Academic success —which includes the development of knowledge and skills, socioemotional regulation, good grades, the obtaining of a university degree, among other aspects— depends on various factors, among which family plays a fundamental role. The family, besides being the first educational and protective agent, represent the means through which a person integrates into society. In the educational sphere, the family continues to be a provider of resources and motivation for learning, as well as a key factor in managing frustration related to school, all of which helps students face the challenges originated during their schooling.

At the university level in Mexico, family continues to be one of the first-order factors on whether students complete their career with a comprehensive training that facilitates their integration into the workforce.

The role of the family as a factor that influences academic performance has been discussed by various authors, pointing out that having a family means to have a financial capital, a human capital, and a social capital. Financial capital refers to the family’s income or wealth, which provides the students with resources for studying (such as equipment, learning materials, and even a place to live). Human capital is described as the parents’ level of education, which represents a potential factor for creating a cognitive family environment that facilitates learning to the student. The social capital of the family refers to the time and effort that the parents dedicate to interacting with their children, which supports the student’s intellectual development. Thus, the combination of human capital and social capital within the family is presented as essential for creating an environment that enables the students cognitive development. It would be of little use for parents to have a significant human capital if their interaction with their children were limited.

Within this framework, the present study examines how family influences the academic performance of students at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, campus Cuajimalpa, in Mexico City. The importance of family in the achievement of students’ academic goals is analyzed using data from 800 surveys that address the students’ financial resources, the teachings received within their family environment, and the interactions with their family members, as well as nine in-depth interviews on the aforementioned topics.

The main findings can be summarized as follows:
1) The students interviewed and the survey results both show that family —whether intact or with divorced parents—is an important source of support for their university performance. The support received is expressed in various ways, including emotional backing, reinforcement of values (mainly respect, gratitude, and honesty), and financial assistance;
2) half of the interviewees and the surveyed population report that their family’s financial situation is generally insufficient, forcing them to work.

Although UAM Cuajimalpa is a public university that provides material and logistical resources for the students’ development, it is important to emphasize that for half of the interviewed population, the economic conditions remain suboptimal for academic performance. This is a factor to consider in relation to academic performance and will lead us to delve deeper into this research’s continuation on aspects such as academic failure, dropout rates, and low graduation rates.

Keywords: Family and education, family capital, social capital, school careers.