Hispanics comprise the fastest-growing ethnicity in the United States. One in five college students is Hispanic. While Hispanics are gaining access to higher education, their college completion rate is dismal, compared to Whites and other ethnicities. Hispanics face unique academic and social challenges in college. This phenomenological study was designed to capture the lived experiences of Hispanic first-generation college students from a south Texas border town attending the same Tier One public university in Texas as freshmen in fall 2017. The students were recruited from those who met criteria. Seven students agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected through individual 1-hour interviews based on Nora's student engagement model. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Through coding, four themes emerged: finances, academic preparation, precollege experiences, and family/community support. All participants had visited the university before applying, had selected it based on degree choices, and had relied on financial aid or scholarships to attend. While all of the participants had been outstanding students in high school and had felt prepared for college, all experienced difficulty with the rigor of college coursework in the first year. They reported that participating in advanced curriculum offerings in high school, such as advanced placement courses, dual-enrollment courses, and magnet programs, had been helpful in the academic transition. They acknowledged the importance of familial support and encouragement, stating that a major part of the social transition to college was being far from home. Involvement in dormitory life, Latino student clubs, study groups, and jobs on campus were positive social experiences that played a role in the participants' adjustment to college life. Practice and future research should be focused on partnerships between K-12 schools and higher education in the development of programs to assist diverse students in preparation for and transition to college. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]