Supporting First-Generation and Low-Income Students

The percentage of first-generation college students and students from low-income families (FGLI) has grown in recent years. Members of these groups often have unique experiences that can be important to address. As an instructor, what do you need to know about FGLI students?

Who are FGLI students?

Definitions vary, but first generation students are usually considered those whose parents or guardians did not graduate from college. Low-income students are students whose families have exceptional financial need. Sometimes low-income students are also called “lower-income,” “limited-income” or “working-class” students.

“FGLI” is a common abbreviation for these groups together. Sometimes other terms or abbreviations are used to describe these groups such as First-Generation Working-Class (FGWC).

It is generally agreed that the number of FGLI students has increased in the U.S. partially due to efforts to increase college access (Osborne 2024; Nunn 2021; Ives & Castillo-Montoya 2020). This is a positive development as education has been shown to be an important part of social mobility and is associated with many positive life outcomes.  However, the percentage of FGLI students is generally lower at highly-selective institutions like WashU than at less-selective colleges and universities. FGLI students can also face additional challenges compared to their non-FGLI peers which can lead to less desirable college outcomes for members of these groups.

According to an article in The Source, 20% of the the WashU undergraduate Class of 2028 is considered low income and 18% is considered to be first generation. This represents a large increase in these percentages over the last decade.

What are some of the challenges FGLI students face?

FGLI students can face additional challenges during their college experiences (Osborne 2024; Nunn 2021; Castillo-Montoya 2020; Gopalan and Brady 2019). Some of these challenges include:

• Belonging: It can be harder for FGLI students to feel like they belong and have the ability to succeed at a university, in a discipline, or in a specific class. This fact is significant as research has shown that an increased sense of belonging and a growth mindset are both associated with better outcomes, including academic performance. Students who feel like they belong are more likely to succeed (WashU Center for Teaching and Learning and Habif Health and Wellness Center 2022).
• Hidden curriculum: The “hidden curriculum” includes all of the unexplained language, unwritten rules, assumed cultural knowledge, etc. that one needs to know in order to thrive in college. Examples include how to use office hours, interacting with faculty, understanding a syllabus, and many other things that are seldom explicitly taught but that students are expected to know. Some FGLI students have had less of an opportunity to be exposed to the hidden curriculum before college and this can affect their academic and other experiences.
• Identity conflicts: Colleges are more than just places students learn; they are also “people-changing” organizations (Osborne 2024). Students often come away from their college experiences as different from who they were when they started. While this can be challenging for any student, these changes can be potentially even more difficult for FGLI students. Upward social mobility and the process of what scholars of FGLI experience like Osborne (2024) have called becoming “polished” can be difficult, creating tensions with family and pre-colligate friends. The additional stress from this transition can impact academic success.

What can instructors do to support FGLI students?

There are many strategies that instructors can use to help support FGLI students and make it more likely that they will succeed.

Demonstrate that students belong and can succeed

Showing students that they belong and can succeed in your course is a powerful way to help (Canning et. al. 2024; WashU Center for Teaching and Learning and Habif Health and Wellness Center 2022; Nunn 2021). Simple interventions, like just telling students that you believe they can improve, have been shown to work well. In general, try and move towards using language focused on encouragement and away from discouragement when interacting with students.

Canning et al (2024), for example, showed that emphasizing a growth mindset after an exam can improve course grades for everyone in a course, but that it is especially effective with first-generation students. In this study, the authors used the following language in emails to students announcing exam grades:

My views about learning, exam performance, and doing well in this course: I believe that every student, regardless of how well they did on this exam, can be successful in this course. Remember, learning is a process and often occurs over time. Your score on this exam is not an indicator of whether you are “smart” or not—it’s a direct reflection of hard work, perseverance, learning from past mistakes, seeking-help, and using effective learning strategies.

Every semester I see students who make great improvements between each exam. These students meet with me in office hours to deepen their understanding of the material, discuss learning strategies, and create a plan to improve their skills before the next exam. Now is the time to challenge yourself. If you’re looking for a place to start, let’s talk!

In some study conditions, emails that used this and similar language actually eliminated the course GPA gap between first-generation and continuing-generation students in a large enrollment introductory biology course.

Unveil the hidden curriculum

Try and make the implicit explicit in your course (American University CTRL 2023; Gable 2021). There are many strategies to do so, including providing additional details in your syllabus, being transparent in assignment expectations and grading, and making sure to explain terms that students may not be familiar with.

Embed learning strategies in your course

Embedding learning strategies in your course helps all students but can be especially beneficial to FGLI students (Canning et al 2024; American University CTRL 2023; Gable 2021). Offer students concrete strategies to help them learn, for example by providing them tips on how to effectively study. Explain any skills that are necessary to do well in your course and/or provide resources on those skills that students who need the information can access. In many courses, for example, students might be helped by being taught how to read an academic article or how to find relevant library resources. These kinds of skills are often assumed for success but are actually part of the hidden curriculum to which not all students have equal access.

Canning et al (2024), in their study about simple interventions that narrowed gaps between first-generation and continuing-generation students, not only told students they can succeed but also provided them with concrete ways to do so. In emails to students about improving exam performance, the authors wrote:

Here’s what [students who have improved] have told me about how they made [large] improvements.

1. They studied every day after class. They stopped cramming and procrastinating and put a specific time on their calendars when they would work on Biology 107 on MWF and some time on the weekends. They had other classes, but putting in an hour a day for four days was enough to allow them to stay up with the class material.

2. If they didn’t study with a group of other students before, they started doing so.

3. They looked into concept maps or other approaches to start connecting ideas instead of trying to solely memorize facts

4. They stopped reading their textbook or rewriting their notes multiple times and instead learned how to figure out what they didn’t understand after reviewing their notes/textbooks and then fill in the information gaps.

5. They used the…lecture recordings strategically to revisit material that they did not understand the first time in class

You may wish to consider making similar statements to your students describing the practices and habits that will contribute to success in your specific discipline and course.

Recognize that FGLI experiences are varied

While there are sometimes shared elements to the experiences of many FGLI students, this is also an extremely diverse group (Osborne 2024). Some FGLI students attended competitive private high schools, others participated in college prep programs focused on FGLI students, and some went to under-resourced secondary schools without many outside resources to help prepare for college. Family backgrounds of FGLI students also vary widely, as do the backgrounds of any other demographic group. It is best not to assume a shared experience just because a student is either a first-generation student and/or a low-income student. It is also important to avoid a deficit mindset; FGLI students are not inherently worse students than their peers and bring important perspectives to our university community.

Tell your and others’ stories

When appropriate, be open with your students about your own background & experiences (Osborne 2024; Metzger et al 2023; WashU Center for Teaching and Learning and Habif Health and Wellness Center 2022). This can help create a connection between you and your students as well as demonstrate that different kinds of people can succeed in your field. Sharing personal stories, including examples of failure, can help humanize your own trajectory. Of course, you may or may not feel comfortable sharing this kind of information with students because your own personal experiences, identities or positionality. But if you do feel like you can share parts of your background it can be a powerful tool. You do not have to be from a FGLI background yourself to do this.