First-Generation College Students Are Hungry for the Right Mentorship and Support 

For a first-generation college student, the campus experience can prove both exciting and overwhelming. On the one hand, they are proud of their accomplishments, eager to succeed, and excited for the future. However, despite this enthusiasm and drive, these students can face many challenges that their peers with parents who attended college do not.  

Recent data shows that the number of first-generation college students continues to rise steadily and that a third of all college students are first-generation students. On the negative side, however, they also show that the drop-out rate for first-generation students is four times higher than for those with at least one parent that has a degree. 

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Colleges and Universities Have the Programs, But They Aren’t Used 

Many colleges and universities have programs and resources to help these students but struggle to find ways to make them known, and because of that, they remain underutilized. Others face challenges in deciding how to best start a college mentorship program. However, it should not be this way. 

Students view these services as value-added pieces of their education experience. Studies show that graduates with a positive view of their experience with the career services department at their institution are 5.8 times more likely to agree that their alma mater prepared them for life after college. These students are also  3 times more likely to donate to their alma mater after graduating. 

Despite these statistics, only 16% of graduates said their visits to career services were beneficial, and only half of all graduates have said they used career services provided by their college or university at all. These statistics surprisingly translate to the fact that only 8% of all college graduates that utilized their institution’s career services found that it helped them.

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Room for Improvement and Increased ROI 

These statistics indicate that colleges and universities should invest more time and resources in these programs and make them more readily available to first-generation and underrepresented students. Because these students face different struggles with their college experience, such as lack of disposable income, less support from family and friends back home, and limited knowledge of what to expect from campus life, their time and resources are often stretched thin. 

Not only are these students adjusting to an unfamiliar environment, but they are also juggling part-time work, making friends, and finding time for extracurricular clubs and activities. 

Without a parent or another family member who can help them navigate career planning, finding internships, and other networking opportunities, these important milestones can fall to the side. These things fall even further down the priority list if they are not readily publicized or easily accessible for the student to find on campus. 

Prospective students are now strongly considering whether or not a college or university provides services that prepare them for their future careers and are choosing to attend institutions with above-average programs. Since college enrollment has continued to decline over the past ten years, offering these services will attract more students to your programs and help you remain competitive. 

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What Students Want from Career Services and Mentorship Programs 

When looking at your career planning services, a good place to start is to determine if they currently meet the needs of what students want and if you have options tailored to the unique needs of first-generation and underrepresented students.

Often, these students feel that the higher education experience seems too competitive, and they have difficulties finding trusted partners who understand their challenges to collaborate with during the journey. Lacking a “sense of belonging” can leave them feeling like they are on a sinking ship. 

Existing mentorship programs can feel intimidating and often lack the flexibility that enables students with busy lives to successfully complete the programs. Many college students have instead been looking for a free mentoring program software and community to address the gaps. However, most of these programs also miss the mark. 

The most successful programs are flexible and collaborative. They build trust with students, facilitate casual and recurring touchpoints, and nudge students back into the program if they grow busy and fall away. 

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How Firstly Can Help with Your Mentorship Programs 

By launching a mentorship program with Firstly, you can build a scalable solution that meets the needs of your institution and provides a clear value-add to your students. Our programs focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure that all your students, particularly underrepresented groups, receive the support and resources they need for successful career planning in a way that makes sense for their needs and challenges.

We focus on a hybrid model that includes a mix of self-paced learning modules and both on-demand and live mentor touchpoints which works well with the busy lifestyle of today’s college students. We train mentors from all walks of life and backgrounds and many who expressly understand the first-generation college experience. We also understand that institutions that need the most help are staff and budget-constrained, and our low-cost fee structure meets the financial challenges of those we seek to serve.

Finally, our program centralizes existing campus resources, so students don’t have to search multiple places for programs and tools. They will quickly find everything they need to access their mentorship initiatives and connect with peers, faculty, mentors, and alumni in one place. This feature also helps with student and alumni management as they graduate, enabling colleges to recruit potential mentors as they continue their careers.

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We’d love to share more about how we can help you launch a low-lift, high-impact mentorship program for your students and integrate it with your current and existing mentorship and career programs. Contact us today to see how we can partner with you.