The Role of Family, Friends, and Colleagues Supporting Workers and Learners Navigating College (2024)

This study by Sophia L. Ángeles and Janna Shadduck-Hernández from UCLA investigates how family, friends, and colleagues support full-time students who are also employed. Using qualitative data from 69 workers and learners in Los Angeles County, the research highlights the diverse ways in which these students leverage familial and peer networks to manage the demands of school and work.

Main Takeaways:

• Importance of Social Networks:

  • Familial Support: Family members, particularly parents, older siblings, and cousins, play a crucial role in providing college-specific knowledge, financial resources, and emotional support. This support is especially vital for first-generation college students.
  • Peer Assistance: Peers contribute significantly by sharing job-specific knowledge, offering moral support, and facilitating access to employment opportunities. Roommates and friends often help in finding flexible jobs that accommodate academic schedules.

• Financial Support:

  • Parental Contributions: Many students rely on their parents for financial help to cover educational and living expenses. Despite working, students often find their income insufficient and depend on their families to fill the financial gaps.
  • Balancing Work and School: Students typically work in low-wage jobs in retail and food sectors. While these jobs provide necessary income, they also present challenges in balancing academic responsibilities, especially for those working over 20 hours per week.

• Knowledge and Resource Sharing:

  • Funds of Knowledge: The study uses the theoretical frameworks of funds of knowledge and community cultural wealth to show how students draw on the accumulated knowledge within their families and communities. Older siblings and cousins often provide guidance on navigating college processes such as filling out financial aid forms.
  • Navigational Capital: Students use the navigational skills shared by family members to maneuver through educational institutions that are not always designed with their needs in mind.

• Impact on Career and Educational Success:

  • Positive Job Conditions: Favorable job conditions and understanding employers can positively influence students' educational success and career advancement. Jobs related to students' fields of study or on-campus positions are particularly beneficial.
  • Challenges of Long Work Hours: Working long hours, especially in jobs unrelated to their career goals, can negatively impact students' academic performance and college completion rates.

• Implications for Policy and Practice:

  • Supportive Institutional Policies: Higher education institutions should develop policies and practices that recognize and support the unique needs of working students. This includes offering flexible scheduling, providing on-campus job opportunities, and creating programs that integrate work and academic learning.
  • Asset-Based Pedagogies: Educators and administrators should utilize asset-based pedagogies to acknowledge and leverage the cultural wealth that students bring from their communities, fostering a more inclusive and supportive educational environment.