Diverse Paths to Phd: Widening Access for First-Generation Scholars

Abstract

Doctoral education represents the pinnacle of academic training, yet access remains profoundly unequal. First-generation scholars those whose parents lack university degrees face systemic barriers that perpetuate elite reproduction in academia. This article examines the access, retention, and success pathways of first-generation PhD scholars in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Drawing on mixed-methods data from six public universities, surveys of 412 PhD scholars, and 45 in-depth interviews, we identify three critical intervention points: application stage inequities, financial precarity, and social-cultural isolation. Our findings reveal that first-generation PhD scholars in KPK constitute only 23% of doctoral enrollment despite representing 67% of the provincial population. We propose a validated framework for institutional transformation and present policy recommendations contextualized to Pakistan's higher education landscape.

Keywords: First-generation scholars, doctoral education, access and equity, higher education policy, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan