Education Commons^™

Retention And Persistence Of Low-Income, First-Generation Rural College Students From West Virginia, Rachel D. Nieman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A considerable body of research demonstrates that first-generation college students face greater obstacles to college retention, persistence and completion compared to their non-first-generation counterparts. However, the extant literature rarely explores rurality as a salient factor to understand these challenges. Even less visible in the literature are the experiences and voices of West Virginians. West Virginia is a predominantly rural state and ranks 49^th in the nation in terms of educational attainment, with only 19.6% of residents over the age of 25 having earned at least a bachelor’s degree. While rural areas may experience multifaceted struggles, the educational attainment of …

A Lifelong Network: Perceptions And Experiences Of First-Generation Alums After Graduation, Allison Toney

Theses and Dissertations

As first-generation students transition to college graduates, the question lies in whether institutions of higher education are continuing to provide opportunities for them as alums. As a result of first-generation college students being the first in their family to attend college, students may enter college not knowing what to expect. But institutions have evolved to provide services, resources and opportunities that support their success while enrolled. Upon graduation, the process of transitioning out of college can be a challenging time for students as they seek post-graduation success. Some institutions offer support and resources tailored specifically to first-generation graduates or graduates …

Exploring Supervisory Needs Of First-Generation Professionals Working In Higher Education, Angela R. Wellman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As first-generation students enter the workforce and traverse through their careers, their work supervisors are solidly positioned to positively influence their experiences. There is very little literature to be found that addresses the professional experiences of first-generation professionals in relation to their supervisors. The purpose of this exploratory study was to learn, directly from first-generation professionals working in higher education, what they believe they need from their supervisors to support their well-being and success. This research also sought to discover how important participants thought that each need statement was, as well to gain insight to what extent the identified needs …

Sense Of Belonging Of New Members Who Are First-Generation College Students: A Single-Institution Qualitative Case Study, Levi J. Harrel-Hallmark, Jason Castles, Pietro A. Sasso

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

While there is research to suggest that first-generation college students benefit from and have a greater sense of belonging as a result of involvement in student organizations, there is limited research on how first-generation college students develop a sense of belonging specifically through their involvement as new members of a fraternity or sorority. This study, constructed within a single-institution qualitative case study framework, highlighted the unique role that organizational involvement, mentorship, emotional support, and first-generation status and identity can play in the development of sense of belonging for fraternity and sorority new members that are first-generation college students.

Small-Town Living: Do Illinois Universities Understand The Rural College Student?, Erik Andrew Dalmasso

Theses and Dissertations

Rural students are confronted with unique challenges when considering postsecondary choices. According to McShane and Smarick (2018), scholarship on this overarching issue is limited, as it is “often shunted to specialized journals that have not been able to integrate findings into the broader education policy conversation” (p. 1). Rural students, and to a broader extent, rural education have little voice in the postsecondary pathways that have been created within higher education (Goldman, 2019). Recruitment of rural students, financial aid policy, remediation/developmental programming, state and federal postsecondary legislation have largely treated rural students in tandem with their urban and suburban peers, …

Can Free College Programs Level The Playing Field? An Exploratory Study Of Understanding Non-Economic Persistence Barriers For Low-Income Students, Alan Byrd

Dissertations

The rising cost of higher education has created substantial access and persistence barriers for low-income students. Consequently, gaps in educational attainment between low-income students and their middle- and high-income peers have continued to widen over the last few decades. Colleges and universities have taken notice of these growing disparities, and several institutions have responded by developing need-based financial aid programs to close unmet need gaps for Pell Grant recipients. These last-dollar financial aid programs have opened doors for more low-income students to attend selective institutions, but it is unclear how these programs will influence their persistence and completion rates. The …

Why Am I Here? Examining The Relationship Between Purpose And Career Advancement Of First-Generation Doctoral Students, Lily Jenkins

Dissertations

Approximately 24% of the college population is comprised on first-generation students, yet they continue to deal with significant challenges when completing their degrees. Research has been done on first-generation student characteristics, challenges, and existing support programs; however, their personal evolution and success in academic achievement and career development once support mechanisms are in place has not been adequately studied. This qualitative study utilized a transcendental phenomenological research design to explore the influence of purpose on degree completion and career advancement of first-generation doctoral students. The study examined the experiences of 14 first-generation doctoral students to find qualities that led to …

Engagement And Stem Degree Completion: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Time-To-Completion And Engagement And Pre-College Variables, Karina (Harstad) Clennon

