For a long time, in Europe and countries around the world student eligibility to access higher education relied on few characteristics, but it has become increasingly important to consider racial/ethnic and socioeconomic dimensions. In addition to access, institutions of higher education are also implementing strategies to retain and graduate students for a knowledge-based work force (EACEA, 2014)

Many first-year students internationally have difficulties adjusting to university academically and socially, particularly if they have challenges involving their background (Kuh et al, 2008). Furthermore, first-time university students may lack of self-efficacy and not be able to connect with peers and university personnel to seek support them (Baier, Markman, Duca, 2014). The purpose of this study is to determine how first-year students at a large urban university in the U. S. of various demographic backgrounds differ in their perceived student support needs.

For the current study, a sample of first time university students (N = 1,286) completed the College Student Inventory (CSI) which consists of questions about student motivation, coping skills, assistance seeking, strengths, weaknesses, support, financial concerns designed to develop individual student profiles (Ruffalo Noel Levitz). A sample of N = 1,286 completed the survey and Individual survey questions were used to develop of a reliable subscale on perceived student support needs of first-year students (Number of items = 25, CA = .89). An exploratory factor analysis with principal components extraction and varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization indicated unique six factors with explained variance of 63.9%. Further analyses indicated group differences in sex, indicating females having greater perceived support needs than males, p = .027, d = .13. Similarly, there were group differences in race/ethnicity (F= 25.03, p = .000). There was also a significant difference favoring First Generation students (p = .001, d = .19) and socioeconomic status as measured by Free and Reduced Lunch, p = .00, d = .29, which is slightly less than a moderate effect size according to Sawilowsky (2009). Individual factors were explored to learn if certain support needs were more prevalent in the specific demographic groups.

For the current study, a sample of first time university students (N = 1,286) completed the College Student Inventory (CSI) which consists of questions about student motivation, coping skills, assistance seeking, strengths, weaknesses, support, financial concerns designed to develop individual student profiles (Ruffalo Noel Levitz). A sample of N = 1,286 completed the survey and Individual survey questions were used to develop of a reliable subscale on perceived student support needs of first-year students (Number of items = 25, CA = .89). An exploratory factor analysis with principal components extraction and varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization indicated unique six factors with explained variance of 63.9%. Further analyses indicated group differences in sex, indicating females having greater perceived support needs than males, p = .027, d = .13. Similarly, there were group differences in race/ethnicity (F= 25.03, p = .000). There was also a significant difference favoring First Generation students (p = .001, d = .19) and socioeconomic status as measured by Free and Reduced Lunch, p = .00, d = .29, which is slightly less than a moderate effect size according to Sawilowsky (2009). Individual factors were explored to learn if certain support needs were more prevalent in the specific demographic groups. The results of this study suggest that university personnel may use survey data in a variety of ways to identify perceived support needs. Recognizing the support needs of some student subpopulations can help inform university personnel to provide targeted assistance to students who may be prone to dropping out.

Baier, S. T., Markman, B. S., & Pernice-Duca, F. M. (2016). Intent to persist in college freshmen: The role of self-efficacy and mentorship. Journal of College Student Development, 57 (5), 614-619. Doi: 10.1353/csd.2016.0056 European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2014. Modernisation of Higher Education in Europe: Access, Retention and Employability 2014. Eurydice Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Kuh, G. D., & Cruce, T. M., & Shoup, R., & Kinzie, J. (2008). Unmasking the effects of student engagement on first-year college grades and persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 19, 540-563. doi: 10.1353/jhe.0.0019 Ruffalo Noel Levitz. College Student Inventory. https://www.ruffalonl.com Sawilowsky, S. S. (2009). New effect size rules of thumb. Journal of Applied Statistical Methods, 8(2), 597-599.