She's the first in her family to attend university. Her parents are proud but can't explain what to expect. Her high school friends aren't attending. The application process, course selection, and campus culture feel like foreign territory without a map. She wonders if she belongs, if she's prepared, if she's made the right choice. Across Canada, first-generation students—those whose parents didn't complete post-secondary education—navigate systems designed for students who already know how they work.
Defining First-Generation Status
"First-generation student" definitions vary. Strictly defined, it means neither parent completed any post-secondary credential. Broader definitions include students whose parents completed only some post-secondary or only completed college or trade programs. The definition matters: Statistics Canada shows about 25-30% of current students have parents with no post-secondary, while higher proportions have parents without university degrees specifically.
First-generation status intersects with other characteristics. First-generation students are disproportionately from lower-income families, rural communities, Indigenous backgrounds, and racialized communities. They're more likely to be mature students, students with disabilities, and students with family responsibilities. These intersecting characteristics compound challenges associated with first-generation status itself.
Being first-generation is not inherently problematic—it simply means navigating systems without certain forms of family experience. The challenges arise from systems designed around assumptions of family knowledge, from cultural capital gaps that institutions don't address, and from intersecting barriers that concentrate among first-generation populations. The students themselves are not deficient; systems fail to accommodate their circumstances.
Cultural Capital and Hidden Curriculum
Students whose parents navigated post-secondary education absorb knowledge about how these systems work—what sociologists call cultural capital. They learn that professors have office hours, that choosing courses involves strategic thinking, that academic writing differs from high school writing, that seeking help is normal rather than shameful. This knowledge transfers informally, without explicit instruction.
First-generation students lack this inherited knowledge. They may not know what questions to ask, let alone where to find answers. They may misunderstand expectations that seem obvious to others. They may interpret confusion as personal failing rather than system opacity. The hidden curriculum of post-secondary education—all the unwritten rules and unexplained assumptions—creates barriers invisible to those who already know the rules.
Consider something as basic as course selection. Students with post-secondary-educated parents learn to check prerequisites, balance workloads, consider professor reputations, and plan program pathways. First-generation students may approach course selection without this framework, making choices that complicate their progress. No one explicitly teaches course selection strategy; it's assumed knowledge that first-generation students must figure out independently.
Financial Dimensions
First-generation status correlates strongly with financial barriers. Parents without post-secondary experience less often have savings earmarked for children's education. They may be less familiar with financial aid systems. They may have less capacity to provide support during studies or serve as financial safety nets. The cultural capital gap includes financial knowledge gaps that affect educational access and persistence.
First-generation students work more hours during studies than their peers. They accumulate more debt. They're more likely to interrupt studies for financial reasons. They're more likely to choose programs based on financial considerations rather than academic interest. Financial pressures compound other first-generation challenges, creating multiple simultaneous stresses that affect academic performance.
Family financial pressures may pull first-generation students away from education. Parents struggling financially may need children's income contributions. Educational pursuit may seem selfish when family needs are immediate. The sense that education serves individual rather than family interests can create guilt that non-first-generation students rarely experience.
Belonging and Identity
First-generation students often experience belonging uncertainty—the feeling that they don't quite fit, that they're somehow imposters who might be discovered. Classmates discussing family educational experiences, professors assuming certain background knowledge, institutional cultures that presume familiarity—all can reinforce feelings of outsider status.
This belonging uncertainty affects academic behavior. Students who feel they don't belong may be reluctant to seek help, participate in discussions, or approach professors. They may attribute struggles to personal inadequacy rather than normal adjustment. They may interpret normal difficulties as evidence they don't belong. These psychological dynamics, rooted in structural positioning, affect academic outcomes.
Identity tensions can emerge between educational and family worlds. Success in education may feel like moving away from family origins. Family members may not understand educational pursuits or may feel judged by them. The student navigating between these worlds may feel they fully belong in neither. These identity challenges add emotional dimensions to practical first-generation barriers.
Institutional Responses
Canadian institutions have increasingly recognized first-generation students as a population requiring specific support. Orientation programs for first-generation students provide explicit introduction to hidden curriculum elements. Peer mentorship programs connect first-generation students with those who've navigated similar challenges. Academic advising may be enhanced for populations needing more guidance.
Some institutions have developed comprehensive first-generation student initiatives. The University of Toronto's First in Family program provides community, mentorship, and programming specifically for first-generation students. Simon Fraser University's Terry Project addresses first-generation and low-income student needs together. Similar programs exist across Canada, though comprehensiveness and effectiveness vary.
The challenge with targeted programming is reaching students who need it. First-generation students may not self-identify, may not know programs exist, or may avoid programs perceived as remedial. Effective support may need to be integrated into mainstream services rather than siloed in special programs. The tension between targeted and universal approaches shapes how institutions address first-generation challenges.
First-Generation Advantages
Deficit framings of first-generation status miss genuine strengths these students often bring. First-generation students may have stronger motivation, having chosen education deliberately rather than defaulting to it. They may bring diverse perspectives that enrich classroom discussions. They may have resilience developed through navigating challenges. Their presence diversifies educational institutions that might otherwise reproduce existing elites.
First-generation success creates family and community impacts beyond individual advancement. The first family member to complete post-secondary education changes family expectations and knowledge for future generations. Community members see possibilities they might not otherwise envision. The social mobility that first-generation education enables extends beyond individual students to broader social networks.
Some first-generation students thrive precisely because they bring different experiences. Non-traditional perspectives can produce innovative thinking. Experience navigating unfamiliar systems builds transferable skills. The work required to succeed despite barriers develops capacities that easier paths don't require. First-generation status is a challenge to be addressed, not a deficiency to be corrected.
Systemic Questions
Individual support programs help first-generation students navigate existing systems but don't change those systems. If post-secondary education assumes cultural capital that first-generation students lack, the appropriate response might be changing post-secondary education rather than only supporting students in navigating its current form. Making hidden curriculum explicit, designing accessible processes, and questioning inherited assumptions would reduce first-generation barriers at their source.
The concentration of first-generation students in certain programs and institutions raises equity questions. Community colleges serve more first-generation students than research universities. Career-focused programs attract more first-generation students than liberal arts. If first-generation students systematically sort into certain educational pathways, are they choosing or being channeled? Does the pattern reflect preference or constrained options?
K-12 education's role in first-generation outcomes deserves attention. High school guidance that doesn't prepare first-generation students for post-secondary creates challenges before they begin. Curriculum that doesn't develop hidden curriculum knowledge leaves first-generation students at disadvantage. First-generation post-secondary barriers often have roots in earlier educational experiences.
Questions for Consideration
If you were a first-generation student, what support would have helped you most? How might post-secondary institutions redesign processes to assume less prior knowledge? What responsibility do institutions have to address hidden curriculum rather than expecting students to figure it out? How should the distinctive strengths of first-generation students be recognized and valued?