As a first generation college student, we tend to be in need of financial assistance in order to attend college. Scholarships and financial aid would be of great assistance in supporting my goal for higher education, I noticed the only way out of poverty from a single family with low income is to pursuing higher education and obtain a skilled job. Although my father has made many sacrifices to allow me to focus on education throughout high school, but college is just a new level of challenge on financial need ever since my grandma were diagnosed with cancer. She is a strong old lady that never give up fight cancer throughout the past five years, and she taught me never give
While first-generation college students are over half of all students in postsecondary education, exclusionary practices block their admittance into elite institutions. The outliers who receive admittance to the Ivory Tower may think they have made it—that their American Dream and long-held belief in the meritocratic ethos has finally paid off. Instead, they are confronted with educational stratification and social reproduction that was stacked against them long before they received the piece of parchment granting them access. The onerous task of navigating through unfamiliar academic and social situations often results in leaving. Can first-generation college students learn how to activate, manage, and accumulate social and cultural capital to navigate elite universities?
Throughout the length of schooling, students go through various changes. In their first year of school, children are required to make the transition from being at home for the entire day to being in school for a number of hours a day. These transition periods happen many times through the schooling years, but the most drastic changes occur during the transition from high school to college, where students weather numerous lifestyle changes. While each individual student goes on their own journey, certain themes remain common between different students. Studies are done to look at these themes identifying the numerous differences and similarities.
Upon the completion of my high school career I was faced with the sudden realization that I was growing up and on the verge of becoming independent. A few months prior, I had applied to Montana State and received my acceptance letter. The future was before me and my ambitions were truly limitless. That is, until the fact set in that I was going to have to pay for this education that I desired. I knew that with my busy schedule, I would be unable to make enough money while only working a few hours here and there. I was beginning to lose sight of hope. Then one day I talked to my counsellor about what I could do and he pointed me towards dozens of scholarships that I could apply for. The exigence or purpose
The author, Julia Brookshire Everett commenced the article, “Public Community Colleges: Creating Access and Opportunities for First Generation College Students”, by first characterizing first- generation college students and also expounding on the difficulties first-generation students encountered when acquiring post-secondary degrees. According to Everett (2015), the term ‘first- generation college student’ was first coined in the 1960s in order to regulate student eligibility for federally financed programs to aid students from low-income households.
A first-generation college student is someone whose folks didn’t attend or graduated from college. Many times, students face this reality and have no one to rely on. Some of the challenges this students face are unique psychological challenges. Although there is upportive staff in college, one of the most important roles of a family is support. Their family may see their entry to college as an insult or misunderstood their reason for wanting to have a major. In families, role are assign to each member such as working, cleaning or taking care of others. When one of the family members decides to interference with this system to attend to college, this one leading the student to a loss of personality.
According to current estimates approximately 75 percent of college students are now nontraditional students – older than 25, attending school part time, and having delayed entry or reentry into college for a variety of personal reasons. Post secondary education is needed by such students to develop their careers and to acquire new skills and knowledge in a global society where they are likely to have longer life spans than did workers in the past. This trend is not restricted to North America; it is a worldwide phenomenon.
I am Nursing major and with that degree to become a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in the Cardiovascular System to reduce the rate of heart diease in America. I am a hardworking individual and I take my academics very seriously. I understand that I am at school for a purpose and know my purpose is to further my education. I am just trying to make it. My parents always told me growing up “ In order to get something you never had that I will have to do things I have never done.” No one prepared me for college, because I am a first generation college student. In addition to being a first generation college student ; I am also a first generation high school graduate. I use my my parents trials and tribulations as my motivation, because I want
Unfortunately, my family and I fall into an area of the middle class that prohibits us from receiving need-based aid. Although I have graciously been awarded the Elizabeth Ann Seton Scholarship, without some additional form of aid, a Seton Hill education may be prohibitively expensive. My fourth year’s tuition alone would cost $37,520 with my current scholarship, and I would still have to pay for living expenses. Once my undergraduate and fifth years’ expenses are included, I will be over $150,000 in debt when I graduate. As a student who has worked exceedingly hard in the classroom and as a leader for four years, this amount of financial burden feels like a punishment. If I do not receive the Seton Scholar Award, I am not confident that I can attend Seton Hill and make the impacts I have described in this
Being the first one to attend college in my family has pushed me to continue my education. Now in today’s society a college degree is so important. I want my parents to be proud of me, and be happy with my high level career after college, and that starts with my education. I also hope to be an influence on my younger brother and show him that a college education is important. He looks up to me, and I need to be a good role model for him. I truly just want to get the best education and job for myself worth and make myself happy.
