First Generation Student Resources

Using the conceptual framework of social capital, this study outlines the experiences of 20 first-generation students currently enrolled in doctoral degree programs. The framework highlights those structures and processes that offer tacit knowledge to students about how to pursue higher education. For students who are the first in their families to attend college, this knowledge is often elusive. Through individual interviews, data were collected to understand student isolation, financial challenges, and sources of support. Implications for institutions are offered.

The author’s goal in this narrative is to assist first-generation students with the transition to graduate school. Lunceford, a self-identified first-gen graduate, focuses on three main areas: the period in which the student is considering graduate school, the process of applying to graduate school, and preparation for graduate school. He concludes that many of the challenges students face as undergraduates are likely to persist when they are in graduate school. He also stresses the importance of quality faculty advising during the graduate school application process and calls upon professors to be more sensitive to students’ life situations, so that first-generation graduates may have a more successful transition and graduate school experience.

This paper summarizes findings from three separate qualitative research studies, including one that focuses on sources of resiliency and persistence of first-generation graduate students in a master’s level graduate program at a 4-year public university. Using snowball sampling, the researcher interviewed nine students with the goal of identifying factors that contribute to first-gen student success. The majority of the participants shared that they benefited from significant emotional support from at least one parent. Although they felt competent and competitive after completing their undergraduate work, many participants described feeling uncomfortable with the culture of academia and often felt marginalized in class. Several participants revealed that the most significant cultural transition they experienced was anxiety about eclipsing their family members as they gained more academic credentials.