b.     What do mothers uniquely provide to first generation college students as they progress through college application, enrollment and graduation?

c.     How can a mother gain the skills, and leverage support services, to support her child on the path to, through 
and beyond college?

With the gap in college attendance and graduation for first generation students versus continuing geneation students, much research has focused on the disadvantages and obstacles faced by first-generation students.  There is agreement that varying types of support and related services provided by communities, colleges and families have a positive impact on a student's success. There is some research on a father's role. But, there is no or limited research regarding what a mother's role could be, and the impact she could have, if there were tools and services available to her to further help her children through college.

A Mother's Influence in the Success of First Generation Students in a 4-year college setting. 

First-generation college students have a lower graduation rate than continuing-generation students. These first-generation students are more likely to live at the poverty level, requiring them to work as they attend college and depriving them of technology and extra-curricular activities. They lack role models to guide them through the many, and complex, systems in higher education.  These first-generation students require their own source of faith, hope, and perseverance to overcome the challenges they face. While colleges and local communities have established student support services, parental and sibling guidance within the home impacts the child's success.  There has been research on how a father influences the decisions his child makes about college and career. However, there is a gap in the literature on the impact and role a mother has in her child's success to and through college.

It is universally agreed that education is key to improving an individuals life Only 11 percent of low-income students who are the first in their family to attend college will have a college degree within six years of enrolling in school, according to the Pell Institute. If this rate of completion is not improved, upward movement in the socio-economic levels will be slow, if not stalled or reversed. Therefore, research into expanding existing support services and generating new and creative services is necessary. This includes leveraging those closest to the student, the parents, and specifically for this research, a mother.