First Generation Students Standing in the Doorway of Success

Why Study First Generation Students? + At Risk Population + Growing Segment of the College Bound Population + Key to Enrollment Success for Many Institutions

Welcome to My House + The Doorway + Cultural Differences + Who’s Values Will be Embraced? “Education is not about learning more, it’s about behaving differently.” - Ruskin

Studying First Generation Students in the VSC system + Studied Freshmen vs Sophomores + Residential campuses/students only + 41-question survey using 5-point Likert scale + Broke down freshmen Pre-registered from not returning + Purpose – to determine if there were differences in how these groups responded to questions

Findings of Interest + Family -86% of all students maintained weekly contact + Importance of Financial Aid -57% of Freshmen vs 73% of Sophomores -24% of Freshmen did not know their debt level + Maintaining a Job -59% of Freshmen employed vs 75% of Sophomores + Outside Influence -50% of Freshmen had someone outside the family influence their decision to attend college

Statistically Significant Findings + Family & Friends + Work + Connection to Faculty/Campus + Academic Preparation + Career Counseling/Relevance

Influencers + Family and Friends -Over 90% of all students reported their families were supportive of them attending college -Over 90% reported their families continued to be supportive of attending college -Sophomores more likely to have HS friends still enrolled in college (83% vs 64%) + Work -80% of all respondents worked -Sophomores more likely to work only on campus (44% vs 27%)

Influencers – Continued + Connection to Faculty & Campus -PR freshmen were more likely to believe their faculty advisor was concerned about their success -More likely to believe most faculty were interested in their success -More likely to think of themselves as campus citizens vs customers + Academic Preparation -PR freshmen felt more academically prepared for college -Once Enrolled PR freshmen gained confidence in their academic skills -NR Freshmen confidence levels remained the same

Influencers – Continued + Career Counseling & Relevancy -PR Freshmen were more likely to be enrolled in a major that suited their career goals -More likely to understand the relevance of a college education to the real world

What Did We Learn? + First generation students remain close to family and friends in the first year + Work is important + We must build stronger connections with these students + Student issues are not one- dimensional + Academic skills and confidence are important + We must connect relevance of a college education

What are the Answers? + We must understand the cultural transition + Connect appropriate advisors + Connect curriculum to real world relevance + Develop academic confidence