First-Gens More Engaged and Committed to Education

Posted by Campus Labs on July 9, 2018

Often when we think of first-generation students, we think of those who may not be ready for higher education and may have many struggles ahead of them. We think of students who might be academically unprepared, who probably do not have family support and are about to navigate this path alone. We think of students who feel a tremendous amount of pressure as the “first” in their family to attempt this college thing.

But a new Campus Labs research report may just start to change the way we think. Evidence from more than 750,000 students who responded during the initial weeks of their first academic term demonstrated first-generation students are coming in just as committed – or more so – than their multigenerational peers.

Approximately 14 percent of survey respondents did not have a parent or guardian with a four-year degree, and they outscored their peers in educational commitment, self-efficacy, academic engagement and campus engagement. Another part of the study looked at responses from a sample 53,000 students, 29 percent of whom identified as first-generation. More than 90 percent disagreed with the statement, “I sometimes wonder if attending college was the right decision,” compared to just 84 percent of multigenerational students. However, all is not better yet: Among all respondents, first-generation students did lag behind their peers in resiliency and social comfort.

Read more on the NCAN blog: http://www.collegeaccess.org/SD07032018Article1

Full report: https://www.campuslabs.com/fresh-insights-on-first-generation-students/