First-generation low-income students are faced with many challenges during their transition to college. Early involvement is critical for their success. The purpose of this research was to discover the impact that Student Support Services had on first-generation low-income students' retention. The purpose was to determine if student's GPAs, family income, or demographics played a role in their persistence towards degree completion. The purpose also was to identify if first-generation low-income student's relations with transition staff had an impact on their degree completion. Student support programs continue to provide support for first-generation and or low-income students. The research conducted in this study concluded the connection students had with the student support service and transition staff had no bearing on their persistence toward degree completion. The student support service program continued to achieve its goal in providing services that assist students in excelling academically, socially, and emotionally that impact retention, however, there was no significance among the groups researched. Therefore, retention is still a challenge for institutions and there must be strategic ways to meet students' needs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]