Access For All: How Specialized Programs Support First-Gen Students’ Trajectory to College

Tamara Robison, Workforce Learning Coordinator at Dallas Independent School District, led the session “Access for All: How Specialized Programs Support First-Gen Students’ Trajectory to College” at Forum 2024. 

She began by sharing her personal journey as a first-generation college student and described the unique challenges faced by students whose parents didn’t complete a four-year college degree. These students often grapple with poor academic preparation, inadequate finances, and a lack of support from peers and family members. Despite making up a third of college students, only 27% of first-gen students attain their degrees within four years. At Sunset P-TECH in Dallas, an astounding 98% of students are first gen, which signals a critical need for targeted support.

Robison emphasized the immense pressure first-gen students feel to succeed. They’re often caught between two worlds. They’re trying to navigate the complexities of higher education while managing financial aid and other responsibilities on their own. Many first-gen students struggle with mental health issues such as impostor syndrome and social isolation. Robison pointed out that more than a quarter of first-gen students leave college after their first year, a dropout rate four times higher than that of higher-income, second-generation students.

Specialized Support Programs

The speaker highlighted multiple initiatives that high schools can implement to address these challenges. To begin with, schools can give  academic preparation and support. They can employ intense progress monitoring with interventions, offer advanced Pre-AP® and AP® classes,  and organize study groups based on progress monitoring. 

Financial assistance should also be a key focus. Efforts should be made  to help students find internships and register with platforms like Glassdoor, secure funding for their bachelor’s degrees, and access financial literacy workshops and coaching. 

Schools shouldn’t neglect mental health and emotional support. They can offer social-emotional learning programs to tackle mental health challenges, guilt, and impostor syndrome; conduct workshops for first-gen families; and employ culturally sensitive staff and faculty to provide tailored support. 

Robison included guidelines for higher institutions. She strongly recommended that they focus on career development. She advised them to cultivate a career success plan for each student, have mentors available to teach the hidden curriculum of college life, and offer resources such as career clothing banks, financial coaching, and wellness services on campus. 

Engaging Families and Building a Supportive Community

Robison’s proposal to engage families was one of the most impactful components of her presentation. She stressed that many parents lack college knowledge and have less access to tools for exploring options. She suggested hosting meetings and workshops to teach parents how to best support their children, create home routines, and have crucial conversations about college life.

She highlighted the importance of creating a supportive community where first-gen students can thrive. Sunset P-TECH, for example, encourages students to take pride in their first-gen status and has the resources to help them succeed. By identifying first-gen students early and offering specialized support, the school aims to eliminate barriers and enable students to achieve their academic and career goals.

Robison’s session was a powerful reminder of the unique challenges faced by first-gen students and the necessity of giving them and their families support. By addressing these needs, high schools and higher education institutions can build a brighter future for these students and their communities.