White, non-Pell grant eligible, first-generation college students and their integration into college

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess what factors - first-generation student status, socioeconomic status, or a combination - most impacted first-generation students' experiences in college. The central research question for the study asked how white, first-generation college students who were not Pell Grant eligible described their academic and social experiences during their transition to college. The study sought to examine a subsection of the first-generation student population that had not yet been studied in isolation. Existent studies revealed that first-generation college students struggle more academically and socially than their continuing generation counterparts. Those studies also demonstrated that first-generation students were more likely to come from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds. Using a qualitative approach guided by interpretative phenomenological analysis, the researcher conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six participants at a private, highly-selective research university in the northeast. The participants, all of whom identified as white, non-Pell Grant-eligible, and first-generation, did not experience the same struggles seen in existent literature on first-generation college students; participants did, however, experience instances of isolation and discomfort due to their first-generation student status. The study revealed that social class and socioeconomic status had a greater impact on the participants' experiences than did first-generation student status. The following dissertation presents the findings from the study as well as recommendations for future research and for professional practice in the field of higher education.