Perceptions of Belonging: A Comparative Study of First-Generation and Continuing-Generation Students’ Sense of Belonging and University Retention

Haley R. Parker
Dr. Nancy Daley-Moore, Faculty Mentor

This project will explore how first-generation college students compare to continuing-generation students (all students being sophomore to senior age), find a sense of belonging at a rural liberal arts institution, and how belonging correlates to a desire to stay at their chosen university. To examine this sense of belonging, this study will survey students attending a rural liberal arts institution during the spring and summer 2026 semesters. Gaining a better understanding of the gap between how first-generation students and continuing generation students belong can help universities create the opportunities needed to curate a sense of belonging within this population.

Keywords: first-generation, belonging, retention

Topic(s):Health Science
Sociology
Psychology

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA