Winter Break: First Generation Penn Students Returning Home
This article recounts the educational journey of Carmen Duran, an 18-year old first-generation college student at the University of Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Inquirer / January 18, 2018
Charmaine Troy Ph.D., Georgia Tech / The Center / April 21, 2023
First-generation students are often tasked with navigating college admissions, financial aid, and campus life without the same support structures as their continuing-generation peers. During the 2015–16 academic year, 23.9% of the undergraduate population identified as first-generation (Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 2022). Many of these students feel ill prepared for classes and campus life because they do not have family members to rely on for advice.
