El Puente Research Fellowship is a transformative program that uses culturally relevant and reflective pedagogies, curriculum, and praxis for first-generation, working-class college students beyond the traditional classroom. Drawing on the Chicana/Latina feminist epistemologies of "plática" and "convivencia," we argue that the…

First-generation and underrepresented minoritized (URM) students may have greater challenges in online learning than other students. Communities of support can help these highly motivated students be more engaged and successful in the remote learning environment. In this scoping literature review, we identified fifteen categories of…

U.S. Census Bureau Report (2020c) showed Hispanic students constituted 18.5% of the U.S. population, 36% attended higher education and only 14% completed postsecondary education. Research has shown Hispanic, specifically Latinx, students faced barriers in accessing higher education's hidden curriculum, compounded by deficit beliefs about their…

A growing number of college students today are First-Generation. First-Generation (FG) college student experiences and performance on student success measures differ from their peers whose parents have earned college degrees (Astin, 1975; Chen & Carroll, 2005; Ishitani, 2006; Pascarella et al., 2004). The purpose of this quantitative study was…

This study explores the experiences of first- and second-year first-generation college students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) related to the college admissions process and finding financial aid. This applies the digital divide to determine whether the three levels of the digital divide still impact first-generation…

Hmong Americans' postsecondary completion rates remain low when compared to other Asian ethnic groups. As the Hmong population continues to grow, so does the need for intervention to increase the total number of postsecondary graduates. Many Hmong Americans are first-generation college students and continue to face challenges and barriers that…

The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to understand how first-generation college students have experienced involvement in college during the pandemic at a New England University. Astin's (1999) theory of student involvement served as the theoretical framework for the study as it focuses on the interconnected relationship…

Although the gap in enrollment rates of Latinas in higher education has narrowed in recent years, there is still a staggering gap in the degree attainment rates for Latinas in higher education that only gets more and more discrepant as the level of higher education increases (PNPI, 2021). Studying the systemic inflexibilities that lead to…

This study examines the relationship between support from comprehensive college transition program (CCTP) staff and students' academic self-efficacy, academic behavioral change, and achievement. We surveyed 1,197 students across three campuses of the University of Nebraska system. Path analyses revealed CCTP staff support had direct and indirect…

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore how first-generation college students in the southwestern United States narrate their experiences facing academic challenges and choosing whether to ask for academic help. The theories of academic help seeking and cultural mismatch provided the theoretical foundation. The research questions…

This open access book, now in its second edition, offers a comprehensive overview of the experiences of First in Family (FiF) or first-generation students in higher education. It draws upon narratives of students and their family members and spans the entire university student life cycle (pre-entry, commencement, progression and graduation) with a…

A considerable body of research demonstrates that first-generation college students face greater obstacles to college retention, persistence and completion compared to their non-first-generation counterparts. However, the extant literature rarely explores rurality as a salient factor to understand these challenges. Even less visible in the…

While doctoral training can be a challenge for a student of any background, there are specific challenges that face first-generation doctoral students. In addition, over the last decade, the number of women completing doctoral degrees has continued to increase. Many women in doctoral programs also have children at home and professional…

The purpose of this quantitative study is to assess if perceptions of academic and institutional support as well as demographic factors, predict intention to return to school amongst online first-generation college students enrolled at traditional higher educational institutions. To complete the causal-comparative study, the researcher analyzes…

Early college high schools (ECHS) were created to disrupt inequities in the secondary school systems by intentionally serving underserved students in higher education. Using Acevedo-Gil's (2017) College-"Concimiento" model, this qualitative "testimonio" study primarily focused on the narratives of 12 Latin* first-generation…