A Support Guide for the Doctoral Student & Significant Others:
The Collective Journey
First-Generation Doctoral Students
About 33% of doctoral students are first-generation students who primarily identify as part of the BIPOC community. These students face unique challenges and require different types of support than their non-first-generation peers.
Challenge No. 1
Overwhelming Graduate Education System
Parents may lack experience navigating the higher education system, leaving students without guidance.
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Students may not be familiar with some of the processes and procedures or know what or who to ask when embarking on the doctoral journey.
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Source: Gardner, S. (2013)
Challenge No. 2
Financial Limitations
Students may lack the familiarity of seeking assistantships, grants, or fellowships, and instead seek an outside job, take out loans, or tap into their own finances, leaving them with a high debt upon graduation.
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Already first-generation students are coming into the doctoral program with undergraduate debt (47%) in comparison to continuing-generation students (31%).
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Source: Gardner, S. (2013); Mitic, R.R. (2022)
Challenge No. 3
Longer Time to Degree
Due to a lack of financial support and personal responsibilities, many of the students experience delays in completing their degree.
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First-generation generation-students tend to be older, have dependents, and/or be caretakers for aging parents. This also places a burden on prioritization between school and their home life.
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Resulting in placing a hold on their studies to work, survive, and then return to finish school at a later time.
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Source: Gardner, S. (2013)
Challenge No. 4
"Otherness"
At times, first-generation students may feel like they come from a different world compared to non-first-generation students, leading to a sense of "otherness."
They may struggle to reconcile their background with their academic life, which can make them feel like they don't fit in.
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Source: Gardner, S. (2013)
Challenge No. 5
Impostor Syndrome
Many students often feel like they don't belong and experience imposter syndrome, believing that they are not intelligent or worthy enough to be in the program or among their peers. They attribute their success to luck and feel like a fraud.
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Source: Gardner, S. (2013)
Challenge No. 6
Diverse Career Paths
Career goals post-graduation differ for first-generation students as they are more attracted to roles outside of a research university.
Consequently, students have felt they receive less program support to pursue careers where they prioritize job stability with a salary and benefits.
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Mitic, R.R. (2022)
Types of Support for First Generation Doctoral Students
The Community
One way to foster an inclusive environment is to encourage advanced students to offer their guidance and expertise as mentors to new students.
Faculty members can contribute to this effort by sharing their own experiences, including those related to being first-generation, if it applies to them, so that can open it up for conversation.
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High School Counselors and Undergraduate Advisors can begin discussions about higher education, how it functions and how it can be funded.
Source: Gardner, S. (2013)
The Doctoral Program
Programs should consider the following:
How do they support first-generation students who may experience imposter syndrome throughout the process?
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How do they create a supportive environment where students feel a strong sense of belonging?
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How do they help achieve the student's career goals even when the student prioritizes financial security over following the traditional research path in academia?
Source: Mitic, R.R. (2022)