Definition of First-Generation Students: **Undergraduates Whose Parents Never Enrolled in Postsecondary Education. First-generation students are defined as those whose parents’ highest level of education is a high school diploma or less. In cases where parents have different levels of education, the maximum education level of either parent determines how the student is categorized. In this analysis, these students are compared with two other groups: those whose parent(s) have attended some college, but have attained less than a bachelor’s degree; and those whose parent(s) have attained a bachelor’s or an advanced degree. **</p>
<p>Almost half (about 43 percent) of first-time beginning students in 1989–90 were identified as first-generation (figure 1). For students not classified as firstgeneration, 23 percent had parents with some college experience, and 34 percent had parents who had attained a bachelor’s or higher degree (table 1).
First-generation students were less likely to be white, non-Hispanic, than their non-firstgeneration counterparts and more likely to be Hispanic (11 percent versus 5 percent) (figure 2).</p>
<p>Compared with their counterparts, first-generation students were also more likely to be female (57 percent versus 51 percent).</p>
<p>Keep in mind that first generation is usually only a small tip factor that is usually taken into consideration with other things example: low income. There are plenty of jobs that one can do with an AA that will place them into the middle class income range ex. becoming an RN.</p>
<p>According to the NCES, After an overview of the demographic, aspirational, and enrollment characteristics of firstgeneration and non-first-generation students, the report compares the persistence and attainment rates of each of these two groups. It then examines the labor market and further postsecondary outcomes of these students. The major findings are:</p>
<p>First-generation students were more likely to be older, have lower incomes, be married,and have dependents than their non-first-generation peers .</p>
<p>First-generation students were more likely to enroll in postsecondary education parttime, and to attend public 2-year institutions; private, for-profit institutions; and other
less-than-4-year institutions than their non-first-generation counterparts.</p>
<p>First-generation students were equally as likely to be taking remedial classes as nonfirst- generation students when they began their postsecondary education. However, there were differences by sector on this measure. At private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions,
first-generation students were more likely to be taking remedial courses than their counterparts whose parents had more than a high school education. At the same time, the proportions of first-generation and non-first-generation students at public 4- year and public 2-year institutions taking remedial coursework did not differ significantly.</p>
<p>First-generation students were more likely than non-first-generation students to say that being very well off financially and providing their children with better opportunities than
they had were very important to them personally.</p>
<p>First-generation students were also more likely to say that obtaining the amount of financial aid they needed, being able to complete coursework more quickly, being able to live at home, and being able to work while attending the school were very important influences in their decision to attend their particular postsecondary institution .</p>
<p>First-generation students persisted in postsecondary education and attained credentials at lower rates than their non-first-generation counterparts. This finding held for students at 4-year institutions and public 2-year institutions .</p>
<p><a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/98082.pdf[/url]”>http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/98082.pdf</a>