Perceptions of the University Environment: Latine/x First-Generation College Students’ Family Achievement Guilt and Well-Being

• In Event: Stories of Belonging and Persistence: Latine Students’ Connection at HSIs, Relationships and Counter-Narratives

Abstract

In 2024, there were 615 federally designated Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and approximately 412 emerging Hispanic-serving institutions (EHSIs; HACU, 2025), underscoring a rapid increase in Latine/x student enrollment in higher education. Despite this increase, Latine/x college students’ retention rates are disproportionately lower compared to other racial/ethnic groups (Lopez & Garcia, 2025). This highlights the need for HSIs to reevaluate how they “serve” Latine/x students.

According to the Multidimensional Framework of Servingness in HSIs (Garcia et al., 2019), one way HSIs contribute to “servingness” is by recognizing the unique experiences that Latine/x students may encounter. One potential experience is family achievement guilt (FG), the emotional burden encountered while navigating unfamiliar contexts (i.e., university setting) that influence the sensation of leaving loved ones "behind" (Covarrubias et al., 2015). While some studies have linked FG to depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem, other research has found no significant associations (Covarrubias et al., 2015; 2020). Furthermore, students' positive perceptions of the university environment can be another indicator of servingness, which can be leveraged as a source of validation of their experiences. Indeed, previous research has found that the university environment was associated with academic persistence (Gloria et al., 2005), sense of belonging (Locks et al., 2008), and well-being (Gloria et al., 2009).

This study aims to examine the direct relationships between FG and socioemotional well-being among Latine/x FGCS and the moderating role of the university environment. Participants included 411 Latine/x FGCS (77% women; Mage = 18.92; SD = 1.19) attending an HSI in central California. Participants completed Likert-type surveys that assessed various dimensions of FG (Covarrubias et al., 2020; 2023), depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), and the university environment (Gloria & Kurpius, 1996).

While bivariate correlations demonstrated that overall FG was associated with depressive (r = .17, p <.001), stress (r = .22, p <.001), and anxiety (r = .18, p <.001) symptoms, a slightly different pattern emerged by dimension (see Table 1). Specifically, “becoming different” was more strongly associated with the three outcomes than the other three dimensions. Next, a regression analysis demonstrated that “becoming different” significantly predicted all three outcomes (see Table 2). Finally, while the university environment significantly predicted depressive symptoms (b = -.10, se = .05, β = -.09, p <.05) and stress (b = -.11, se = .05, β = -.10, p <.05), it did not function as a significant moderator.

These findings highlight the detrimental impact that FG, especially feelings related to “becoming different”, can have on Latine/x FGCS’ well-being. Many Latine/x FGCS describe navigating the university and home environments as living in “two worlds” (Williams et al., 2024), emphasizing the cultural dissonance they may experience. Although perceptions of the university environment did not serve as a significant moderator, their negative associations with depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress warrant further exploration. Additionally, future research should investigate how cultural congruity may interact with FG. This study offers implications for educational institutions to better serve Latine/x FGCS and develop culturally informed interventions that target FG.

Authors

• Monica Aviles-Mercado, California State University - Fresno

• Rosa Toro, California State University - Fresno