First-generation College Students: A Comparison Of Graduates And Drop-outs

Abstract

With an increase in the number of students who are considered at-risk, much research has been directed at understanding why these students fail to achieve at the same level of their White counterparts. To this end, this study will explore how the experiences of first-generation college graduates compare to first-generation college students who chose not to finish their degree. Three theoretical frameworks were employed as the basis of this examination: resiliency theory, Bourdieu's habitus differences, and Tinto's model of the drop-out process. Twenty first-generation college students were interviewed to obtain a description of their background and educational experiences from kindergarten through the end of their academic career. These personal histories were analyzed and coded, and the themes that emerged were largely in correspondence to existing theories. A more closely detailed accounting of what processes occurred during their educational experiences that led the respondents to either graduate or drop-out provides much-needed insight for K-12 educators who are seeking ways to affect positive change in order to increase the number of at-risk students who graduate from high school and continue on to graduate from college.