Breakthrough the Achievement Gap : The Effect Academic Support Programs have on the Academic Motivation of Latino First-Generation College Students

Abstract

First-generation college students are enrolling in colleges and universities at an increasing rate but are dropping out just as fast, thus creating an education gap between first-generation and continuing-generation students. The United States organizes academic support programs nation wide with the hope to provide the social and cultural capital these students are missing. The present study focuses on the experiences of Breakthrough Silicon Valley's (BSV) high school program students who are currently in their last years of an undergraduate program or recently graduated. Ten students were interviewed about their college application process with the BSV program and their experiences in college. BSV and the participant's families are analyzed as social and cultural capital. It was found that BSV provides the social and cultural capital the parents are not able to provide.