Experiencias de estudiantes de primera generación en universidades chilenas: realidades y desafíos

Abstract

This phenomenological study explores the experiences of first-generation, Chilean university students (epg) and the ways in which those experiences influence their levels of adjustment and retention. epg is defined as those students with a low socio-economic status and whose parents or guardians have not attended or graduated from a university. In this article, I use 11 semistructured interviews to analyze the experiences of participants from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The results show the limits of universities’ willingness to help and facilitate epg persistence and retention.