News & Blogs

Find the latest from the Center, learn new and innovative approaches from colleagues, and engage with current mainstream media conversations on first-generation student success. In addition to the filters below, please utilize the “search” bar in the top, right corner to search by keyword, author name, or publication title.

Convening Interview: Diane Schorr, Executive Director, The Suder Foundation

Executive Director with The Suder Foundation, Diane Schorr, J.D., shares some barriers to improving first-generation student success in the next five years and more in this interview.

FirstGen Forward / June 27, 2018

diverse group of students sitting at table

First-Generation College Students More Engaged Than Peers

New survey data challenge perceptions about first-generation college students, showing strong academic engagement and commitment to college.

Inside Higher Ed / June 26, 2018

Convening Interview: Suzette Combs

Suzette Combs, director of the University of Cincinnati’s Gen-1 Program, discusses benefits from gathering thought leaders to discuss first-generation student success and more.

FirstGen Forward / June 26, 2018

Convening Interview: Bonita Brown

Vice President of Network Engagement with Achieving the Dream, Bonita Brown, J.D., shares her views on the biggest barriers in advancing first-generation student success and more.

FirstGen Forward / June 25, 2018

A Better Way to Diversify Harvard

The university favors the rich and overuses racial preferences in admissions. Here’s how the school should approach diversity instead.

Slate / June 22, 2018

When I Walked Across The Stage, My Parents Were Graduating, Too

As a first-generation college student, I know firsthand the power that a college education has to change lives, not just for graduates, but for their families too.

Forbes / June 20, 2018

How the ACT and SAT Help Disadvantaged Students Get Into College

Making test scores optional is supposed to be a way to level the playing field and increase socioeconomic diversity on college campuses.

The Chronicle of Higher Education / June 20, 2018

Convening Interview: Adan Hussain

Adan Hussain, M.A., first-generation project manager at the University of Michigan discusses his personal commitment to advancing first-generation student success and more.

FirstGen Forward / June 20, 2018

How Behavioral Nudging Can Support Completion and Persistence

First-generation students make up approximately one-third of our entering class, with about 30 percent of entering students eligible for Pell Grants.

Association of Public & Land-grant Universities / June 19, 2018

Study shows support for low-income students pays off

This brief references articles, reports, and examples of institutions narrowing in on support for low-income, first-generation students.

Education Dive / June 18, 2018

Michelle Obama shares advice for first-generation college students

As a first-generation student herself, Obama went on to tell students they would be “fine,” just as she had been while at Princeton University.

The Hill / June 15, 2018

U-Chicago drops SAT/ACT testing requirement

U-Chicago will no longer require ACT or SAT scores from U.S. students, sending a jolt through elite institutions of higher education.

The Washington Post / June 14, 2018

Supporting Latinx Scholars Through Academic Ninos

Access to role models is impactful, particularly first-generation, Latinx students and faculty members.

Inside Higher Ed / June 14, 2018

An Ultra-Selective University Just Dropped the ACT/SAT. So What?

U-Chicago became the most-selective institution ever to adopt a test-optional policy, by no longer requiring the ACT/SAT for admission.

The Chronicle of Higher Education / June 14, 2018

Minority Serving Institutions Are Successful at Improving Students’ Economic Status

Minority serving institutions (MSIs) propel students up the economic ladder at two to three times the rates of non-MSIs, according to a report from ACE.

American Council on Education / June 13, 2018

A Hidden Strength of Minority-Serving Colleges

It’s a notion at the heart of minority-serving institutions’ missions: They can bump their students up the economic ladder at an incredible rate.

The Chronicle of Higher Education / June 13, 2018

Napolitano Discusses First-Gen Students and College Affordability at Convening

Colleges and universities across the nation should implement a wide range of wrap-around services for first-generation students.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education / June 12, 2018

Convening Puts Focus on First-Generation Students

Providing access and opportunities to first-generation college students is the focus of a three-day gathering.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education / June 10, 2018