New findings show success gaps between first-generation students and their continuing-generation peers


WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2024 - FirstGen Forward today released a new fact sheet detailing completion gaps between first- and continuing-generation students. Six years after starting college, twenty-four percent (24%) of first-generation students and fifty-nine percent (59%) of continuing-generation students earned a bachelor's degree.

Additionally, forty-eight percent (48%) of first-generation students obtained a postsecondary credential compared to seventy percent (70%) of continuing-generation students, meaning the remaining fifty-two percent (52%) of first-generation and thirty percent (30%) of continuing-generation students had yet earn postsecondary credentials six years after entering college.

"More than half of the undergraduates in our country are first-generation, and these students are applying to college at twice the rate of continuing-generation students," said Maurice A. Jones, CEO of FirstGen Forward. "These data reveal to us a 35% difference between the graduation rate of first-gen students and that of their continuing-generation peers. The health and well-being of our communities and our country require us to work together to close this completion gap."

"By 2031, seventy-two percent of jobs in the U.S. will require a postsecondary credential; between 2021-2031, the country is expected to generate 18.5 millions job openings annually, 12.5 million of which will require postsecondary training," said Jones. "Therein lies the work to be done, the opportunity we are pursuing. When we close this gap, we will help strengthen our country's workforce and help first-generation students access opportunities commensurate with their skills, education, and training."

This new resource, produced with RTI International, joins a growing series of national data fact sheets released by FirstGen Forward, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success. These data are sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/17).

The fact sheet, First-generation College Students' Achievement and Federal Student Loan Repayment, describes the completion gap between first- and continuing-generation students (overall and by race/ethnicity), a comparison of degree earners who started at private, nonprofit, 4-year colleges with other institutional types (public, 2-year, etc.).

The fact sheet also contains initial data points on federal student loan repayments. Highlights from the fact sheet include:

Six years after starting college, 69% of first-generation students made at least one late payment versus 50% of their continuing-generation student peers.
81% of Black or African American and 71% of Hispanic or Latinx/a/o first-generation students made at least one late payment compared to 65% of White and 40% of Asian first-generation students.
"These data reinforce our call to action," said Jones. "If we come together and provide the support needed for first-generation student success, the benefits—for the student, for the institution, for the workforce, and for our economy—will be immense."

To access the fact sheet and other resources on first-generation students, or to learn more about FirstGen Forward, visit firstgenforward.org.

ABOUT FIRSTGEN FORWARD
FirstGen Forward™, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success, accelerates success for first-generation students in education, career, and life through our collaborations with higher education, philanthropy, business, government, and individuals to eliminate the completion gap and broaden post-college opportunities. Our vision: A future in which first-generation students obtain postsecondary credentials; access opportunities commensurate with their skills, education, and training; and maximize their service to people and communities throughout the world.

CONTACT:
Bill Barker
Senior Director of External Relations & Policy
bbarker@naspa.org
(202) 719-1188

SOURCE FirstGen Forward