Higher education institutions have made strides in identifying and assisting first-generation students, but the lack of a standardized definition of a first-generation student is negatively impacting how colleges and universities properly aid this group, according to a new study released Wednesday.
The report titled, “First-generation Student Success: A Landscape Analysis of Programs and Services at Four-year Institutions,” details responses from colleges and universities on how they identify first-generation students during the admissions process.
But according to the report, there are varying definitions when it comes to who constitutes being a first-generation student.
“Right now what I’m advocating for is for campuses to evaluate what is the right definition for their campus and to use it consistently,” said Dr. Sarah E. Whitley, senior director of the Center for First generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA — Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, the organization that conducted the research.
Fifty six percent of the colleges surveyed, defined a first-generation student as one with no parent or guardian who earned a four-year degree.
Still, the report notes that there are even differences when it comes to the term among various departments and schools at the same university.
About 73 percent of the 273 institutions that responded to the survey reported having a formal, streamlined definition of the term. Another 15 percent reported not having a definition at all, while 12 percent did not know had their institution labeled first-generation students.
