First Generation College Students

What Is a First Generation College Student?

The broadest definition of a first generation college student is someone whose family lacks a college-going tradition. A more exact definition can vary from a student with only one parent with a college degree, to a student with a college educated parent who is not involved in their life, to a student with parents with associate degrees, to a student whose parents have not completed a bachelor's degree, to a student with parents with no higher education.

Despite this confusion, more colleges and organizations are paying attention to the needs of first generation students. Students who tap into resources and programs have a better chance of graduating and entering the workforce with a bachelor's degree.

Here are some links for navigating the resources available for first generation college students:

Scholarship Opportunities

Always check at each college in which you're interested for First Generation scholarships!

First in Family College Scholarships - College Scholarships.org

First in Family Scholarships - Scholarships.com

First Generation Scholarships - Unigo.com

9 First Generation Scholarships to Help You Pay for College - PrepScholar.com

First Generation Grants & Scholarships - The College Grants Database, collegegrant.net

Articles and Information

World Changing First Generation Students, Colorado Mesa University

First Generation at CSU, Colorado State University

First-Generation Initiatives, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Learn About First Gen Students, University of Colorado

First Generation Students, University of Colorado Boulder

Access and Transitions, University of Denver

Western Helps Family "Firsts," Western Colorado University

Are You First Gen? Depends on Who's Asking, The New York Times, November 3, 2017.

We Must Help First-Generation Students master Academe's 'Hidden Curriculum', The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 21, 2018.

How Educational Opportunity Programs graduate first-generation college students, Hechinger Report, January 7, 2019.

What Is a First-Generation College Student?, Best Colleges website, July 1, 2020.

Demographic Characteristics and Postsecondary Enrollment Data, U.S. Department of Education NASPA.