The Impact of Parental Family Involvement and University Support Resources on the Academic Success of First-Generation African American HBCU Students From Entry to Graduation

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the academic challenges that African American first-generation students experience persisting due to their parents' lack of knowledge on how to guide their scholars to and through college. The study found a considerable number of challenges that occur when parents of first-generation students are not involved in their collegiate journey. The study also revealed how important it is for the university to support both first-generation students and their families to overcome these challenges. The research also pinpointed how important it is for first generation students to mitigate the chances of summer melt by engaging in a summer bridge program after completing high school upon entering college. The findings offer valuable feedback for first-generation students, their parents, and the university leadership that could help retain students past their first few years of college. One recommendation calls for altering college applications so that the university could better identify the population size of first-generation students entering the university and serve them accordingly to be academically successful. Another recommendation refers to creating a parent engagement liaison on campus that would be tasked with serving first-generation students and their parents. The research concludes that the academic success of first generation students can be improved if colleges and universities make first-generation students and their parents aware of the resources available on campus