Most first-generation-to-college
students come from working class and low income families. The
pressures of combining school with work, and the shrinking availability
of loans and scholarships, place low-income students at risk
of completing college. Students were asked how their family's
economic status affects their college experience. Most explained
that lack of financial resources did not mean that education
was not a priority in their families. As one student stated:
I come from a low income family. So... I have to get a
loan. But, my parents would always tell me "Just because
we don't have the money are you not not going to go to college....
You are going to college." So, that wasn't really a problem
for me because no matter what, I was still going to college,
if had the money or they didn't have the money. But even so,
my parents sometimes struggle for the money to get me here to
college. I got the loans, I got financial aid, I got grants,
I got some scholarships. So, it wasn't that hard for me, you
know. Hopefully it won't be hard for me later in the years.
None of the students interviewed mentioned dropping out for
financial reasons. To the contrary, many emphasized the need
to get financial aid and to work in order to stay in school.
Moreover, many of the Mexican-American and Chicano students emphasized
a sense of continued connectedness to family and shared responsibility,
rather than a " breaking away" from home. Pedro González,
a freshman, tells of how he didn't want his parents to feel obligated
financially for his education:
I was working in the
broccoli fields alongside of my mother. One of my supervisors
told me that one of the big bosses wanted to talk to me over
the walky talky. So I was talking to him and he had told me that
a counselor from CSUMB called and said I had gotten into the
University. Meanwhile my mother was trying to listen to what
we were saying. She doesn't speak English, but was trying to
understand. She knew that I had gotten into college, and couldn't
wait for me to tell her the details. She was very proud of me
as was my father. I told them I had also received a full scholarship,
which is a lie. I didn't want them to be worrying about me and
trying think of ways to support me. So I applied for a loan and
got one which is about $1100. I was kind of worried about that,
but I just got a $1000 scholarship that is going straight to
the loan so I can pay it back now. I am also working at ETS and
the TAT building and I send home automatically $250 out of my
paycheck home. My mom never wants to accept it, so I tell her
to use it for my brothers and sisters because I know they need
it. And I feel it is my job to help out with my family so my
parents don't have to work so hard.*
Life histories revealed other examples of creative ways CSUMB
students support themselves and their families. Juanita López,
a junior, has a similar perspective to Pedro on the responsibility
of contributing to the family's income:
I'm on financial aid. About my work, well I knew I had
time left over and I knew somehow I needed to help my parents
out and I am right now with the job that I have, I'm the one
who makes the payments for the school. So, I'm working to be
here...for being here. My parents provide me with gas money or
with food sometimes and I really don't need that money because
of my meal card. So, this way I'm really helping them, the money
they would be giving me they are using it for any bills or anything
they need for the house.**
One graduating senior found another strategy:
I usually have one to two jobs the whole time while I'm
in college because that's the only way that it will work and
plus loans now. And um... I'll just find a job or a place to
go over the summer. But then I took a year off and did the AmeriCorps
which helped me with last year's tuition and this year's all
about loansAmericorps, its kind of like an Urban Peace Corps
and we did community service around San Jose, that's where my,
I did City Year, and my chapter was in San Jose. And we worked
a lot with kids and the environment and it was a lot of fun,
it was really hard, but it was good for me.
Re-entry students like Judie Swartz have few expectations
of family support. In fact, many support their own children:
My college experience has never been supplemented by anybody
but myself, and grant and loans, so, I had to make that decision
knowing that daddy wasn't going to pay for college , and if I
really wanted to make the commitment, I was going to have to
work for it. So, financially speaking, there is been no impact
on my family, but at the same time there was no help.