The Relationship Between College Interventions and First-Generation College Students’ Academic Success at a Large Urban Tier I Institution

Success in higher education has been a challenge for many first-generation college students (FGCS). Unfortunately, higher education institutions have adopted the “one-size-fits-all” approach to addressing low retention and graduation rates. This approach is alarming because it does not address the specific constraints of academic success for FGCS. This study investigated how college interventions programs impact the academic success of first-generation college students. The results show that FGCS who participated in a first-year seminar or lived in on-campus student housing had higher GPAs than FGCS who lived off-campus. Overall, these findings highlight the influence of high-impact interventions on FGCS’ academic success.

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