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Brooke Cuddington

UWRT 1103

3 November, 2019

The Struggle in the First

Many people who enter college normally are excited but also nervous for the new

adventures and new environment. First-generation students may have more of the nervous side of

things. First, it is important to define a first-generation student, and the reality is, there isn’t one.

Ashley A Smith, a reporter for Edsource and Inside Higher Ed, explained “a first-generation

student can range from 22 percent of a schools population to 77 percent depending on how one

defines it” (Smith). “Does a first-generation college student come from a home where neither

parent earned a college degree? What if at least one parent graduated college? What if their

parents attended college but didn't graduate? Does it matter if it's a biological parent that

attended college or some other adult residing in their home?” (Smith). UNC Charlotte defines a

first-generation student as a student whose parent(s) do not have a bachelor’s degree. Some UNC

Charlotte students believe that first-generation students are the very first person to go to college

in ones family. These students, even with all the different definitions, continue to have possible

struggles while in and facing college challenges.

Research done by Postsecondary National Policy Institute, the leading source of

professional development for current and prospective policymakers who work on federal higher

education issues, reported that first-generation students are more likely to go to a two-year

college over a 4 year university. These students are also less likely to get a bachelor's degree at
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all, while also more likely to attend college part time. First-generation students often have

financial responsibilities to themselves and/or their families. This can cause a lot of stress and

force first-generation students go to cheaper, two-year colleges, and go part-time so they can

work (Factsheets).

As shown in the graph, the blue parts are the first-generation students,and the red is non-

first-generation students. The top bar is the amount of first-generation students that make up

college students, and the amount of college students who are not first-generation students

(Whitford). The bottom line is the amount of college students who graduated within four years.

This information came from a study performed in 2018. The article was written by Emma

Whitford, a freelance journalist who went to Brown University and received her Bachelor of Arts
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in American Literature, she also has worked for the New York Magazine, Inside Higher Ed, and

more. This information leads first-generation students with a negative outlook on their success.

One disadvantage first-generation students face is the lack of information given to these

students. Often first-generation students become stuck because they are not aware of the

questions to ask. This can be especially hard if the students did not have a positive experience

with their high school counselors and had to figure out a lot of college themselves. "Many of

them are very academically prepared, they're really talented. It's just sometimes they don't have

the information they need to go to the best school for them, to understand the financial aid

process, to understand the right questions to ask along the way," says Sarah E. Whitley, senior

director of the Center for First-Generation Student Success, an initiative of the National

Association of Student Personnel Administrators and The Suder Foundation (Moody). Ashley A.

Smith stated that “a student's initial interest in attending college varied greatly depending on

whether neither parent attended college versus everyone else who had at least one parent

attending some level of college.” This shows that first-generation students are already at a

disadvantage by not knowing where to look for a college that would be best for them, especially

not having their parents experiences to rely on.

Another reason first-generation students are at a disadvantage can be because of the lack

of financial support. Josh Moody, a reporter for college admissions and international education,

explained paying for college is another major concern for students, affording college was a major

source of stress during students search (Moody). These students tend to go into college terrified

of how they will pay for college, especially if they do not receive a lot, or any, financial aid. A
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big part of the financial stress students face is navigating the financial aid process. It can be

extremely confusing if no one has ever done it before to help first-generation students navigate

the process. The financial stress doesn’t stop with tuition and fees as well. Many students

struggle with food insecurity and housing, and as some colleges offer services for these, some

don’t (Moody).

Finally, first-generation students are at a disadvantage because the statistics are simply

stacked against them. According to PNPI, “48% of first-generation students enrolled in a two-

year school, compared with 32% of students whose parents had at least a bachelor’s degree.”

These students may have not asked the right questions and may have felt the only way to fit in,

or afford it, was to go to a two-year school compared to a four-year school. “First-generation

students were more likely to be older, have lower incomes, be married, and have dependents than

their non-first-generation peers.” Although this is common it is not always the case (Factsheets).

The overall view is first-generation students have a disadvantage and the odds are stacked

against them (Characteristics of First-Generation College Students).

First-generation students have disadvantages and they have been proven by many experts.

Although, not all first-generation students succumb to these statistics. This is important because

students are the future of the country, if some of the first-generation students make some of the

wrong decisions because of statistics it could be a loss to future jobs and positions. First-

generation students still face some of the same challenges and uphill battles that come with being

a first-generation student, but some people disagree about all of the challenges and believe there

are upsides to being a first-generation student.

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Christopher Simmons a writer for eNewsChannel shared a story about eight students who

got a two-thousand dollar scholarship for being first-generation students (Simmons). This shows

that there can be some good things can come from being a first-generation student. Now as

fantastic as these scholarships are for first-generation students, this does not mean they do not

have challenges and uphill battles during their higher education career. A lot of first-generation

students also do not know about these scholarships, Simmons had the right idea about publicly

announcing it, but more publicity to these scholarships may help first-generation students not to

feel as alone in, at least, their financial struggle.

