Experiences and Outcomes of First-Generation Students in Community Colleges

First-generation college students (i.e., students whose parents have never attended college) are the focus of a growing body of research. The weight of evidence from this research suggests that, compared to their peers, first-generation students are at a disadvantage with respect to: basic knowledge about postsecondary education (e.g., costs, application process), level of family income and support, degree expectations and plans, and secondary school academic preparation (e.g., Berkner & Chavez, 1997; Hossler, Schmidt, & Vesper, 1999; Warburton, Bugarin, & Nunez, 2001). Moreover, as summarized by Terenzini, Springer, Yaeger, Pascarella, and Nora (1996), first-generation students also have a more problematic transition from secondary school to college than other students. First-generation students confront all the anxieties, dislocations, and difficulties of any college student; but their experiences often involve additional cultural as well as social and academic transitions (Rendon, 1992; Rendon, Hope, & Associates, 1996; Terenzini et al., 1994).