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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the meaning and sources of support for under-represented university students in the United States. Social support (Thoits, 2011) and validation theories (Rendón, 1993) informed this research. After the facilitation of focus groups with 16 Latinx students, two African American women, two White women who were non-traditional students and one person who did not identify their race, the undergraduate participants identified 58 distinct faculty, staff, and administrators who were described as supportive. Qualitative analysis using NVivo 12 yielded the following themes related to the meaning of support: being present, strategizing for academic success, a welcoming personality, support through campus employment opportunities and the absence of support. Although faculty members were primarily identified as sources of support, other university employees also played an important role. The themes demonstrated that university-based support was meaningful and important to these students.