Abstract
First generation college students are those whose parents and/or guardians did not attend a postsecondary institution (Schademan & Thompson, 2016). First generation, marginalized students makeup 24 percent of the total population of students in the United States (Schademan & Thompson, 2016). This population of students makes up a large percentage of the college population and is often known to have home and employment responsibilities, little to no parental involvement in their education, and lower retention rates. The topic of first-generation, marginalized college students has recently received increase exposure, however not enough effort has been placed on the parents of this population. According toCataldi, Bennett, Chen, and RTI International (2018)the success of this population of students comes down to parental involvement. To bridge the gap, a website was developed to assist parents in understanding the college and financial application process, as well as the resources available at Rutgers University – Newark and Montclair State University. This capstone project focuses on a qualitative in depth interview approach utilizing 15 parents, 30 college students, and 20 senior high school students. Sandord’s Challenge and Support Theory was applied to elaborate on the importance of educating parents on assisting their children during their college journey.
Keywords: First generation college and high school students, marginalized college and high school students, qualitative research, parent engagement, first generation website
First generation college students are those whose parents and/or guardians did not attend a postsecondary institution (Schademan & Thompson, 2016). First generation, marginalized students makeup 24 percent of the total population of students in the United States (Schademan & Thompson, 2016). This population of students makes up a large percentage of the college population and is often known to have home and employment responsibilities, little to no parental involvement in their education, and lower retention rates. The topic of first-generation, marginalized college students has recently received increase exposure, however not enough effort has been placed on the parents of this population. According toCataldi, Bennett, Chen, and RTI International (2018)the success of this population of students comes down to parental involvement. To bridge the gap, a website was developed to assist parents in understanding the college and financial application process, as well as the resources available at Rutgers University – Newark and Montclair State University. This capstone project focuses on a qualitative in depth interview approach utilizing 15 parents, 30 college students, and 20 senior high school students. Sandord’s Challenge and Support Theory was applied to elaborate on the importance of educating parents on assisting their children during their college journey.
Keywords: First generation college and high school students, marginalized college and high school students, qualitative research, parent engagement, first generation website