After the milestone of the 20th anniversary of the social dimension in the Bologna Process, new commitments were formulated by the European Commission towards “building inclusive and connected higher education systems” (European Commission 2017), as well as to further strive towards a holistic approach (Schmidt Scukanec/Napier 2020, 2). With a holistic approach “universities can address a broad range of societal needs, including those of vulnerable, disadvantaged and underrepresented [students]” (Schmidt Scukanec/Napier 2020, 6). Similarly, the UNESCO has formulated education goals towards inclusion anchored in the SDG4 which reads "ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education for all by 2030 and promote lifelong learning opportunities." The UNESCO also sets holistic goals from early childhood development until lifelong learning (UNESCO 2023).

Despite the strategic commitment of universities to inclusion and the social dimension, inheritance of educational inequalities is still an issue in many countries (OECD 2016). This contribution addresses first-in-family students (fifs), who are an underrepresented group in higher education (HE), and their transition to university­ partly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenge to the entire HE sector as well. Internationally, there is increasing concern regarding the disengagement of marginalised students from the formal education system (OECD 2020).

First-in-family students cannot access experiences or information from their family members to ease their transition to university (Lessky/Unger 2022; Patfield et al. 2022). Their transition is often more cumbersome compared to students from an academic family background and according to previous literature, it is harder for them to build a social network and develop a feeling of belonging at HE institutions (O'Shea 2019). Additionally, some families put them under pressure because they are the first to study and they are often expected to succeed (ibid), while the influence of the social/family background leads other fifs to the final decision to leave university (Nairz-Wirth et al. 2017).

A Bourdieusian perspective ([1972 ]1993, 1984, 1990) is used to analyze the interplay of habitus, social capital and field. In the field of HE, sense of belonging is often referred to as student abilities to build social networks and it is gaining importance as a ‘predictor of positive academic outcomes’ (Lewis and Hodges 2015, 1).

More precisely, the main research question is to explore the relevance of social capital for first-in-family students during their transition to university. Further, we also look at the fifs´ sense of belonging to peers and the role of institutions in building a sense of belonging.

The research questions will be answered with a qualitative design (see methods section).

This topic is not only interesting for researchers in the field of HE/education pathways as fifs represent a traditionally disadvantaged student group who managed upward social mobility. Still, they are often not mentioned in diversity programs and third mission statements (Dipplhofer-Stiem, 2017). This makes the topic also relevant for practitioners and policymakers.

To analyse the experiences of fifs, we opted for a qualitative approach that provides an in-depth insight into student perspectives and experiences of navigating the transition to university. In this project the Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz 2006) is used and follows Bourdieusian research traditions in which theory building and empirical research are continuously linked. The sampling followed the principles of theoretical sampling, with a particular emphasis placed on ensuring that our sample included disciplines that afforded maximum variation both in the share of first-in-family students as well as in institutional culture and prestige. Interviews and group discussions were conducted with fifs studying the following disciplines: (a) technology, where female students are underrepresented, (b) business administration/economics, where the share of fifs is equal to that encountered in the overall student population at public universities (Unger et al. 2020) and (c) medicine, where fifs are underrepresented (Lessky & Unger 2019; Unger et al. 2020). In total, 15 problem-centered interviews and seven group discussions with fifs at different Austrian universities were conducted from 2020 to 2023 (Witzel 2000). The interviews ranged from 21 to 115 minutes in duration and were audio‐recorded verbatim, they were then transcribed in full-length for coding and analysis. The data was analyzed in a regular interpretation group using the software ATLAS.ti. Several types of student learning groups and groups with tutors and participated in the group discussions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, five of the group discussions took place online.

In this contribution, the interplay of three concepts; namely, social capital, sense of belonging and transition will be investigated. All three are relevant for the successful navigation of the student life cycle. Similarly, to the previous literature, the interviewed fifs and study groups reported that their transition to higher education was influenced by their social connections, as well as their feeling of belonging at university. The preliminary findings show how students accumulated social capital via peer networks and how this process was affected by institutional practices within the different disciplines and student perceptions of fitting in at university. The analysis of the empirical data reveals that social capital which has been acquired before the beginning of the studies is important to transmit information capital. Ties to persons that are already accustomed to the field of study can be very helpful. Another finding is that institutions can foster or hinder the creation of social capital and belonging. Universities who provide institutionalized ways of learning like in systems of small peer groups, create a setting for students where friendships can be built and thus networks/ social capital, as well as belonging. In addition, the analysis of interviews/ group discussion shows that social networks, such as WhatsApp groups, are also important for building a sense of belonging. Also smaller students groups ease the ability to get establish relationships with lecturer and staff, while big study programs make it difficult to get in contact with lecturers and peers. Still, more analysis and further research is needed on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the social capital and feeling of belonging of first-in-family students. Further, it also interesting to find out if study groups can compensate disruptive effects of lockdowns and distance learning.

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