First-generation students—those whose parents did not complete a college degree—make up more than half of undergraduates nationwide. Yet not much is known about the support networks they draw on as they navigate academic and personal challenges.
A new study from the Community College Research Center suggests many first-generation students have more college-related support than is commonly assumed. It found that more than 70 percent of respondents turned to siblings, cousins or other family members who had attended college, challenging assumptions that first-generation students lack college-connected relationships.
The report draws on survey responses from more than 2,000 first-generation students attending California community colleges and public universities, as well as interviews with 58 students. Researchers asked respondents how they built relationships and relied on networks of family, friends and institutional support to navigate both academic and personal challenges during their first year of college.
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