Report co-author Jennifer Engle says there is a strong overlap between low-income students and those who are also first-generation students. Personal motivation plays a large role, too, but “some of them don’t even dare to have the aspiration because they don’t think its possible,” she says.
Engle says it is also evident that many first-generation students believe their families play a significant role in their journey towards college. But there are a lot of unmet needs once the students get into college.
“Once they get there the support is not always there. This gap needs to be addressed,” Engle says.
U.S. Congressman Rubén Hinojosa, D-Texas, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness, says “the Pell Institute’s report enhances our understanding of the complexities of life for first-generation students.”
Dr. Arnold L. Mitchem, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education, says the disadvantages of first-generation students are palpable from the report.
“Many of these kids are smart, but just don’t think college is for them and believe that it is financially way beyond their reach,” he says.
The report is available online at www.pellinstitute.org
— By Shilpa Banerji
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
