Commentary: The Importance of Investing in First-Generation Students

今年11月. 8, colleges across the country are celebrating first-generation students as a part of National First-Generation College Celebration Day. 这个日期 is the anniversary of the Higher 教育 Act of 1965, which provided funding for programs to increase access, admission, retention, persistence and graduation of first-generation and low-income students attending institutions of higher education (IHE).

2023年11月6日

格里利论坛报 | 11月. 5, 2023
——塞德里克·霍华德著

塞德里克霍华德

As a college administrator and first-generation college graduate, I have first-hand experience of how higher education can become a catalyst for promoting social mobility. When low-income, first-generation students attain a college 学位, they are five 更有可能摆脱贫困. 此外，拥有学士学位的人 earn nearly double what high school graduates make over a 40-year career and experience 低失业率. It's an investment that not only changes the trajectory of students’ lives but also transforms their families and communities.

But the path to a college 学位 can be particularly onerous for first-generation students because historically, postsecondary education opportunities have been limited for certain ethnic and racial populations and those of lower socioeconomic status. This means IHEs must be innovative in their approach to creating systems that welcome and support these students to ensure they can take advantage of the opportunities higher education offers — a clear pathway to explore themselves and their interests, expand their social and cultural experiences and build a more promising career path.

Over half (56%) of all postsecondary students in the U.S. 有不这样做的父母吗拥有学士学位. According to the National Center for 教育 Statistics and the Center for First-Generation Student Success Initiative at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, these students face unique barriers:

First-generation 大学生 are more likely to come from low-income or minority backgrounds and to be parents, caregivers, veterans or first-generation Americans.
Twenty-eight percent of first-generation students are 30 or older.
Forty-six percent of first-generation undergraduate 大学生 participate in extracurricular clubs, compared to 65% of continuing-generation students.
Fewer first-generation 大学生 hold formal leadership roles, conduct research projects with faculty members, complete paid internships and study abroad than continuing-generation 大学生.

At UNC, over 80% of our undergraduate, 学位-seeking students are from right here in Colorado, 42% of them identify as first-generation and 19% of them identify as 无论是第一代还是低收入者. 作为一所以学生为本的大学，我们深感 committed to investing in the success of these students. 例如，我们最近 launched two initiatives aimed at lowering barriers to enrollment and easing the financial burden for students so they can persist in their education and ultimately earn a college 学位.

我们的科罗拉多大学第一年入学保证 program, the only one in the state, provides a clear set of expectations for first-year 为学生加快入学进程. 明确录取的价值 procedures is that it increases transparency in college admissions processes for students and their families and is critical for promoting college as a viable next destination.
我们的金融援助 Optimization program provides award information early and includes helpful information for students and families on how to pay for college. 我们的财务 aid awarding model addresses equity gaps, recognizing that many of our students with the highest financial need also identify as first-generation.

Financial concerns are one of the biggest barriers preventing first-generation students 坚持他们的大学教育. 我们的学生也很幸运慷慨捐助者的承诺. We solicit, receive and award hundreds of scholarships every year, many that go specifically to first-generation students, that provide support 以无数种方式.

11月. 8, we invite everyone to celebrate Colorado’s first-generation 大学生 and the next generation of teachers, artists, nurses, business leaders and all other 专业人士. By investing in the lives of these students, we are transforming our 社区和培养未来的领导者.

塞德里克霍华德 is the vice president of the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment 服务. A seasoned administrator with over 25 years of experience, 他得到了认可 for his efforts to prioritize student achievement in higher education.