First Generation College Students

1
First Generation College Students Financial Aid

• Shaunna L. Payne, M. Div.
• April 28, 2009

2
One student said

• Being a first generation student means that you
  are in unfound territory. Theres no one whos
  gone before you, that you are close to, that can
  tell you all the ins and outs, give you all the
  ups and downs. You are on your own youre going
  to have to learn on your own.
• Debra (Cushman, 2006).

3
Outline

• Values Exercise
• True or False
• First Generation College Student Profile
• Recent Research
• In Practice
• Resources

4
Values Exercise

• On a scrap sheet of paper write down the
  following about your personal identity
• Race/Ethnicity
• Language
• Religion/Spirituality
• Sexual Identity
• Vocation (Current or Future)
• Possession

5
Values Exercise

• Cross out two identities.
• Cross out two more identities.
• Cross out one more identity.
• Classroom Summary?

6
Values - Shaunna

• African-American
• Female
• Heterosexual
• Christian (Clergy)
• Educator
• Southern Virginian
• Jones McEwen (2000)

7
First Generation College Student ProfileTrue or
False?

• First generation students are
• Age 24 and under
• False 31 were age 24 and older.
• Lower incomes
• True 42 of those who were dependent were from
  the lowest family income quartile (less than
  25,000/year).
• Male
• False 57 are female
• Unmarried
• False 18 are married versus 5 non first
  generation.

8
First Generation College Student Profile

• Students whose parents did not attend college
  are
• More likely to be less academically prepared.
• Have less knowledge of how to apply for college
  and financial assistance.
• Have more difficulty acclimating themselves to
  college once they enroll.
• They are much more at risk for
• Not completing a degree because of delayed
  enrollment after high school
• Work full-time while enrolled

9
First Generation College Student Profile

• Pressures and disadvantages of FG students are
  distinct and crippling (Ackerman, 1990 Astin,
  1982 Tinto, 1993)
• Less likely to have basic knowledge, family
  income and support, educational degree
  expectations, post-college plans, and academic
  preparation in high school (Pascarella et al.,
  2002)
• Less likely to have social capital relationships
  that facilitate transactions and transmission of
  resources that aid in retention and completion.

10
First Generation College Student Profile

• Nationally 35 of all undergraduates (6.5
  million) are first generation! (Chitty, 2007)
• Ashburn, 2008

11
Research

• Students whose parents had not attended college
  received less help from their parents in applying
  to college, and were not more likely to receive
  help from their schools (Choy, 2001).
• First generation students are especially likely
  to lack specific types of college knowledge.
  They often do not understand the steps necessary
  to prepare for higher education which include
  knowing about how to finance a college education,
  to complete basic admissions procedures, and to
  make connections between career goals and
  educational requirements (Vargas, 2004).

12
In Practice

• Pre-college program staff were the most important
  sources of information and support. (Engle et.
  al, 2006)
• Develop personal relationships with students.
• Involve parents in the college-going experience.
• Strengthen partnerships between school-based,
  community-based, and state- and federally-funded
  pre-college programs.
• Develop stronger links between pre-college
  programs and state college access campaigns.

13
In Practice

• Make the most of work-study employees through a
  peer mentoring program.
• Model College Guide Program
• Students work with public high schools
• Assist students with financial aid and
  scholarship applications.
• On-going mentoring for first generation college
  students, increased knowledge of financial aid
  for current students, decreased work load for
  current financial aid staff, post-training
• http//www.virginia.edu/cue/guide.html

14
Resources

• Cushman (2006). First in the family Advice about
  college from first-generation students. Lumina
  Foundation for Education.
• Engle, Bermeo, OBrien (2006). Straight from
  the source What works for first-generation
  college students. The Pell Institute for the
  Study of Opportunity in Higher Education.
• Saenz, Hurtado, Barrera, Wolf, Yeung (2005).
  First in My Family A Profile of First-Generation
  College Students at Four-Year Institutions Since
  1971. Retrieved on May 24, 2008 from
  http//www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/PDFs/resSummary0518
  07-FirstGen.pdf

15
Questions?

• Shaunna L. Payne, M. Div.
• Acting Director of the James Farmer Multicultural
  Center
• Multicultural Student Affairs
• University of Mary Washington
• spayne2_at_umw.edu