THE INFLUENCE OF SIBLINGS WHO ATTENDED HIGHER EDUCATION ON FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

Understanding undergraduate student success is central to addressing issues in the current education climate. Many barriers exist for students; however, even more barriers exist for first-generation college students. Especially difficult for first-generation college students is access to social capital with regards to higher education. The current study focused on addressing the following overall research question: does having a sibling who attended college make a difference in the academic outcomes of a student? The sample for the study included all undergraduate students who enrolled as first-semester freshman in a large, Research 1 university in the Northeastern United States from fall 2016 through fall 2021. Transfer students were excluded. The data were provided by the selected institution’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA). These data included the primary variables that were used to define academic success-- the student’s first semester GPA, first to second semester retention, first to second year retention, and four-year graduation rate. Additional variables were collected which included student’s SAT scores, high school GPA, gender, and data from a survey that is administered to all incoming freshmen- the New Student Questionnaire (NSQ), which included information about the level of education of each student’s mother, father, and siblings. The analysis of the data revealed that as the number of family members who attended college increased, so did high school GPA, 1st semester GPA, 1st to 2nd semester retention, and 4-year graduation rate. Ultimately, this indicates that as the number of family members who attended higher education increases so does student success. Siblings play a critical role in that they add an additional access point to social capital for the student in question. While siblings are important though, the results suggest that the number of family members who have attended college and not the relationship to the student may be a more important consideration.