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quantitative analysis explored measures influencing time to STEM-degree-completion in a correlational, non-experimental analysis of archival data (N = 745). FGCS represent a significant portion of individuals pursuing a post-secondary degree in the United States however, FGCS are less likely to persist to graduation as compared to their continuing-generation peers. FGCS are entering colleges and universities declaring STEM majors yet, are changing their major and or leaving college without a four-year degree (Chen, 2013). FGCS, who identify as female, face additional barriers, whether perceived or actual, in the pursuit of earning a STEM degree. FGCS choose to pursue STEM majors, …

Two Roads Diverged: Understanding The Decision-Making Process And Experiences Of First-Generation And Low-Income Students Who Chose Different Paths In Pursuit Of A Baccalaureate Degree, John A. Drew

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Despite gains in expanding the student pipeline to postsecondary education, first-generation and low-income (FGLI) students complete college at disproportionately lower rates and have limited access to the resources necessary to make informed decisions about higher education. Research has shown that FGLI students are less likely to apply to college after completing high school, and when they do, they often enroll in institutions that are less selective than they were academically qualified to attend. Moreover, although access to higher education has expanded, the increased concentration of students at community colleges has not led to increases in earned credentials.

This study used …

A Forgotten Demographic: Low-Income First-Generation College Students, Ryan Joseph-Lee Haynes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone is on the need for support for low-income first-generation college students. An evidence based argument is made that these students are at a major disadvantage as compared to their counterparts. Consideration of the issue, should include the perspectives of high school students who will be the first in their family to apply and go to college. Three action options emerged from the analysis of data. Based on an analysis of the data and the relevant research literature, the researcher used what he learned to formulate an action that responded to the focus issue in a …

How Scholarship Programs Facilitate First-Generation College Students’ Involvement, Maria C. Restrepo Chavez

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

As a first-generation college student, I am interested in the on-campus involvement and experiences of other first-generation college students. First-generation college students are those whose parents did not receive a university degree and tend to come from low-income families. This project explores programs designed to support and enrich the experiences of such students. The Centennial Scholars Program at James Madison University and the Presidential Scholarship Initiative at Virginia Tech aim to increase the socio-economic diversity on each campus. These programs provide students with full funding for four years, mentorship, professional development and social benefits, among others. In turn, students become …

Bridge Program Participants' Satisfaction, Retention, Grade Point Average, And Credits Earned, Chip Palmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of first-generation college students enroll in college each year. However, according to national statistics, as many as 900,000 first-generation college students drop out each year. Colleges have developed summer bridge programs to help first-generation students succeed; participants have shown an increase in grade point average (GPA) and retention. There is limited research focusing specifically on private nonprofit university bridge programs, and national statistics show 34% of first-generation college students electing private universities. Thus, the purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to evaluate a private nonprofit university bridge program called the Pfeiffer Readiness Education Program. Using the …

Studying The Impact Of First-Year Seminar Completion On First-Generation Academic Success, Amber Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of the first-time undergraduate students who enroll full-time at a four-year institution of higher education, only about half will complete a degree within six years (Kena et al., 2016), and this figure is even lower for those students whose parents did not attend college (Choy, 2001; Nuñez & Cuccaro-Alamin, 1998; Warburton, Bugarin, & Nuñez, 2001). The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of first-year seminars in increasing the academic success of first-generation college students. The study utilized OLS regressions, logit regressions, and predicted probabilities to examine the effects of first-year seminar completion on four elements of academic …

Success Informs Success: Experiences Of Persisting First-Generation College Males, Taylor Weichman

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This research focuses on the experiences of first-generation college males who have successfully persisted into their second year of college. The experiences of a first-generation student have been described as “a constant battle.” The students in this study have overcome the many challenges ascribed to them as first-generation college students, and persisted into their second year of college. Exploring the experiences of these men through their eyes allowed the research to examine the challenges and supports that the men themselves identify as important to their first year experience. This information has implications for future practice involving first-generation students, with the …

Factors Influencing College Decision-Making For First-Generation Appalachian Students, Kristy Lynn Wood

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This investigation determined the degree of importance for selected personal-psychological, academic, peer, financial, and family factors influencing the decision to attend college by first-generation, Appalachian (FGA) sophomore students. Outcomes were further related to the degree of academic and social integration in college and the likelihood of participants returning (persisting) to the next term or year. Participants were a purposeful group of 3,264 sophomores enrolled at three universities. Data were collected using the Transition to College Survey (TCS), which participants completed via an email invitation. Two-hundred, seventy-three responded (273) as follows: 110 (41%) first-generation status, 214 (78%); Appalachian status and 90 …