What is it about?
In this study, we examine the different ways in which we can determine who is a "first-generation college student," and whether success in college varies depending on how this is defined. We found that across multiple definitions, students without college-educated parents were less likely to graduate from college. This result held even when we only focused on those high school students who went to college, and those students with one non-college educated parent.
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Why is it important?
The study is important because there is no agreement on the best way to determine who is in need of additional help and support due to being a first-generation college student. It is also important because our results show that getting first-generation students in the door to college is not enough to guarantee their academic success.
Perspectives
My co-authors and I hope that this article will spur more discussion in the field as to which students are in need of additional support, and give more thought as to how we should define first-generation status.
Robert Toutkoushian
University of Georgia
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: From “First in Family” to “First to Finish”: Does College Graduation Vary by How First-Generation College Status Is Defined?, Educational Policy, January 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0895904818823753.
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