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Advising First-Generation Students
Authored By: Angela Renee Sickles
First-generation students, with their unique needs and expectations, make up a growing
population of students on today's campuses.The National Center for Education Statistics, as
quoted by Swail, found that almost 40% of those enrolled at our institutions were first
generation college students (Swail, p. B16). Often these students have little family support or
guidance, and, in some cases, their attendance is resented by those closest to them. Riehl
(1994, p.16) found that 'First-generation college students do not have the benefit of parental
experience to guide them, either in preparing for college or in helping them understand what will
be expected of them after they enroll.'For the support needed to succeed in college, many first
generation college students turn to their academic advisors, not just for academic advice, but
for the guidance considered necessary to navigate day-to-day campus life.
First generation students are defined as students not having a parent who graduated from
college with a baccalaureate degree (Thomas et al., 1998). For these students, attending
college may be their only chance to 'make it out' or to 'break the cycle.' Consequently, they feel
the pressure to succeed but do not know the resources that can help them do so. Riehl (1994,
p.16) maintains that it is the institution's responsibility to understand and address the needs of
first-generation college students through orientation and advisement programs.
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Many first-generation students seek to build a trusting relationship with their advisors, a
relationship that is based on their advisor's understanding of their background.The successful
advisor becomes familiar with these students' backgrounds and family lives.Was the student
raised in a single parent home? Is the student from a 'blended family'? How many siblings are in
the home and what is the student's 'birth order' within the family? Is the student from a rural or
urban area? What types of jobs are held by the student's parent(s)? While growing up, did the
student frequently move due to military relocation, job changes, or economic necessity?Is the
student's college attendance invoking feelings of guilt for financial strain on the family? The
answers to these questions can be especially important in advising a first-generation student.
Pardon (1992, p. 73) has indicated that 'Parents and siblings can frequently be nonsupportive
and even obstructionist.' If a student feels guilty about attending college or is receiving
pressure from the family to come home, the advisor must be willing, and able, to address the
issues behind the guilt and offer helpful suggests.
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Advisors must have a comprehensive knowledge of the campus resources that could help these
students including programs geared for first-generation students. This information would
include any scholarships or programs offered to first-generation students, as well as the
standard resources available to them by virtue of just being students.Advisors should have the
contact information ofthe person who knows the procedures and paperwork needed to apply for
these campus programs.
Many campuses provide programs for first-generation students through TRIO, a federally
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First generation students
funded government program established by the 1965 Higher Education Act. TRIO has grown to
include six outreach programs that can help first-generation students persist and succeed in
obtaining baccalaureate degrees. The three most prominent programs today are Upward
Bound, Talent Search, and Student Support Services.
Upward Bound allows high school students to obtain college credit, either through or after
school day, on Saturdays or in summer classes with a nearby participating college or
university. These classes focus on mainstream academics such as math, science,
language arts, and foreign languages. Upward Bound often provides mentoring, tutoring,
and other supporting services to the participants.
Talent Search is a program that identifies individuals with backgrounds that make them
'at risk' for success. Once a student is identified, the program offers assistance in
understanding college 'ins and outs' including providing counseling for academic, career
and financial issues. Talent Search can identify and work with students in middle school
age to keep them on the right track headed for college.
Student Support Services is a program targets individuals who are first-generation, are
form low income families,or have disabilities. SSS helps these students obtain admission
to college and works with them through graduation from the institution. This program
often offers mentoring, career counseling, and can help students at two-year colleges
transfer to a four-year school.
Not all first-generation students have TRIO sponsored services available to them. Therefore it
is imperative that academic advisors be prepared to support and guide first-generation
students. Open communication is the key to the relationship. Being involved and interested lets
students know that you care. Komives and Woodard (2001, p.352) indicate that 'one of the
most powerful positive influences on students' persistence in college is individual attention.'
Individual attention is also a powerful factor in ones willingness to stay at the university.
Encourage first-generation students to use available resources to succeed. Help students
establish not just academic goals but the personal goals needed to support their academic
objectives.Hold your advisees accountable for reaching these goals.
Questions from a first-generation student can take a lot of an advisor's time during the
student's initial college terms. However, as the months progress, the first-generation student will
depend on the advisor less. The relationship the advisor has built with these students will allow
the student to feel more at home on the campus and be better equipped to deal with the
stresses of being the first in their family to obtain a degree in higher education.
Angela Renee Sickles
Graduate Student
Kansas State University
References:
Balz, Frank J., & Esten, Melanie R. (1998).Fulfilling Private Dreams, Serving Public Priorities: An
Analysis of TRIO Student's Success at Independent Colleges and Universities. The Journal of Negro
Education , Vol. 67, pp. 333-345.
CNN.com (November 10, 2003) Challenges of a first-generation student: Settling in at college a difficult
adjustment.
Evans, Billy. Identifying First Generation College Students
Komives, Susan R., Woodard, Dubley B., & et al. (2001). Student Services: A Handbook for the
Profession. San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
Pardron, Eduardo J. (1992). The Challenge of First- Generation College Students: A Miami-Dade
Perspective. In L. Steven Zwerling & Howard B. London (Eds.), First-Generation Students: Confronting
the Cultural Issues (pp71-81). San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
Riehl, Richard J. (1994). The Academic Preparation, Aspirations, and First-year Performance of First
Generation Students. College and University, Vol.70, pp.14-220.
Swail, Watson S. (January 23, 2004). Legislation to Improve Graduation Rates Could Have the
Opposite Effect in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Volume 50, Issue 20, p. B16.
.
Thomas, Earl Preston., Farrow, Earl Vann., & Martinez, Juan. (1998). A TRIO Program's Impact on
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First generation students
Participants Graduation Rates: The Rutgers University Student Support Services Program and Its
Network of Services. The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 67, pp. 389-403.
Warburton, Edward C., Burgian, Rosio., &Nunez, Anne-Marie. (2001). Bridging the Gap: Academic
Preparation and post Secondary Success of First-Generation Students. Education Statistics Quarterly
Vol. 3, pp. 73-77.
Cite this resource using APA style as:
Sickles, A.R. (2004). Advising first-generation students. Retrieved from the NACADA
Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources Web site:
http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/1st_Generation.htm
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