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Young adults face major decisions as they complete high school, including whether to attend college. The steps needed to enroll in college can be extra challenging for first-generation students who may have limited support and resources at home or while in high school. This study explores structural, relational, and cognitive social capital indicators that enrolled college students used to support themselves in their decision to attend college. Comparisons are made between first-generation and continuing-generation students’ social capital. Ideas for areas where resources could be added or expanded to increase social capital for first-generation students are discussed.

Fostering a sense of belonging for students has long been considered a crucial component of retention and success for colleges and universities. However, there is no universal definition of what "belonging" actually is. In College Belonging: How First-Year and First-Generation Students Navitage Campus Life, Lisa M. Nunn (2021) delves into what it means for college students "to belong." Through student interviews during their first two years of college, Nunn explores how students define and experience belonging; in doing so, creating a new perspective on what belonging is and how students achieve (or are gifted) belonging.

The study used the data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey to examine the effects of first-year students’ perceptions of their behaviors, attitudes, and aptitudes on their first-to-second-year persistence at a small, private, faith-based institution. Logistic regression analysis revealed that attending a private high school, high school GPA, academic self-concept, and likelihood of college involvement positively influenced students’ persistence, while being a first-generation college student was negatively related to persistence to the second year. Implications of these results for practice and policy are provided.

First-generation students’ transitions are particularly important to their success in college. Though attention to and support for first-generation students on college campuses have increased in recent decades, these efforts remain campus-centric, encouraging first generation students to assimilate to the culture and values of post-secondary education. These efforts lack recognition of students’ ties to their homes and families. A holistic recognition of and support for first-generation students’ transitions and negotiations between the disparate worlds of home and school could further promote their success both inside and outside the classroom. This scholarly article asserts that practitioners and students will benefit from more purposefully recognizing the role that the world of home plays in first-generation students’ transitions and experiences. The author presents a review of the literature, a discussion of the importance of first-generation students’ connections to home, and recommendations for practice, specifically centered around first-generation student transitions.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the levels of social engagement between first-generation and other college students enrolled in a STEM discipline at a Historically Black College and University. A two-group ex post facto research design using a single questionnaire was used for the study. A stratified sample of 90 college students participated in the study. The data for the research questions were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics based upon the subscales of the College Student Experiences Questionnaire. These findings indicated that there were significant differences among first-generation and other college students who were enrolled in a STEM discipline at an HBCU. Statistically significant differences between first-generation and other college students were found for three items in the social integration category: “met other students,” (p = .017, η2 = .063); “used campus recreational facilities,” (p = .050, η2 = .043); and “became acquainted with students,” (p = .035, η2 = .050). Both groups felt that meeting others would happen “often.” Both groups differ for using campus recreational facilities and becoming acquainted with students whose family backgrounds were different. Firstgeneration students reported that “occasionally” and “often”; and the other college students felt “often” and “very often” that using campus recreational facilities and becoming acquainted with students whose family background was different would happen. The study documented the impact of the nurturing environment that exists at an HBCU and focused on the social engagement aspects of attending college. The study findings provide clues to ways that college administrators and researchers can assist first-generation college students enrolled in a STEM discipline at an HBCU. Implications for future research and policymakers are discussed.

This article examines student learning outcomes of the new student orientation program at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA). The stdy describes differences in pre-orientation and post-orientation surveys that were completed via SFA's orientation website using the Student Voice higher education assessment platform. Participants were prospective freshmen students who planned to attend SFA during Fall 2009. The pre-orientation survey was completed by 834 students, and the post-orientation survey was completed by 331 students. Results indicated that students increased their knowledge and understanding of SFA's academic policies, requirements, and services. Limitations and recommendations for future implications are noted in the study.

Obtaining and excelling in a satisfying career often depends on a college education. While community and junior colleges afford greater opportunities to obtain a college education, these opportunities do not always translate into increased educational attainment as only 9.7% of students who enroll at a two-year college complete a bachelor's degree (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2003). Research indicated that a variety of factors contribute to the lower levels of academic success among community college students (Warburton, Bugarin, & Nunez, 2001). This study examines the impact of trasnferring from a two-year college on first-generation students' perceptions of university experiences. The results indicate that students who transfer from two-year colleges have lower levels of satisfaction with various aspects of the four-year university; this trend is particularly pronounced for first-generation minority students. According to Tinto's model of student matriculation, commitment to the university is key to successful matriculation, and student perceptions and experiences play a role in developing that commitment. Therefore, lower levels of satisfaction may contribute to the lower rates of graduation among these cohorts.