‘Family firsts’ face unique hurdles

It's getting close to that time when thousands of Western Australians will start a university year for the first time.

While university is unchartered territory for every new cohort, there is one group of students for whom higher education is particularly unfamiliar: those who are first in family.

A first-in-family (FIF) student is the first person in their immediate or extended family to pursue higher education. 

About half of all students who start university in any given year are FIF.

All students experience some difficulty navigating university at first, though many believe FIF students face some unique challenges that put them at a disadvantage, and which can affect their capacity to participate, progress and succeed.

At the heart of their disadvantage is the lack of knowledge many students manage to garner from parents or other family members who have been to university.

But it is not just family history that can put FIF students at a distinct disadvantage.

Without a successful higher education track record within the family, many FIF students struggle with convincing themselves they deserve to be at university. Not surprisingly, they often lack the sense of belonging that non-FIF students have.

This combination of challenges results in lower academic achievements and, perhaps worse, lower completion rates for FIF students.

Despite well-documented disadvantages, FIF students are not identified by the federal Department of Education as one of six equity groups: students from non-English speaking backgrounds; those who have a disability; women in non-traditional areas; students who identify as Indigenous; people from low-socioeconomic status backgrounds; and those from regional and remote locations.

Since FIF students are not their own equity group, universities do not receive a financial allocation from the government for special projects or initiatives to offer tailored support to this disadvantaged group of students.

To add to the complications, many FIF university students already belong to one or more of the six government-designated equity groups.

It means many FIF students experience overlapping forms of social and economic disadvantage. 

As a case in point, one FIF student might also be from a remote background and have a disability while another might identify as Indigenous and come from a low SES background.

Despite the absence of specific funding, most universities recognise the precarious situation of FIF students and take steps to support them. 

Outside of dedicated university support programs, there is another important factor at play when it comes to how FIF students manage at university: their own families.

It raises the question of what parents of FIF university students can do to support their children, particularly when students are still living at home when they begin their studies.

Experts suggest the best way to support FIF students is to encourage them to stay at home for the duration of their time at university, especially when the home environment is conducive to study. 

Students who leave the family home are more likely to experience financial challenges to fund alternative accommodation. The amount of time spent working to earn money, for example, places students under the added stress of having less time to attend classes, complete assignments and prepare for examinations.

Families, including parents and siblings, can also support FIF students through celebrating achievements and milestones (from the completion of the first assignment through to attending a graduation ceremony) and by becoming familiar with the various pressure points that are linked to the lifecycle of the student, such as exam periods.

While parents of FIF students might not have had direct experience of a university setting (thereby preventing them from giving first-hand advice), they can offer assistance by being a sounding board when challenges arise and through providing invaluable emotional support.

Despite the many disadvantages faced by FIF students, things are set to get a little easier.

Education Minister Jason Clare was an FIF student and believes education “is an equaliser”.

Over the next 12 months, expect to hear more from him on plans to widen access to higher education and to encourage more school leavers and mature age students to become the first in their families to attend university.

• Professor Gary Martin is chief executive officer of the Australian Institute of Management WA