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.