Different Institutions and Different Values: Exploring First-Generation Student Fit at 2-Year Colleges

First-generation college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year degree) face a number of challenges as they attempt to obtain a post-secondary degree. They are more likely to come from working-class backgrounds or poverty (Reardon, 2011)and attend lower quality high schools (Warburton, Bugarin, & Nunez, 2001) while not benefiting from the guidance of a parent who successfully navigated the path to higher education....