Family engagement plays a vital role in helping first-generation college students overcome barriers to success. While these students may struggle to navigate the complexities of higher education, institutions are recognizing that families, even if unfamiliar with the college process themselves, are central to providing guidance, support, and encouragement. Ensuring that families are informed and involved has proven to boost retention rates and foster a sense of belonging, critical for student success.
First-generation students make up around 56% of the student population in the U.S., but they face higher dropout rates, especially within the first two years. These students frequently report feelings of isolation, and many struggle with financial, academic, and social challenges.
Help first-gen parents fulfill their role as an advisor
This is where family engagement can make a profound difference. First-gen students look to their families for support more than their continuing gen peers. In fact, 59% of first-gen families talk with their students daily, vs 41% of their peers.
One of the biggest gaps for first-gen students is the "information void" their families experience. Unlike parents who attended college themselves, many first-gen families are unfamiliar with processes like financial aid, academic expectations, and navigating campus life.
When families stay engaged and have valuable content accessible to them, they are more equipped to guide and support their first-gen students through the ups and downs of college life.
Renée Marquez, Assistant Director of Parent & Family Programs from the University of Arizona, stressed the impact of clear and simple communication on first-gen families. Understanding the need for repetition and clarity, she emphasized how platforms like CampusESP facilitate connections and empower students and their families.
“We want families to feel empowered to send their students to experts who know how to navigate the issues they don’t know how to,” she said
Fill the gap: provide first-gen families with the information they need
The key to supporting first-gen students is recognizing that families don’t need to have all the answers; they just need to be connected. A report from CampusESP found that 76% of first-generation families want more direct communication from the college, but many don't know what questions to ask — in fact, first-generation families exhibit approximately a 21% contrast with continuing-generation families regarding their awareness of where to access information such as costs, tuition, and account services.
Javier Flores, VP of Enrollment Management at Texas Women’s University and a former first-generation student himself, recognizes the importance of building a community of support.
“My father was illiterate, so he was not able to support me as a first-gen student in the traditional sense. These parents still want to be supportive and provide guidance, so how do we help them help their students?”
Flores shared that providing a variety of types of content allows their viewers to absorb it in their own way.
“You cannot afford not to use CampusESP. I have not been able to find a more effective way to disseminate information, build community, and create a culture of completion among first-generation college students than with this tool.”
Lean into first-gen preferences like text messaging
When reaching families of any demographic, email is the most often employed, and the most requested by parents. However, text messaging is the second most preferred method of communication for families, with first-gen families naming it a top preference 47% of the time.
However, despite its popularity, only 18% of institutions currently offer text messaging as a communication channel, indicating a gap in meeting the communication preferences of first-gen families.
The impact? Family engagement improves student retention
Building community and providing resources with any family member is always rooted in the goal of student success. With first-generation families that is even more important — both because of their greater needs as well as the potential for even greater outcomes.
In an annual case study reviewing the connection between increased family engagement and student retention outcomes, the results showed that when a parent received updates from CampusESP on student progress, the student was more likely to remain enrolled. On average, student retention was 8.3% higher for students of parents receiving alerts from CampusESP.
Data collected by Auburn University and Duquesne University showed that parent engagement had an even larger impact on retention for first-generation students.
Family engagement isn’t just beneficial — it’s essential for first-generation students’ success. By providing the right resources, fostering communication, and building partnerships with families, colleges can create environments where first-gen students thrive, ensuring they not only enroll in college but graduate as well.
