Abstract
In this article, we engage with the emerging literature that studies the increased enrolment of first-generation college students (FGCS), that is, students from households where neither parent has obtained a bachelor’s /master’s degree. Our article answers two research questions. First, data from 2,338 first-year students are used to investigate the extent to which FGCS differ from continuing-generation college students (CGCS) concerning the reason why one enrols in university education. Second, to what degree do these motives explain differences in study choice? Our results show that FCGS, compared to CGCS, more strongly endorsed the economic investment motive and what we call the social investment motive, that is, the motivation to become a role model for one’s community. In addition, our findings reveal that the choice for more economically rewarding fields of study is related to these motives to start a university education. In the conclusion, we discuss the implications of our findings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 142-160 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Young |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 30 Jan 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This research has received funding from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel under the ASP 2030 grant agreement.
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© 2023 The Author(s).
Copyright:
Copyright 2023 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.