First-generation and second to none

The third-year special education major lost both her parents as a child. Her mother died of complications following gastric bypass surgery when she was 7, and she found her father, who struggled with alcoholism, dead in his bed when she was just 10. 

“So many things can be taken away from you in life — so many things,” says King. “But your education is something no one can take from you.”
 

On a campus where roughly one in four students are the first in their family to attend college, King is one of thousands at UC who fall into an important population known as first-generation college students.

In coordination with the national First-Generation College Celebration Day on Nov. 8, UC has set aside this week to celebrate the achievements of its own first-gen students who are lifting not only themselves but generations to come by pursuing their college degree. The annual nationwide celebration marks the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. 

Among the efforts at UC, the university is planning a panel discussion led by first-generation students to go along with an outreach campaign and fundraising effort to support scholarships for those who are the first in their family to attend college. You can also follow the effort on social media using the hashtag #UCFirstGen.

• Nationally, just 20% of first-generation college students earn their bachelor’s degree within six years, compared to 49% of continuing-generation students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. 
• Data shows that 27% of first-gen students in this country are from households with an average income of $20,000 or less. 
• In addition to financial strain, research suggests that first-gen students cite a lack of family support, low self- esteem, a struggle with adjusting to college, racial disparities, and not being prepared for college as barriers to success.
   

At UC, first-generation students find an institution that invests into their future by setting aside a living community, financial aid, dedicated advisers and by orchestrating intentional networking and community building opportunities for students who may not have as strong of a family base from which to draw, says Jack Miner, UC’s vice provost for enrollment management, who was himself the first in his family to earn a college degree.

He says UC has become a destination school for first-gen students — about 25% of UC’s total population — because the institution cares deeply. 

In addition to celebrating first-gen students this week, UC leaders are also scaling up efforts to shed light on crucial resources and support available to this population, many of whom may be struggling mightily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Miner says COVID amplifies concerns with UC’s first-gen students because the pandemic creates a barrier to connecting with campus community and also exacerbates financial hardships.

“The opportunity to go away to college and engage in classes and build those new networks has, in many cases, been kind of put on hold,” says Miner. “Economically, for a lot of students and families, they're being pulled in many different directions.

“And first-generation students may already not be able to fully concentrate on college right now because they still have commitments at home. They still play a role in supporting their family.”

National education leaders agree that supporting and nurturing first-generation students has never been more important.

"Academic disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic place the futures of many first-generation students in a precarious state," says Maureen Hoyler, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education, which aims to further the expansion of college opportunities for low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities.

Featured image at top: UC first-gen students from left include Karrington Rainey, Brittany Rice, Noah Oki and Jeff Williams standing near the Gen-1 1MPACT House. Photo/Lauren Meisberger.