Researchers have revealed a strong association between sense of belonging and students' social class and economic background. Notably, students from less advantaged economic and class backgrounds typically report a lower sense of belonging in college compared with their middle and upper-class peers. To address gaps in college completion, educators (i.e., faculty, staff) bear responsibility for increasing low-income students' sense of belonging and identifying asset- and strengths-based practices that effectively promote low-income students' belonging. Validation is one such promising practice that focuses on how student support is delivered by staff and faculty rather than on what specific support offices and services are offered. This study answers two research questions: (1) What is the relationship between validation and low-income college students' sense of belonging in their first year? and (2) Does that link vary by low-income students' other characteristics (e.g., race, sex, GPA)?