USC’s class of 3,460 first-year students is made up of 22.5% first-generation students, a record high for the university.
They’ll likely face struggles beyond finding their classes and navigating campus. According to education publication InsideHigherEd, first-gen students are much less likely to complete their degrees after enrolling in college.
Race also plays into this equation. The Center for American Progress reports that institutions of higher education tend to face serious racial disparities among their student bodies, and students of color are also less likely to obtain their degrees than white students.
According to a yearly study conducted by the USC Student Equity and Inclusion Department, first-generation students were 1.5 times more likely to feel they were not treated fairly and equitably out of the classrooms compared to non-first-generation students. Last year, mixed-race, Black, and Asian students reported feeling the least amount of belonging on campus.
At USC, there are resources available to help out.
Christina’s story
Christina Ruiz is a first-generation student of color who is also a former foster youth, formerly unhoused and formerly incarcerated student. She is currently wrapping up her last semester at USC and is graduating in December with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and a master’s degree in public administration.
“When I started at USC, it was my first time stepping onto a university campus,” Ruiz said. “Just the first time going to class on this huge campus was overwhelming and intimidating.”
Ruiz turned to the Latino Alumni Association (LAA), the Trojan Guardian Scholars Program (TGSP) and the Norman Topping Student Aid Fund (NTSAF) for financial assistance and to help in navigating her way through her program.
The LAA not only provided scholarship assistance but gave Ruiz a sense of community.
TGSP’s mission is to help current and former foster youth to apply for financial aid and scholarships, provide budget workshops and provide mentorship.
Ruiz said the NTSAF had a “population of the most diverse and vulnerable students on campus.”
“There is opportunity for students at USC, for first-gen students at USC to maximize our opportunities in life,” Ruiz said. “I think it’s a social responsibility that USC needs to support and elevate.”
Mikaela’s story
Mikaela Villalpando is a third-year musical theater student at USC who struggled with imposter syndrome when she began attending USC. The First-Generation Student Leadership Program is helping her integrate into college and network with others.
Established last fall, the First Generation Plus Success Center (FG+SC) provides services and resources for students who are first-generation, undocumented, transfers and former foster youth.
The FG+SC is open Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Last year, they celebrated First Generation Student Week where they hosted a flurry of virtual activities including an alumni panel, financial literacy workshops and a game night.
“I didn’t take advantage of the first-gen student program when I started, I didn’t even realize it was there,” Villalpando said. “I became a mentor and it helped me find a sense of purpose.”
Villalpando said she wishes she found the organization during her first year because it could have helped her start stronger.
“It’s already hard enough starting college and being in a new environment, it’s important that USC has that mentorship and you can get that help as a first-gen student,” Villalpando said.
Where to go for help
There are four cultural resource centers on campus: the Asian Pacific American Student Services (APASS), the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA), the Latinx Chicanx Center for Advocacy and Student Affairs (LA CASA) and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Plus Student Center (LGBTQ+SC).
They all host a variety of support services and leadership programs aimed to build a sense of community on-campus.
For example, LA CASA hosts a discussion series called “Cafecito con Leche” to provide a safe space for students to discuss personal or societal issues like self-care, sexuality and health.
Applications for the USC Dornsife Fisher Fellowship, a program specifically catered for first-year, first-generation college students, are open between October 15 and November 15, 2021.
Students who are selected for the fellowship can receive up to $10 thousand over three years. They participate in service projects that benefit other first-generation students and minority groups.
Some projects they could end up working on include making care kits for students experiencing housing and food insecurity or volunteering in youth programs at South L.A. high schools.