America is suffering a crisis involving our low-income families, many of which live in households where neither parent has a four-year college degree. The rates at which their children are entering and graduating from college are staggeringly low. The rising cost of education, the lack of institutional and government financial aid and the lack of institutional support are some factors that contribute to the crisis. This situation is termed a crisis in the United States because the cycle of poverty is difficult to break and upward mobility is difficult to achieve without an education. The purpose of this study was to examine the college experiences of first-generation, low-income college students in a large Midwestern university to determine what can be done to improve their persistence and subsequent graduation. Using qualitative research methods, eight students from a student support services program were interviewed to determine what experiences may have aided or hindered their chances of graduating with a four-year degree. A phenomenological theoretical framework was utilized in the study. Students were in their fourth or fifth year, or had recently graduated, were purposefully selected to reflect upon their "lived experience" while attending college. Interviews, the College Student Experience Questionnaire, and data in students' records were coded through constant comparative analysis, evaluated, and interpreted using methodology consistent with phenomenological analysis. This study generated a series of 37 emergent themes that influence the four persisters and 33 that influenced the non persisters. Ultimately, five major categorical themes spoke to the essence of their experience and the likelihood of college persistence. Internal factors, Support, Coping mechanism, Career goals, and Opportunities for involvement had a major impact on the student's ability to persist or not. These themes have on-going implications for policymakers, educational administrators, instructors, counselors, advisors, parents, and students in creating equity in opportunity in education.
