Widening the Pathway to a Degree: The Impact of First-Year Seminar Courses at an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution

This study examined the impact of a first-year seminar (FYS) on educational outcomes among students attending an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution (eHSI) in the southeastern United States. Four undergraduate cohorts of first-year students between 2012 and 2016 were the focus of this study. After accounting for a variety of demographic characteristics through propensity score matching, we found that the FYS course increased the likelihood of students returning to college for a second year if they (a) expected very little financial contribution from their families, (b) were women, or (c) were African American men. The course also appeared to increase students' first-year GPA among women and African American men. While the effects of the program on the general population were small, underserved populations benefited from the course.