To explore best practice in retaining students who are first-in-family to attend university

This Fellowship explored best practice in supporting and engaging students who are the first in their families to come to university.

In Australia, approximately 51% of our student population are ‘first-in-family’ (FiF), a group recognised as having various issues impacting on their educational experiences. For example, FiF or ‘first gen’ students are often financially disadvantaged, may have limited understanding of university culture, tend to be older and from more ethnically diverse backgrounds (Spiegler & Bednarek, 2013).

Drawing on practices in higher education institutions in the UK, Canada and the USA, this Fellowship proposes a set of recommendations underpinning approaches to supporting this population. The main findings were articulated into thirteen recommendations that broadly include the following points:

• A common definition of the term ‘first in family’ that is clearly articulated across policy and practices in the Australian higher education sector. • The importance of celebrating FIF students’ successes timed to critical stages of the student life cycle (including gaining entry).

• The need to foreground the FiF status of staff, alumni and also other students through visual identifiers – badges, stickers etc.

• Targeted professional development for teaching and support staff designed to challenge assumptions or unconscious biases.

• Scholarships and financial aid that provide access to key curricula activities such as student exchange/ work placements or internships.

• Careful review of institutional discourse to avoid unintentional ‘deficit’ - remove references to ‘support’, ‘help’ or ‘assistance’ and instead focus on ‘success’, ‘celebration’ and existing capability.