First-Gen Coaching

Who we coach?

• • First-Generation incoming first-year students defined: "UC San Diego and the University of California Office of the President define first-generation college students as students with neither parent having a four-year college degree."

    • • Yes! You are first-gen if: your siblings graduated from a four-year university, your parent started college but didn't finish, you were solely raised by a single parent/guardian who didn't graduate from college, your grandparents went to college but your parents did not.

      • For specific programs, some definitions are not clear: What about students whose parents graduated from college in another country? What about students who are emancipated or informally independent from their parents who are college grads?

      • Student Retention and Success Units support first-generation college students through evidence-based support initiatives and programs that are proven to assist students with accessing resources, developing college capital skills and navigating their college journey.

  • How are SSCP students selected?

Using the UC definition of First-Generation students, we work with other first-gen programs on campus to make sure students are not over resourced. Students in Summer Bridge, TRIO, CASP, PATHS, and TCLI are removed from SSCP's potential student list. SSCP works with Institutional Research (IR) and the Director of Assessment and Evaluation for Student Affairs to determine students who might benefit from the program.

Higher education researchers Vincent Tinto and Jennifer Engle provided the following recommendations for improving first-generation college student access and success:

• Improve academic preparation for college

• Provide additional financial aid for college

• Increase transfer rates to four-year colleges

• Ease the transition to college

Strategies that have been shown to help include:

• Early intervention through bridge and orientation programs

• Advising, tutoring, and mentoring by faculty and peers

• Participation in special programs for at-risk populations that “scale down” the college experience

• Encouraging engagement on the college campus

These strategies are crucial components of many Student Retention and Success Units, demonstrating the institutional commitment that UC San Diego has for first-generation college students.