Accelerated Learning and Financial Aid Associated with Positive Academic Outcomes for Hispanic First Generation College Students. Issue Brief

First generation college students (FGCS) of all racial/ethnic backgrounds graduate from college at lower rates than their non-first generation peers. However, FGCS who are also Black or Hispanic graduate at even lower rates than FGCS who are White or Asian/Pacific Islander. Out of all racial/ethnic groups, students of Hispanic background are proportionally the most prevalent among FGCS, but are severely understudied given their prominence in the postsecondary system. Prior research has demonstrated the positive association of accelerated learning and financial aid with degree attainment rates. Furthermore, accelerated learning and financial aid have been linked to improved academic outcomes (e.g., GPA, persistence, and degree attainment) for FGCS and Hispanic students, but no studies have been conducted on Hispanic FGCS, in particular. To address this gap, the current study focused on comparing several college outcomes between Hispanic FGCS and Hispanic non-FGCS. The authors developed regression models that examined the relationships between Hispanic FGCS status, prior accelerated learning participation, receipt of financial aid, and the aforementioned academic outcomes, after statistically controlling for other student characteristics (i.e., prior achievement [high school GPA, ACT Composite score], demographics [gender, family income, language fluency], and social-emotional skills [as measured by ACT Engage). The findings provide evidence to policy makers and practitioners that interventions that include exposure to accelerated learning opportunities in high school, and that improve access to financial aid for college, may be able to help Hispanic FGCS close attainment gaps.