Abstract

This study investigates the academic challenges and success factors experienced by first-generation college students (FGCS) at the West Visayas State University-Himamaylan City Campus in the Philippines. Grounded in Vincent Tinto’s Theory of Student Integration, the study employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to capture both the statistical patterns and lived experiences of FGCS. Quantitative data were gathered from 124 students using a validated researcher-made survey instrument. Descriptive statistics revealed that FGCS face major challenges in financial stability, family pressure, and emotional well-being. Academic success is largely supported by personal resilience, a strong sense of purpose, self-discipline, and emotional support from family, peers, and institutional programs, including scholarships and mental health services. These findings were elaborated through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with eight purposively selected participants. Thematic analysis generated six core themes: (1) Family Financial Incapacity: Surviving the Strain of Sacrifice; (2) Thrown Into the Deep: Learning to Swim in Waves of College Journey; (3) Fueled by Family: Carrying Hopes on Our Backs; (4) Survival Mode: Strategies from the Frontlines of First-Gen Life; (5) Doubt in the Dark: Wrestling with Worthiness; and (6) The First, but Not the Last: Pride in the Pioneer Path. The study concludes that FGCS are not only surviving but also striving toward success, and it recommends intentional, empathetic interventions to foster equity and retention in higher education for this often-overlooked population.