Promoting First-Generation College Students’ Mental Well-Being: Student Perceptions of an Academic Enrichment Program

Academic enrichment programs seek to address the challenges first-generation students face, but research tends to focus on academic outcomes. In this study we investigated first-generation students’ perceptions of how a program addresses their mental well-being. A total of 25 undergraduate students who were enrolled in an academic enrichment program participated in focus groups and interviews. A thematic analysis of the focus groups and interviews revealed that students reported the program promoted their mental well-being by helping them to feel cared for, cultivating a sense of belonging, preventing and remediating distress, and helping them become resilient.