Teachers can help by sharing their own path to higher education. Whether they were first-generation students, enrolled directly after high school, got their degree after military service or went back to school after another career, it benefits students to hear those stories. “Some teachers are really good at that. They’ll share their journey. They’ll have things up in their room, their college memorabilia or things like that,” Brown said. These efforts can help students see that they are surrounded by adults who have been to college.
The basics aren’t basic
In her small groups for first-generation students, Brown breaks down each step of the college admissions process. That includes explaining the differences between two-year, four-year and technical schools, describing different majors and degrees, walking students through applications and FAFSA completion and explaining the different types of financial aid. Informally, teachers and other adults in schools can demystify the process by talking about their own experiences choosing and applying to colleges, she said. Educators shouldn’t assume that students understand the vocabulary and stages they’re mentioning (“FAFSA,” “common app,” “major,” etc.), but explain them as they would any unfamiliar subject.
“A lot of times these students don’t have anybody to ask,” Brown said. “Have a plan for these kids. They need more, period. A lot of times it’s us or nothing.”
What happens after the acceptance letter
When college acceptance letters start arriving in February, “Oh it’s nothing but glitz and glam,” Brown said. “But where is it by May? Gone.” Educators need to be talking about what happens after the acceptance letter, too, she said. “OK, you got in. Now what?”
Somewhere between 10 and 40% of students who intend to enroll at college fail to do so, according to the Strategic Data Project at Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research. This phenomenon is known as “summer melt,” and students from lower income levels are more susceptible to it. Much like all of the steps it takes to get into college, Brown said the unfamiliar terrain between college acceptance and campus move-in can be a barrier for first-generation students. “Sometimes they literally think they just show up,” she said. To help, educators can connect first-generation students to financial aid counselors to go over award packages, walk students through registering for classes and check in about orientation.
Sometimes it takes even more hands-on involvement. Brown, for example, took her student who received the athletic scholarship shopping during the summer so that he would know what to buy for his dorm room. She also said she was prepared to drive him to campus if needed, but his dad did that.
While getting students to campus might be the finish line for high school counselors and teachers, Brown said the work should start long before that. She encouraged middle school staff to identify and encourage potential first-generation college students, too. She said to “just stop and drop gems,” such as telling them about majors or organizations related to their interests. “The more you can get to them before they start building a transcript, you are helping us and you’re helping them.”
