First-Year College Achievement and Graduation Rates for Hispanic and Hispanic First-Generation Students

To increase persistence, many universities provide first-year seminars (FYS) for entering students. Although there have been consistent positive outcomes for FYS participants, many times, the research is based on short-term outcomes, or less rigorous analysis. This study assessed short- and long-term outcomes for Hispanic ( n = 456) and Hispanic first-generation students ( n = 350) who participated in a research-based academic FYS. FYS participants had significantly higher outcomes in first-term GPA, 1-year persistence and graduation rates.