There's a new research report out today on First Generation students' college completion rates, and the news is not encouraging.
Analyzing data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center of Common App applicants, the research team found that
- Four years after starting at a 4-year institution, about half of first-generation students had earned a Bachelor’s degree, compared to 68% of continuing-generation students – an 18 percentage point gap.
- While six-year completion rates increase for all students, up to 69% for first-generation and 86% for continuing-generation students, the gap remains at 17 percentage points.
- Almost a third of first-generation students who do not earn a degree were enrolled across four or more separate academic years.
The report breaks down the data by academic preparation, family income, and type of institution at which students started college. They track exit points across enrollment years and so many students leave after investing so much effort to stay. While higher income and better prepared students fare somewhat better, gaps remain across groups.
They conclude that after decades of documentation of similar outcomes for first-generation students,
We find that many talented first-generation college students are leaving college with no degree in hand despite spending four, five, or six years taking classes. While having a stronger pre-college academic record and having greater economic resources are associated with better outcomes for first-generation students, we find that even these “more advantaged” first-generation students are still two times more likely to not earn a degree within six years of enrolling than their continuing-generation peers
Many of these students leaving with no degree have, of course, taken out loans.
The authors recommend gathering much more information from first-gen students themselves to better understand the barriers that they face, and of course they recommend deeper investments in resources to support students throughout college.
We already knew that poor and working-class students need and deserve better financial aid, support with food and housing and childcare, and academic supports. Instead, we're at this moment of cutting TRIO programs, making student debt more onerous, or eliminating college prep support.
