First-Generation College Students: Understanding the Challenges and Opportunities
Venturing into higher education can be challenging for anyone at any age. For recent high school graduates, the prospect of leaving the comforts and familiarity of home and saying goodbye to lifelong friends to start a new life elsewhere can be both scary and exciting. However, the road to and through undergrad may be even more challenging for first-generation college students.
The definition of first-generation varies, depending on what source you cite. Some institutions consider students first-generation, or FirstGen, if their parents didn’t obtain traditional 4-year degrees, even if those parents attended trade or vocational schools. Others define FirstGen as students who come from families where no one (siblings, parents, grandparents, etc.) has completed education beyond high school. Others still only reference the parents’ educational statuses, despite the fact that the grandparents or siblings may have Ivy League educations.
Regardless of the definitions colleges, universities, or financial aid organizations use, first-generation college students are often at a disadvantage compared to their peers. Luckily, many safety nets are in place to support their efforts and ensure their success.
The Challenges FirstGen Students Face
FirstGens around the world face unique obstacles as they start their higher education journey, and these challenges haven’t gone unnoticed. In China, a survey done by the Institute of Education under Tsinghua University found that, from 2011 to 2018, more than 70 percent of Chinese freshmen each year were first-generation students.
According to the Center for First Generation Student Success, over half of American undergraduates (54 percent) identify as first-generation college students. However, only 20 percent of them obtain their degrees, compared to more than double the number of continuing-generation students (49 percent) who reach graduation.
FirstGen status doesn’t just affect graduation rates; the median parental income of financially dependent students also varies wildly. In both 2016 and 2020, FirstGen students’ parents reported a median household income of $41,000. Compare this to the median household income of continuing-generation students’ parents, which increased from $90,000 in 2016 to $103,000 in 2020.
This financial disparity contributes to many FirstGens' financial burdens as they work through college. Lack of sufficient finances is just one of the five main challenges young people whose parents or families didn’t attend college face, in addition to:
Lack or absence of familial support
Alienation, or diminished sense of belonging
Struggles with academic preparedness
Imposter syndrome
The fact is, first-generation students and continuing-generation students may be running the same race, but they don’t start in the same place. That’s why higher education institutions around the world, as well as financial aid and community-centric organizations, have taken steps to help close these gaps that FirstGens face.
How Higher Education Compensates for FirstGen Challenges
We’re happy to say that despite the obstacles, the future is bright for first-generation students who are willing to use the many tools and resources available to them. Most colleges and universities have created emergency funds and support groups for FirstGens, like the programs prevalent at the University of Alabama.
Organizations like ANY, Collective Success Network, I’m First!, Rise First, and UStrive exist for the sole purpose of ensuring the success of first-generation students in college and the professional world beyond. There are also a number of FirstGen scholarships students can explore, which may vary depending on geographic location.
We at Scholar Launch also help our own students by offering financial assistance to scholars who need it. Pre-collegiate research is a fantastic way to prepare for the rigors of undergraduate workloads, and we’re proud to serve scholars of all backgrounds.
Nearly all of the tools and resources available to FirstGens are just a Google search away. The specifics may vary by university, state, region, or country, but the main point remains: first-generation students are not alone. There exists an innumerable number of programs and organizations dedicated to helping them navigate higher education.
All you have to do is ask.