ABSTRACT
Colleges and universities offer a wide range of services under the umbrella of student affairs. This chapter examines the needs of first-gen college students considering research related to six critical areas within student affairs: financial aid, living learning communities, tutoring, counseling services, campus involvement and career services. Suggestions for changes and improvements are made. One of the most significant statistics on first-gen students is the fact that they are less likely to graduate than their continuing-generation peers who come from households with parents equipped to guide them through the complicated and difficult transition from high school. Many first-gen college students come from low-income families. Many colleges and universities are extremely limited in the amount of aid they have available, which creates another issue for first-gen college students. First-gen students are often juggling other commitments, such as families and work obligations.
