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At º£½ÇÉçÇø, 57% of undergraduates identify as first-generation to college.

º£½ÇÉçÇø defines a first-generation college student as an individual whose parents or legal guardians did not earn a bachelor’s degree in the United States.

As part of º£½ÇÉçÇø’s Classroom to Career Hub (C2Hub), First-Generation Initiatives supports first-generation college students in building a strong sense of community, navigating campus resources, and accessing the tools that will help them find success throughout their journey as students at º£½ÇÉçÇø, and as future professionals.

In 2019, º£½ÇÉçÇø joined 349 institutions of higher education as part of ±·´¡³§±Ê´¡â€™s First Scholars Network — now FirstGen Forward — to advance the work for first-generation student success. FirstGen Forward offers a national model for scaling holistic first-generation student success by engaging and empowering institutions of higher education to radically transform the first-generation student experience, advance academic and co-curricular outcomes, and build more inclusive institutional structures. Additionally, in 2023, º£½ÇÉçÇø joined 22 institutions honored for their commitment to advancing the outcomes of first-gen students on ±·´¡³§±Ê´¡â€™s First Scholars list.ÌýÌý

As º£½ÇÉçÇø works to build an institutional landscape that more holistically supports first-generation college students, the First Scholars Steering Committee, now the First-Gen Champions Committee, was established in 2023 as part of the NASPA First Scholars Network, now FirstGen Forward Network, to help meet this need.

In 2026, º£½ÇÉçÇø entered the FirstGen Forward Network Champion phase and is considered a national leader in advancing first-generation student success. The committee’s work is critical in ensuring first-generation student success remains an institutional priority and in building a robust community of support for first-generation college students. Members of the First-Gen Champions Committee will serve as advocates, inform strategy, identify and advance First-Gen Forward Network Champion goals, and engage students in programming and events.

Support our work with a financial contribution and make a real impact on our ability to support and engage first-generation students through programming and engagement work.