A Qualitative Exploration of Pell Grant-Eligible Latino Male Students’ Perceptions of Their Experiences and Engagement in a First-Year College Program

ABSTRACT

Some assert that first-year college programs can foster increased engagement among college students and lead to successful outcomes, but there is a lack of in-depth analysis of students’ perceptions of their experiences in such programs. This qualitative study explores a small sample of young, Pell Grant-eligible Latino male students’ perceptions of their experiences and engagement in a first-year college program. The study revealed six main themes: 1) The sense of community within the program; 2) Appreciation for professor and advisors; 3) Engaging course content; 4) Appreciation of academic and financial supports; 5) Complicated perceptions of the racial dynamics in the program and on the campus at large; and 6) The long-term impact of the first-year program, which is comprised of two sub-themes: a) The program positively impacted some participants’ academic work ethic and study skills; and b) A sense of confidence developed within some participants as a result of the support they received in the program.

KEYWORDS:

• First-year college programs
• Pell Grant-eligible college students
• Latino male college students
• college student engagement

Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge and thank his colleagues in Northeastern University’s Foundation Year program for their thoughtful insights and discussions centered on student engagement and success. He would also like to acknowledge the hundreds of Foundation Year students he’s taught over the years, and he is thankful in particular to those students who volunteered their time and efforts to take part in this study.

Disclosure statement

There is no conflict of interest in this study.

Additional information

Funding

There was no funding involved in this study.