Faced with a growing population of first-generation students, many colleges are undertaking unique initiatives to recruit and retain these students.

As the demographics of the United States change, it’s only natural that enrollment in the nation’s colleges and universities mirrors these shifts. One well-reported trend is the growing Hispanic population, which is resulting in a greater number of first-generation college students. Institutions of higher education across the country are creating and revamping programs to serve these students in efforts to increase their chances of obtaining a degree.

Dr. Sylvia Hurtado, director of the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at the University of California, Los Angeles, says a current freshmen survey indicates that a larger percentage of Hispanic freshmen are first-generation, compared to freshmen of other backgrounds. In addition, a higher percentage of Hispanic students entering college need tutoring or remedial work in subjects like English, reading and math.

“Over the last two decades we have seen tremendous growth among Latinos in higher education,” Hurtado says, noting that her research looked at trends in access for four-year institutions from 1975-2006. “Fifty-eight percent are enrolled in twoyear colleges, and there is an increasing number in four-year colleges. Of concern is graduation. Forty-seven percent complete their [baccalaureate] degree in six years, and community college students take even longer to complete.”

Majority Minority

California State University, Dominguez Hills, has a majority minority student population. American Indians, Asians, African- Americans and Hispanics now make up approximately 80 percent of its student body. Of these students, many are first generation, meaning that their parents did not attend college.

“We had a real influx of first-generation freshmen in the past four to five years, with greater than 1,000 students in the past five years,” says Dr. Margaret Blue, dean of undergraduate studies and chair of the Academic Policy Council at CSUDH, which is designated as a Hispanic-serving insitution. Blue says there’s a difference in the academic preparedness of today’s first-generation students compared to that of students 10 years ago.