Children of college-educated parents are much more likely to complete an undergraduate degree than children whose parents did not attend college, according to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Education.
The study, published in early February, compared students whose parents attended at least some college to first-generation college students in how they fared after enrolling in post-secondary education.
To do this, the study established three separate categories of students: first-generation college students, students whose parents attended some amount of college and students whose parents earned a bachelor’s degree. Each of the last two categories were referred to in the study as “continuing-generation” students.
A “persistence track” measurement was created for each category of students and their progress toward a credential.
The study revealed having parents who attended even some amount of college made an impact on their children’s likelihood to stay on their persistence track. If a parent earned a bachelor’s degree their children were substantially more likely to stay on the persistence track than first-generation college students.
These findings support previous research, which has indicated that first-generation college students face substantially more challenges in completing their post-secondary education than their continuing-generation peers.
For instance, with the guidance of a parent who has attended college, findings indicate a continuing-generation student would likely have greater background knowledge of office hours, citation methods and a major's significance.
Stephen Farmer, vice provost for enrollment and undergraduate admissions at UNC, said the University has enrolled more first-generation students and these students are graduating at a higher rate.
He cited the Carolina Firsts program as a tremendous resource for first-generation students to access on campus that helps students adjust to the speed and activities of college.