The road to a college degree is paved with countless detours for the average student, but if you are the first in your family to choose that path, you can anticipate more obstacles in your academic endeavors. Rest assured, there is ample financial support for those who qualify.
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As a first-generation student, you are likely to be challenged with navigating the college process without the learning curve that comes from having a college graduate family member to lean on. Parents who do not have much first-hand experience or insight on how to maximize your financial aid package or the importance of internship opportunities, and networking can be difficult. While figuring out how to balance a full course load, a part-time job, and social life are skills you will develop along the way, most colleges and quite a few organizations offer scholarships specifically for first-generation students to help them thrive in higher education.
Wherever you are in your college journey, Scholarships.com can help you reach your destination. Below is a list of some popular first-generation scholarships from our database of over 2.7 million awards. You can find even more scholarships by conducting a free college scholarship search and be well on your way to starting a new family tradition.
To apply for the Arnold White Memorial Scholarship, you must be a GED graduate, or be a current graduating senior or former graduate from high schools in the communities of Lyons, Lincoln and Fairbury in Nebraska. The applicant must demonstrate financial need. Preference will be given to those applicants that are first-generation college students. (This criterion will only be used as a [...] More
To be eligible for the Benjamin and Patricia Allen Scholarship, applicants shall be enrolled in the Ivy College of Business full-time. Preference shall be given to first generation students which is defined as a student whose parents have not graduated from an institute of higher education with a four-year degree. This scholarship shall be made available to undergraduate students. This [...] More
The Orange County (OC) Hispanic Educational Endowment Fund (HEEF) serves US Citizens, Permanent Residents and Dream Act/ AB 540 students who live in Orange County, California only. HEEF offers competitive academic scholarships for OC high school and community college transfers who qualify for need based financial aid and who enroll at a 4-year college or university. For more information or to [...] More
This scholarship was established by the friends, family, and colleagues of Carol Hurley, a VSAC outreach counselor who helped first-generation college-bound students prepare for college. Applicants must be high school seniors graduating from Randolph Area Vocational Center, Randolph Union High School, Rochester Union High School, Whitcomb High School, Windsor High School, or Woodstock Union High [...] More
In partnership with Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), Colgate-Palmolive is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with its annual Haz la U™ (Make the U ) educational grant program. Winners will be selected by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation based on their academic excellence and dedication, and demonstration of leadership within their community. For more information or to apply, please visit the [...] More
CMU's First Generation Scholarship is valued at $1,000 per academic year. This award is available to all incoming freshmen students whose parents have not graduated with a four-year degree. Applicant must complete a FAFSA and have earned a 3.0 GPA. The scholarship can be renewed for a maximum of 120 credit hours as long as the student maintains a 3.0 cumulative GPA and full-time status (12 Credit [...] More
The Dorrance Scholarship for first-generation students is a need-based award providing financial and academic support for Arizona high school graduates pursuing an undergraduate degree at one of Arizona’s public universities. The award is renewable for a total of eight semesters (four years) of funding. Applicants must be high school seniors who are Arizona residents, first-generation college [...] More
The First Generation Matching Grant Program (FGMG) is a need-based grant program available to degree-seeking, resident, undergraduate students who demonstrate substantial financial need, and are enrolled in eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Eligible students have a parent(s) who has not earned a baccalaureate or higher degree. Program is available at Florida state universities [...] More
The Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program is open to underrepresented, low-income and first-generation college-bound students. Students must be pursuing an undergraduate degree full-time in transportation, math, science, engineering, architecture, environmental design, PreMed, psychology, Spanish language/literature. The applicant does not have to be a U.S. citizen but must have a minimum 3.5 [...] More
Black Skeptics Los Angeles will award scholarships to students of color (African American, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American) who identify as agnostic, atheist, humanist and/or secular. Preference will be given to applicants who are the first in their families who go to college, are or have been in foster care, homeless or undocumented, and LGBTQ students. For more information or to [...] More
The Frederick and Demi Seguritan Scholarship is offered to first generation Asian Americans who have a demonstrated interest in business (business major not required). Eligible applicants must be an incoming freshman enrolled full-time at an accredited four-year college/university with a minimum 3.0 GPA and must be able to demonstrate financial need. Must also be a resident of Alameda, Contra [...] More
The DC Area Scholarship is available to a deserving student who attends a U.S. university/college located in the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, or suburban Maryland. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a U.S. college or university. Though not a requirement, FEA gives preference to students with demonstrated financial need, [...] More
The Fund for Education Abroad - Minnesota Scholarship scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student who attends a U.S. university/college located in Minnesota. Students must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a college or university in the U.S. (graduate students are not eligible). Though not a requirement, strong preference is given to students of color, first in family college [...] More
The PDX Abroad Scholarship scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student who attends a U.S. university/college located in the Portland, Oregon area. Students must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a college or university in the U.S. (graduate students are not eligible). Though not a requirement, FEA gives preference to students with demonstrated financial need, and strongly [...] More
The Hendrick Scholarship Foundation seeks to award scholarships to low income Plano ISD high school seniors who persevered to overcome adversity, and who are motivated and academically capable of successfully earning a college degree. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, recent high school graduates of Plano ISD, have at least a 2.5 GPA and have demonstrated financial need. All students who receive [...] More
The Laila Uthman Scholarship supports graduating seniors at Oceana High School who have overcome academic and personal difficulties or who have shown unusual concern for those less fortunate. Applicants must be planning to enroll in community college, four-year university, or vocational school on a part- or full-time basis. Student has overcome academic or personal difficulties or has shown [...] More
