of entering freshmen are first gen (USA Today, 2010)

• First gen students are four times more likely to leave college without a degree compared to their non-first gen counterparts (Engle and Tinto, 2008)

Challenges of first generation students

• Not connected to college, don’t belong, intimidated by faculty

• No support or empathy from family• Pressure from family• Resentment from family, friends• Feelings of being overwhelmed (college too “big”)• Too easy to leave, no one will notice or care• Competing responsibilities• Finances, unexpected expenses• Lack of maturity, unrealistic expectations• Lack of procedural info (e.g., financial aid,

registration process, degree options)

The first generation college student

Compared to non-first generation students…• They are older: 31 percent of first-generation

students were 24 or older, compared to 13 percent and 5 percent, respectively, of students whose parents had some college experience or a bachelor’s degree (Choy, 2001)

• They have lower incomes: 42 percent of those who were dependent were from the lowest family income quartile (less than $25,000/year), compared to 22 percent and 18 percent, respectively, of the other 2 groups (Choy, 2001)

• Female: 57 percent of first-generation students are female vs. 51 percent of non-first-generation students (Nunez & Cuccaro-Alamin, 1998)

• African-American or Hispanic (20 percent vs. 13 percent) (Nunez & Cuccaro-Alamin, 1998)

• Married (18 percent vs. 5 percent) (Nunez & Cuccaro-Alamin, 1998)

The first generation college student

Compared to non-first generation students…• Independent either with or

without dependents of their own (37 percent vs. 13 percent)

• Aren’t in a bachelor’s degree program (88 percent vs. 43 percent)

• Receive aid (51 percent vs. 42 percent)

• Attend part-time (30 percent vs. 13 percent)

• Work full-time while enrolled (33 percent vs. 24 percent)

(Nunez and Cuccaro-Alamin, 1998)

What we can do to helpA faculty resource

group for first generation college

students at Columbus State

What we can do to help1. Identify, recruit, and track first generation students.

• College/financial aid application, at classroom level, social media

2. Build bridges• With faculty• With their peers• With the college in general

3. Use mentors• Faculty or peer

4. Stay connected5. Educate students on proper college expectations6. Educate faculty on the first generation plight and how

to help

Contact Information• www.gotnetwork.wordpress.com• www.facebook.com/gotCSCC• Ron Elizaga – relizaga@cscc.edu• Traci Haynes – thaynes@cscc.edu

THANK YOU!