The college admissions process is a difficult one and can be more challenging when the student doesn’t have help from parents with experience. More often than not, these first-generation students will need access to resources like guides on financial aid and adjusting to campus life. With this in mind, colleges and government-funded programs are starting to take action.
What is a first-generation college student?
A first-generation college student is someone who is attending college as the first person to do so in their family. There are many reasons why first-generation students are the first to attend college in their families. The CollegeBoard states that these reasons range from “fears about going to college and misconceptions about college and its costs” to “[having] come from families who speak languages other than English at home or from cultures outside the United States with different education systems.” These different communities that make up first-generation students all have one thing in common: they don’t have the resources or prior knowledge about the college experience. This can make things such as the CommonApp and financial aid hard to navigate.
Then why do they do it?
Most students still strive to overcome barriers such as financial aid troubles and lack of academic support in order to keep up with the high standards of academia. These standards often come in the form of pressure from peers, teachers and, more commonly, society, for the value it puts on higher education. No matter where you grow up or who you group up around, there is a stigma against those who are not college-educated. According to the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, people with a Bachelor’s degree are 50% more likely to get a job than those without one. As of 2016, people between the ages of 22-27 with a graduate degree are likely to make almost $15,000 more annually than someone without a graduate degree. This gap continues to widen.
The rise in first-generation students
While these statistics loom, many aren’t even aware of them as most first-generation college students face the pressure to become the first within their own families. This pressure within families stems from the societal standards mentioned previously, but also because many of these families are either lower-income or racially/culturally marginalized.
According to Patton O. Garriott, a psychology professor at the University of Denver specializing in the marginalization of low-income and BIPOC college students, “First-generation college students tend to be members of economically and racially marginalized groups and comprise increasingly large numbers of the college-going population.” And, not only is this population comprised of these groups, but Garriott also explains that they make up a large portion of the entire college-going population.
“Close to one third of 5 to 17-year-olds in the United States qualify as a first-generation college student or student whose parents have not completed a bachelor’s degree,” Garriott said.
Some of the biggest barriers for these students will be finding and applying for financial aid from the school, seeking out jobs while in school and finding support from a community on campus. There is also the issue of students whose first language isn’t English.
Although many activists have been fighting for equal opportunity in financial aid and academic spaces for decades, no one took notice until politicians such as Senator Bernie Sanders and President Joe Biden started making promises to erase student debt and for-profit colleges. Suddenly, schools like American University created programs, centers and classes, such as the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, for students in marginalized communities to feel represented. Companies such as the CollegeBoard and government programs like RiseFirst began creating guides for first-generation college students who were applying to schools and needed help with the financial form known as the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
Although there are still gaps in the resources provided by private universities and the government, many companies are shifting their policies to make them more accessible for these students. From making the SATs optional to erasing thousands of dollars in student debt, there has been a slow and steady change for college-goers.