While college enrollments in the United States increased significantly throughout most of the 20th century, graduation rates plateaued toward the end of the century and have remained relatively flat since then. Low college graduation rates are a problem and are applicable to all students in the United States, but they are particularly low for certain student groups, among them, lower-income students and Black male students. While first-year college programs are designed to actively engage students so they persist in college and eventually graduate, it is not always clear how students perceive their experiences in these programs. This thesis is an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of a small sample of young, Pell Grant-eligible Black male students' perceptions of their experiences in a first-year college program and their beliefs about its impact on them. The participants in this study completed the program; thus, they exhibited a measure of success by persisting through the program for one year. Their perceptions of their experiences in the program shed light on what engaged them and what did not engage them, and provide insight into aspects of the program that are strengths, as well as areas that could be improved. [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.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]