In this study, black South African first-generation students' experiences related to identity development during their first year at a higher education institution were explored. Chickering and Reisser's [1993. "Education and Identity." 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass] seven-vector identity development theory served as overarching…

First in Family (FiF) is an under-recognised equity grouping which may encompass low-SES, mature-aged, regional and remote, and Indigenous students. FiF tertiary students are more likely to be in a position of educational disadvantage over students who have other family members available to share the experience of university life and discuss…

Underrepresented students are often constructed through deficit discourses and blamed for 'lowering the bar' in higher education (Burke, P. J. 2012. "The Right to Higher Education: Beyond Widening Participation." Abingdon: Routledge). If a student struggles, then that may be seen as proof of personal deficiencies--proof of her…

When they enter institutions of higher education, students typically leave behind one culture to join another. Despite the higher rates of attrition for first-generation students over continuing-generation students and undecided students over declared students, little research has been focused on undeclared first-generation students. To understand…

First-generation, low-income, community college students of color represent one of the fastest growing segments of the undergraduate student population in the United States. With college costs continuing to rise, student debt levels at record highs, and socioeconomic disparities that include growing income and wealth gaps, it is particularly…

The purpose of the qualitative exploratory study was to explore the perceptions of successful first-generation (FG) community college graduates to further understand their lived experiences. Community colleges are able to serve the general public yet achieve great status in helping FG students attain their degree. The specific problem was the high…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the college-to-work transition as experienced by first-generation college (FGC) graduates. First-generation graduates are often adjusting to workplaces that are significantly different from parents' work environments. Design/methodology/approach: This phenomenological study explored the…

Although many students in low socioeconomic backgrounds lived in adverse situations during childhood, they were deeply motivated to pursue higher education. The current generic qualitative study was conducted to fill a gap in the literature pertaining to African American students' experiences of transitioning from high school to college. The…

Objective: The purpose of this study is to apply Yosso's community cultural wealth framework to the experiences of Latino male community college students to understand how they balance family obligations, work, and academics while also navigating their educational pathways. Method: The research team conducted 23 semistructured focus groups with…

Educational research indicates that teachers revealing and utilizing students' prior knowledge supports students' academic learning. Yet, the variation in students' prior knowledge is not fully known. To better understand students' prior knowledge, I drew on sociocultural learning theories to examine racially and ethnically diverse college…

Relying on interviews with 62 college seniors, this study explores students' experiences with uncertainty and responsibility as they approach graduation. Notable differences between first-generation and continuing-generation students emerged in relation to: (a) how seniors experienced responsibility and commitment as they approached graduation,…

As higher education institutions make intentional steps to include underrepresented groups and ensure their success in school, it is particularly important to understand their epistemological, intrapersonal, and interpersonal development as a key factor of supporting their academic and developmental needs. Institutions of higher education are…

The experiences of first-generation college students (FGCS) are marked by high levels of stress and uncertainty as they navigate the transition to college. This study uses the organizational assimilation model to explore FGCS' transition to college by temporally analyzing multiple sources and types of socially supportive communication found in…

Despite the increasing number of first generation immigrants in mainstream colleges, they are often underserved. This paper uses the voice of a mainstreamed first generation immigrant to help mainstream higher education institutions create more inclusive learning environments for every student, including struggling ESL students.

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to describe the relationships between first-generation college students and faculty through their own experiences at this rural private four-year institution. It is well documented that positive outcomes are linked with faculty-student interaction which include grade point average (Anaya and Cole…