Perceived Factors Influencing the Pursuit of Higher Education among First-Generation College Students

Students who are first in their families to pursue higher education are often less likely to receive the academic, social, and financial support needed to experience success when compared to students from college-educated families. This study examined the perceived differences among salient factors influencing the pursuit of higher education between first-year, first-generation college students and students from college-educated families. These factors include family influence, secondary school support, peer influence, preparation for college, awareness and access to financial aid, and relative functionalism. An independent samples t-test was used to analyze data derived from The Factors Influencing the Pursuit of Higher Education (FIPHE) Questionnaire (Harris, 2009) survey instrument, which was administered to 348 first-year college students. No significant differences were found between the perceptions of first-year, first-generation students when compared to first-year students from college-educated families except for the factors of family influence and preparation for college. First-year, first-generation college students perceived family influence and preparation for college to be less powerful factors affecting their pursuit of higher education than students from college-educated families