The first year of college can be an exciting but difficult transition period for many students, marked by new academic demands, administrative processes, and social experiences. Many first-year students experience feelings of imposter syndrome, isolation, and financial strain and have difficulty balancing coursework with other responsibilities, all of which can contribute to attrition. These challenges are even more pronounced for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

First-generation students, in particular, face additional obstacles compared to their peers with college-educated parents. They often receive less financial support, and are more likely to juggle additional work or caregiving responsibilities, as well as to struggle with their sense of belonging on campus. Nationally, only about 76.5 percent of first-time, full-time students return for their second year, and first-generation students are twice as likely to leave college in their first year compared to their continuing-generation peers. Addressing these barriers is essential to improving retention and ensuring that all students—regardless of background—have the opportunity to earn a college degree and experience the long-term benefits a degree confers.

In December 2024, Ithaka S+R published a report on first-year transition support for first-generation students as part of our evaluation of the Kessler Scholars Program, a comprehensive, cohort-based program designed to support first-generation, limited-income students through a combination of financial aid and structured, evidence-informed support programming. The Kessler Scholars Collaborative is a nationwide network that supports and connects more than 1,000 Kessler Scholars across 16 institutions, guides campus-level program development and implementation, and facilitates practice sharing across institutions. As part of Ithaka S+R’s multi-year formative evaluation, we examined three targeted evidence-based interventions offered to first-year Kessler Scholars—peer mentoring, first-year seminars, and summer transition programs. Drawing on data from student surveys, focus groups, and interviews with program administrators, we assessed how these initiatives supported first-year scholars’ academic and social integration and identified promising practices for institutions seeking to strengthen their first-year student success initiatives.

Key Takeaways

  • Many first-year scholars arrived on campus with limited awareness of academic success strategies, campus resources, and social connections. These students sought a supportive environment to learn more about the academic expectations of college classes, connect with peers, and understand program requirements and benefits.
  • Through intentional and flexible program design, effective collaboration with institutional stakeholders, and responsiveness to student needs and feedback, the Kessler Scholars Program created an environment for its first-year scholars that fosters belonging, improves academic preparedness, and demystifies the unspoken norms of higher education.
  • Most scholars who participated in the targeted interventions—peer mentoring, first-year seminars, and summer transition programs—reported stronger peer connections, increased engagement with the program, and greater awareness of campus support services.
  • While most participants found these programs to be beneficial, student feedback also highlighted areas for program improvement, such as providing inclusive and asset-based support, regularly monitoring students’ program participation and experiences to identify and address any challenges, and accommodating student needs within institutional contexts and resource constraints.
  • Promising practices for program administrators, institutions, and other stakeholders seeking to design effective holistic support programs for first-year first-generation, low-income students navigating the college transition include:
    • Adapting programs supports to students’ backgrounds and needs. Students’ different identities and backgrounds can influence their first-year experiences and play a role in their support needs. Effective program design must acknowledge this while ensuring that programs remain accessible and impactful for the intended recipients.
    • Leveraging existing campus resources and reducing silos. Rather than duplicate existing services, administrators should integrate new initiatives with existing campus programs to maximize program effectiveness and effectively utilize resources. This requires institutional collaboration, practice-sharing, and a deep understanding of the campus environment.
    • Using data to inform continuous program improvement. Regular student feedback should guide continuous program improvement during implementation, drawing on a variety of data sources including administrative data, surveys, or focus groups, informal conversations or listening sessions, and program administrators’ own institutional experiences.

To learn more, read the full report, and join us at the Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience in New Orleans on February 18, 2025, where Ify Oliobi and Kristen Glasener of the Kessler Scholars Collaborative will present these findings.

If your institution is interested in partnering with Ithaka S+R to improve student success through research, evaluation, or technical assistance, please contact Ify Oliobi, senior researcher, at ifeatu.oliobi@ithaka.org.