There are many different ways that first-generation students can reach out and get help as

well. The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, which is an organization

for higher education that helps students and faculty with resources, development training, events,

and more, It is also by the Suder Foundation, which is a foundation that was put in place

specifically for first generation students and help prepare each first generation scholar for a life

with self-awareness, success, and significance. They have a website that first-generation students

can access as a high-schooler going into college and as a currently enrolled college student. They

give tips on how to reach out to the college one is at or one is planning to attend, they offer a

spot for student voices, so that students can hear about what other first-generation students can

get an understanding that they are not alone in their fight as a first-generation student (Are You

A First-Generation Student?). There are sites and resources a lot like this one that first-

generation students can access. The only issue is, it is a little difficult to find this website and

websites like it, unless one uses the perfect keywords to find them.
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Another way to help first-generation students is to have the faculty and universities do

what they can to support these students. Professor Lorrie Frasure-Yokley, a professor at UCLA

in the Political Science department, is now teaching a class specifically for first generation

students with the goal to decrease dropout rates. She is also getting the faculty members at

UCLA to be mentors for first-generation students to help them throughout their college years,

most importantly their freshman year (How Faculty Mentors Can Help First-Generation Students

Succeed). A UNC Charlotte student suggested that a university or college “can provide them

advisers early on to guide them and provide easily navigable online services.” UNC Charlotte

offers lots of different ways every student can succeed, including first-generation students. They

have programs such as CAPS (counseling and psychological services) and places like the career

center. This shows that even students and faculty who are/were not first-generation students

believe that these students can get help from a college or university to overcome any challenges

being the first brings.

Colleges and universities can be extremely complex, and administration in these

universities are undoubtedly busy, but helping first-generation students succeed could be seen as

a top priority. Every parent and student wants the universities top priority to be helping the

students succeed, but since some students, such as first-generation students, have a more

challenging time, the universities could devote time to helping these students more often. Faculty

and staff at colleges and universities can have a big impact on a students life. It is important to

include them in any ways they can help first-generation students as well, after all, their job is to

help all students succeed by teaching them valuable lessons.

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First-generation students can have a lot of uphill battles and disadvantages to being the

first. Some may overcome the challenges and statistics given to first-generation students, but that

does not mean they will not struggle in the process. One positive of being a first-generation

student is that it is not a physical attribute. One cannot look at someone and tell they are a first-

generation student. First-generation students can have more anxieties and have more

disadvantages than non-first-generation students, but they can rest assured that other students do

not always have to know. The disadvantages first-generation students face can include struggling

financially, not knowing where to even start for college, and even not knowing what to ask when

thinking about college. Now, of course these challenges can happen with non-first-generation

students, but they are more common and more severe with first-generation students. College can

be the time of their life for some students, but the struggles and anxieties first-generation

students face can become overwhelming to the point of not continuing with their education.

Having support from the universities and faculty can be extremely important in the success of a

first-generation student. First-generation students can beat the statistics, maybe with just a little

help, but no one deserves to be just a number on a page.

Works Cited

“Are You A First-Generation Student?” Center for First-Generation Student Success,

firstgen.naspa.org/why-first-gen/students/are-you-a-first-generation-student.

“Characteristics of First-Generation College Students.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult

Literacy, vol. 42, no. 3, 1998, pp. 220–220. JSTOR,

www.jstor.org/stable/40038346.
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“Factsheets.” PNPI, 26 Sept. 2018, pnpi.org/first-generation-students/

“How Faculty Mentors Can Help First-Generation Students Succeed (5/15/18).” Films

Media Group, 2018,

fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=149262&xtid=162892. Accessed 2

Oct. 2019.

Moody, Josh. “What to Know as a First-Generation College Student.” U.S. News & World

Report, U.S. News & World Report, 14 May 2019,

www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2019-05-14/what-you-should-

know-as-a-first-generation-college-student.

Simmons, Christopher. "First-generation U.S. College Students Win ‘I’m First’

Scholarship and Share Their Stories." eNewsChannels (USA), sec. Non-Profit, 5

Nov. 2013. NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current,

infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-

view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/149E8EDFE6C5FAC8. Accessed 3 Oct.

2019.

Smith, Ashley A. “Who Are First-Generation Students and How Do They Fare?” Who

Are First-Generation Students and How Do They Fare?, 10 Nov. 2015,

www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/11/10/who-are-first-generation-students-

and-how-do-they-fare.

Whitford, Emma. “Institutional Change Is Required to Better Serve First-Generation

Students, Report Finds.” Institutional Change Is Required to Better Serve First-

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Generation Students, Report Finds, 4 Oct. 2018,

www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/10/04/institutional-change-required-better-

serve-first-generation-students-report-finds.