Examining the effect of a scholarship and living-learning program intervention on first-generation college student thriving.

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2017-04-06

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First-generation students represent a unique and growing population in higher education. Much of the research on this student population has focused on the influence of pre-college characteristics on their experience in the classroom or more generally in college. The purpose of this study is to understand the extent to which incentivized engagement in a living-learning program affects first-generation students thriving in college. Thriving refers to "the experience of college students who are fully engaged intellectually, socially, and emotionally" (Schreiner, 2010). The study compared three groups of first-generations students who received both the scholarship and living-learning program intervention, only the living-learning program intervention, or neither. Through the Thriving Quotient, participants responded to items relating to academic, intrapersonal and interpersonal thriving. Findings found no significant difference in the level of thriving among the three groups. This suggests a need for further inquiry into the experiences of first-generation students in living-learning programs.

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