First in the Family: A First Generation College Student. Across universities throughout the United States, the presence of first-generation college students is on the rise (Stephens 1). Students whose parents do not have a degree in higher education, are being given the opportunity to shape their future for the better as they embark on a journey to receiving a four year degree unlike their parents who were not given such an opportunity. With the number of first-generation college students on the rise from the past, I became interested in seeing how the views, relationships, and ideas of these students were unique, and how they differed from the average student attending a university; an average student coming from at least a middle class background who has at least one parent with a degree in higher education.
With a scholarship, it can help me shape my dreams in being the first in my family to obtain a bachelor’s degree. With that degree, I would like to major in communications and be able to focus in broadcasting work in both the radio and television fields. I possess the skill of hard work. It shows in every aspect of my life from my desolate upbringing to my noted academic work which has placed me on the President’s/Dean’s list on several occasions and even into my volunteer work which has netted me hundreds of cumulative hours within the college. A scholarship would only help me further my overall success and bring all of my goals to
This scholarship would help me be able to afford going to college and getting a doctrine in Psychology. Having this scholarship would mean I would not have to take a loan or could take a smaller loan to pay for collage. Loans, especially school loans, have caused many individuals to be in debt. I do not want to graduate college and already have an enormous amount of debt to try and pay off. Collage is expensive especially for a one income family. My mother has no savings at all and barely makes ends meet each mother. This year she had to file bankruptcy so she did not lose the house. There is no possible way she could help me with college. Getting this scholarship would lessen my mothers worries and give me peace at mind knowing my education is payed for and debt is not looming at my door.
Financial Aid was created to increase enrollment rates for higher education. It is expected of young adults to further their education to get a good job, even if they do not have the money to do so. Because of these expectations, the price of college tuition has increased dramatically. Due to the increase in tuition, middle class families can no longer afford to pay for their child’s education, causing students to have to work to pay for college because they do not qualify for financial aid. With the criteria set for Financial Aid, it is becoming more difficult for middle-class students to afford college. College students who work to support themselves and their families should be granted much more financial aid than they currently receive.
Throughout my my life there has been one thing that has always been on my mind which is to continue on my education further than my parents. Since little I knew that I brought into this world to help others in need anyway possible. As the first person in my family to attend college I am facing many difficulties in succeeding, but I know that I am capable of doing anything I choose to put my mind on. Winning this scholarship would help me out a lot by paying for my education. I understand that the field I have chosen to pursue is difficult and requires many skills to be learned, as well as a lot of experience needed, and. I am fully aware of what it is that I want to be in life and do as a profession so the money would not go to waist.
Fees and loans are too big of a load for young people to carry. A lot of students drop out do to the pressure of having to worry about all the loans they have to pay back after they are done with college. This should not be an issue to the student. According Iatham Emmmons, “Even worse, a large portion of students never receive funding at all due to the multitude of stipulations that must be adhered to in order to qualify for assistance. A major flaw in the current federal educational assistance programs is that the students’ parents’ income is used to calculate financial need” (Emmons 3). Even citizens who try to get help by applying for funding never end up getting it because they do not meet the needs required for the funding. Education should be p...