First-Generation Low- Income Students: Support through Scholarship, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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First-Generation Low- Income Students:

Support through Scholarship, Mentoring, Tutoring

Leslie Hahn Assistant Director , New Student Programs University of Florida leslieah@dso.ufm.edu

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Presentation Overview

• First-Generation and Low-Income:

Who are these students?

• Florida Opportunity Scholars

Program (FOS)

• How can you improve services to

FOS-like students on your campus?

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• 1. Academic

preparation & “college knowledge”

• FG does not always equal LI and vice versa
• Many attended low income high schools
• Cultural Capital (Lundberg, 2007) & College

Knowledge (Vargas, 2004)

– Baseball analogy

• Importance of relationships with adults

Lundberg, C. (2007). How bad is a dented bat? A bleacher-seat view of cultural capital. About Campus. 11(6), 8-12. Vargas, J. H. (2004). College knowledge: Addressing information barriers to college. Boston, MA: College Access Services: The Education Resources Institute (TERI). www.teri.org

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• 2. Relationship with

friends and family

• ften change
• Straddling two cultures (London, 1992)

– Families unsure how to support student during college – Many have friends who do not go to college – Especially tough for students living at home – Confmict management

London, Howard B. (1992). T ransformations: Cultural challenges faced by fjrst- generation students. New Directions for Community Colleges, vol. 2, no. 4, p. 5-11

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• 3. Free or low-cost

support services often unknown or not used

• Could not afgord it previously
• Not part of culture
• Brittany’s Story
• Examples may include: Tutoring,

Counseling Center, Health Clinic, Offjce Hours, etc

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• 4. Face Difgerent

Pressures

• Financial pressure

– Working while in school – Career that makes a lot of money – Send money home to help family

• Family pressure

– Limit campus involvement; focus on grades – T

• come home

– Joselene’s story

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• 5. T

remendous drive, motivation, determination

• T

railblazer

• In college to better family situation,

clear goals

• Family often very proud
• Many mentors
• Sees college as a great opportunity, not

a necessary step

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Florida Opportunity Scholars Program University of Florida

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Challenge

• Low SES students under-

represented at UF

• Meeting college costs is major

family concern

– Fear of debt – Fear that work may negatively impact academic success

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Freshmen Family Income

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Action

• Create a scholarship program that

provides a commitment for the lowest income students that they can graduate UF without debt and without working.

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T arget Scholarship Population

• First-generation freshmen

beginning with Summer 2006 class

• Parental income < $40,000
• Florida resident

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Percentage Distribution by Race

2006 FTIC freshman enrollment

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Projected Program Costs

• First year: $2.1 million

– 444 students

• Second year: $3.6 million

– 750 students

• Third year: $5.5 million

– 1025 students

• Fourth year: $8 million

– 1250 students

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Program Features

• Four year renewable scholarship to meet full

fjnancial need (after all federal, state, institutional, private grants/scholarships)

• 2.0 GPA and 24 earned credits required to renew
• Support services
• Funding for one study abroad opportunity

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Support Services

• Special hour-long orientation*
• Residence hall housing priority
• Peer mentoring program*
• Presidential reception
• First-generation support groups
• List serve
• First-Year Florida Course*
• Financial literacy workshops*
• Academic interventions as necessary
• Year-end celebration

*Mandatory for 2007 class

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Research and Assessment

• Most of information about fjrst cohort (now

sophomores)

• Three Focus Groups (n = 22)

– Surprised by lack of “requirements”/wanted more – Financial literacy sessions extremely helpful – Mentoring, wanted more contact/become mentors themselves – Understanding difgerence between HS and College took a long time – Sophomore Year: more workshops ($, Career, Study Abroad) – Send newsletter to parents

• Pre T

est with second cohort (n = 190, online survey)

– 77% Agreed or SA they have enough fjnancial support to attend UF – 89% Agreed or SA in their ability to succeed academically at UF – 76% listed a parent or guardian as a support system while 52% listed an FOS mentor

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First-Year GPA Results

2006 FTIC freshman enrollment

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Where Do We Go From Here?

• Strategic Plan/Assessments
• Funding

– Legislative appropriations – Fundraising – Grants

• Services for upper division students
• Expand eligibility?
• Staffjng
• Review eligibility criteria

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Small Group Discussion

Does a similar program exist on your campus? If not, would one like this be feasible? Where would you start? How are fjrst-generation, low-income students supported on your campus? What are some fjrst steps you might be able to take at your university?

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Additional Resources

Fitzgerald, B.K. (2003). The opportunity for a college education: Real promise or hollow rhetoric? About Campus, 8(5), 3-10. McCaroon, G.P & Inkelas, K.K. (2006). The gap between educational aspirations and attainment for fjrst-generation college students and the role of parental involvement. Journal

• f College Student Development, 47(5), 534-548.

Oldfjeld, K. (2007). Welcoming fjrst-generation poor and working-class students to college. About Campus, 11(6), 2-12 Pascarella, E.T., et. al. (2004). First-Generation college students: Additional evidence on college experiences and outcomes. Journal of Higher Education, 75(3), 249-284.

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For Additional Information: Leslie Hahn Karen Fooks New Student Programs Student Financial Afgairs leslieah@dso.ufm.edu kfooks@ufm.edu Thanks for Attending!