#AdvocateFirstGen: The Time is Now, and Community is the Solution

Data show students who come from historically marginalized groups are overly represented among first-generation college students (FGCS): 25% of FGCS identify as Hispanic, 18% as Black, and 6% as Asian according to data from FirstGen Forward, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success. Between financial aid processing challenges and shifting legislative priorities, leaders must look critically at investing in FGCS’ success beyond traditional campus-based programs.

Campus leaders continue balancing the moral imperative of maintaining offices that have historically supported underrepresented students with the practical imperative of adhering to the law. In Texas, for example, where 44% of college students identify as the first in their families to go to college, major flagships like the University of Texas and Texas A&M University have closed diversity and inclusion offices which are deeply connected with student retention for marginalized groups. As a researcher, practitioner, and advocate, I propose a way to support FGCS success rooted in community. This tactic requires viewing collaboration through a lens that takes us beyond our campuses’ gates.

I have been on a decade-long mission to share a message: creating a culture centering sense of belonging requires community. A community focus is even more vital as we think about student retention and success. We know that 56% of all college students come from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. FGCS enter institutions with a hope for and commitment to not only themselves but also their families and communities. We have an obligation to preach this message from the mountaintops: institutions are morally responsible for providing a sense of belonging and community for these students—independent of present or future legislative action.

With legal realities meeting empirical realities, some institutional leaders have committed to continuing support for inclusion on campus—even if they must rename inclusion-focused initiatives. In this climate, university leaders must forge partnerships with community-based organizations committed to supporting FGCS to and through college. Both nationally and locally, we see a trend toward prioritizing workforce development for younger students, with some districts establishing career pipelines that begin as early as middle school. Data showing FGCS are less likely to use career planning services or have internships reveal the growing need for these types of tailored support systems. The current higher education landscape necessitates collaboration with community-based organizations to move from a focus on improving FGCS’ college access to enhancing their post-graduation outcomes. National initiatives like FirstGen Forward are leading the way as we explore and meet FGCS’ needs.

Regionally, community-based organizations like High School High Scholar, Tarrant To and Through, Create + Collaborate, and Survive and Thrive Education are working alongside FGCS and their families to help them thrive in college. Students and their families depend on these trusted partner organizations for services like basic needs support, tutoring, academic advising, and life coaching. Institutions must cultivate relationships with regional, county, and grassroots organizations working outside the university system to connect FGCS with resources and tools to aid in their success.

The era in which universities were the sole providers of college student success resources has ended as the public and their representatives continue questioning the value of college and equity-based work. Though institutional leaders ask how we must respond to this new environment’s demands, I know the answer has long been before us.

Through my research and experience as a practitioner both inside and outside of the classroom, I’ve learned the opportunity gap will only shrink once leaders take personal responsibility for FGCS’ success. Doing so requires leaders to call for policy reform, enhanced data sharing, greater interdepartmental collaboration, and proper funding of organizations with track records of success. Leaders must also develop and strengthen external relationships with community-based partners and advocate for laws that better fund evidence-informed initiatives that eliminate barriers for FGCS (like the FirstGen Forward Network).

Now is the time to #AdvocateFirstGen by dismantling silos and opening up our colleges to the community-based organizations working with our FGCS from cradle through career. This imperative ultimately stems from our institutions’ moral responsibility to serve all students.