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Reframing Support: A Social Network Perspective on Whom First-Generation Students Turn to for Help

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Title: Reframing Support: A Social Network Perspective on Whom First-Generation Students Turn to for Help
Language: English
Authors: Melissa Herman, Hoori Santikian Kalamkarian, Columbia University, Community College Research Center (CCRC)
Source: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. 2026.
Availability: Community College Research Center. Available from: CCRC Publications. Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street Box 174, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212-678-3091; Fax: 212-678-3699; e-mail: ccrc@columbia.edu; Web site: http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 38
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Contract Number: R305A210494
R305B200017
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Descriptors: Social Networks, First Generation College Students, Help Seeking, Undergraduate Students, Community College Students, Family Role, Friendship, College Programs, Program Design, Student School Relationship, Social Support Groups
Geographic Terms: California
Abstract: Over half of undergraduate students in the U.S. enter college with neither parent having completed a college degree. These students--often referred to as "first-generation" students--are less likely to persist in college, earn good grades, and complete a degree than students who have at least one parent who went to college. Postsecondary institutions may be better positioned to serve first-generation students if equipped with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of their help-seeking behaviors and preferences. This report uses social network survey results and interviews with students at four colleges in California--two community colleges and two four-year broad-access universities--to explore how first-generation college students build relationships and use support networks on- and off-campus to address the challenges they face in college. The authors describe the role of family, friends, and institutional actors in supporting first-generation students through the first year of their college journey and consider implications of these relationships for the design and delivery of college programs and services. Findings suggest that first-generation students may have more ties to college than is commonly believed--including parents, siblings, cousins, friends, and other family or peer connections--who provide emotional support, broker connections to campus resources, and help in other meaningful ways.
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 20260101
Accession Number: ED682160
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Community+College+Research+Center%2C+Teachers+College%2C+Columbia+University%22"><i>Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University</i></searchLink>. 2026.
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  Data: Community College Research Center. Available from: CCRC Publications. Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street Box 174, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212-678-3091; Fax: 212-678-3699; e-mail: ccrc@columbia.edu; Web site: http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/
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  Data: Over half of undergraduate students in the U.S. enter college with neither parent having completed a college degree. These students--often referred to as "first-generation" students--are less likely to persist in college, earn good grades, and complete a degree than students who have at least one parent who went to college. Postsecondary institutions may be better positioned to serve first-generation students if equipped with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of their help-seeking behaviors and preferences. This report uses social network survey results and interviews with students at four colleges in California--two community colleges and two four-year broad-access universities--to explore how first-generation college students build relationships and use support networks on- and off-campus to address the challenges they face in college. The authors describe the role of family, friends, and institutional actors in supporting first-generation students through the first year of their college journey and consider implications of these relationships for the design and delivery of college programs and services. Findings suggest that first-generation students may have more ties to college than is commonly believed--including parents, siblings, cousins, friends, and other family or peer connections--who provide emotional support, broker connections to campus resources, and help in other meaningful ways.
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 38
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      – SubjectFull: Social Networks
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: First Generation College Students
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      – SubjectFull: Help Seeking
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      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
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      – SubjectFull: Community College Students
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      – SubjectFull: Family Role
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      – SubjectFull: Friendship
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      – SubjectFull: College Programs
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      – SubjectFull: Program Design
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      – SubjectFull: Student School Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: Social Support Groups
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      – SubjectFull: California
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      – TitleFull: Reframing Support: A Social Network Perspective on Whom First-Generation Students Turn to for Help
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