first-gen community
First-Generation Programs

» For Parents and Families of First-Generation Students

Thank you for visiting this section of our website and encouraging your student to become a college graduate!

Tips for Parents and Family Members of First-Generation Students

  • Learn more about Chapman University
  • Visit the Chapman Parents homepage for more information and resources for Chapman parents.
  • Attend Family Orientation to become knowledgeable about the resources and services available to your student since parent and family support is key to the academic success of college students. For more information visit Orientation.
  • Remind your students to make copies of all important paperwork and to make sure to write down the name, department, date and comments of the person they are speaking to when they contact different units on campus with questions.
  • Remember that pursuing higher education does not mean that students will lose the values they were raised with.
  • Your student may not be able to come home every weekend if they are living on campus – even if it is only 5 or 10 miles away and if they are living at home, they may not have the same amount of time to devote to family responsibilities as they did before.
  • Learn about the college process and what to expect – by learning about campus resources you will be able to become more familiar with what your student is experiencing. Please visit the “Student Resources” tab for more information about campus resources.
  • Be patient with yourselves and one another, especially since this is a learning experience for everyone (both you and your student) – you will all be learning about this transition process together!

What some of our current first-generation college students at Chapman wish their parents would know:

  • The pressure and stress that often comes with being in college.
  • To support me and try their best to understand what I am experiencing.
  • It is important for our parents to understand how hard college is and that the student will be under stress. The family should be supportive.
  • At times, students may feel overwhelmed and parents can be right there to support their children with words of encouragement. This goes a long way knowing that you believe in us!