The Loren Richards Elder Care Scholarship was established to provide an annual $2,000 scholarship for an upcoming third or fourth year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in a field of study that will prepare them for a career that will have direct impact on the elderly population. This scholarship is renewable for a second year contingent on the recipient remaining a full-time student in [...] More
Since its initiation, the OCA - UPS Gold Mountain Scholarship has provided 164 scholarships to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) high school seniors who are the first in their family to attend an institution of higher education. Applicants must be admitted to a college or a university and plan to attend in the Fall of the year the award is offered, and have a Social Security number or [...] More
he Odyssey Scholarship program provides enhanced academic, social, and career support to students from lower-income families or who are the first in their families to attend college. Odyssey Scholars are selected on the basis of financial need and family circumstances, and are eligible for additional funding for study abroad and other costs (such as health insurance). Students must apply for [...] More
The Pathway to Success Scholarship is for first-generation female students entering their freshman year. The scholarship will cover the remaining costs of attending the in-state university of choice for four years. Applicant must be a Florida resident applying to a four-year, public in-state university. Applicant must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. (FAFSA) and a Florida [...] More
The Red Thread Foundation for Women offers this amazing scholarship for women of an international background, including foreign students, immigrants, or first-generation Americans, who are first-year entrants to a U.S. college or university program in the upcoming fall. There are no GPA or U.S. residency requirements. Tuition money can be used for anything related to the applicants' education - [...] More
The College Success Program was created in 1983 to develop and empower new generations of leaders in the communities TELACU serves. Along with guidance and professional development, TELACU Scholars receive awards that range from $500 to $5,000 to help pay for college. Applicants entering college as first-year students are eligible to apply for an award that can be renewed for up to four years. [...] More
The Regents' Scholarship is designed to assist first-generation college students in achieving their educational goals at Texas A&M University. Eligible applicants must: demonstrate financial need; and, have earned 30 hours by the end of the first academic year, 60 hours by the end of the second academic year, and 90 hours by the end of the third academic year. This is renewable for up to four [...] More
Through The David C. Lizárraga Fellowship, TELACU recognizes graduate students who demonstrate the potential and commitment to advance TELACU's mission of building self-sufficient communities through economic empowerment. Applicants must be a first-generation college student, pursuing a master's degree in business administration or engineering (students pursuing other graduate degrees may also be [...] More
The David Scholarship is for men ages 16-25, who have overcome adversity whether it be by conquering difficult life settings or finding themselves in a situation not unlike the young boy who would be king. Several books of the Old Testament unfold the story of David, the shepherd who picked up five smooth stones to slay a giant. Later, as jealousy and scandal surrounded him, David found himself [...] More
The Kim and Harold Louie Family Foundation is for high school seniors and college students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership qualities, community service and/or outstanding personal achievements. Special consideration will be given to students with a demonstrated financial need; who have parents that did not attend college; who have overcome significant adversity; who have [...] More
Rhode Island College's Miranda Scholarship supports first-generation, under-served students in realizing their dreams of earning a bachelor’s degree in the performing arts. Rising juniors or seniors will have the opportunity to earn a two-year scholarship made possible by the Miranda Family in the honor of Lin-Manuel and his work. Applicants must be full-time juniors or seniors enrolled full-time [...] More
The Ruth Scholarship is designed to be awarded for women ages 16-25, who have overcome adversity whether it be by breaking with their past, or have found themselves in a situation not unlike the young woman of the Old Testament story. The book of Ruth provides a wonderful picture of a young woman giving up all that is familiar to honor her mother-in-law—and ultimately God. Her sacrifice [...] More
The University of Alabama offers the Coca-Cola First-Generation Scholarship to first-generation, incoming freshmen. Eligible applicants must be residents of Alabama, and have a 3.0 GPA. First consideration will be given to those with demonstrated financial need (for priority consideration, a student must submit the FAFSA by March 1 of the year in which they are planning to enroll). This is [...] More
The First Generation Grant is awarded to undergraduate Colorado residents who have financial need and whose parent(s) do not have any education or technical training beyond high school (certificate programs, real estate certification, technical training, vocational training, and corporate training programs are considered education beyond high school). This grant may be renewed up to 10 semesters [...] More
The Norman Topping Student Aid Fund offers supplemental scholarships to incoming freshmen, incoming transfer, and incoming graduate students at USC. The criteria for selection is a focus on high financial need students who demonstrate extraordinary levels of community awareness. First-generation college students and local area applicants are given primary consideration in the scholarship [...] More
The Taigh Scholarship was established to inspire and encourage residents of Peacham, Vermont, to pursue a post-secondary education, especially among rural students who may be the first in their families to attend college. Applicants must attend an accredited school approved for federal Title IV funding (Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS loans); reside in Caledonia County and demonstrate financial [...] More
The Women With Promise Scholarship Program offers North Texas women the opportunity to begin or restart their journey toward a college degree. Support is available for full or part-time students from Dallas and Collin counties attending or planning to attend educational programs at accredited institutions of higher learning in Dallas or Collin counties. Also, they must have a nonprofit [...] More
March is the first month students may hear back from colleges they applied to during regular admission. Whether an acceptance letter comes in the mail or through an online portal, the excitement of being accepted into college is tangible. What may be less tangible is understanding how you and your family will pay for college. A new best-selling book aims to help untangle the process. [...]
Back in September, a few colleges who had already adopted a test-optional policy for the current admissions cycle announced that they would be awarding merit scholarships without the need for applicants to submit test scores. Since then, more and more colleges and universities have quietly adopted test-optional merit aid policies to complement their currently test-optional admissions. [...]
Here at Scholarships.com, we connect students with scholarships that can help alleviate the amount of student loans they need to take out to pay for college. But there are colleges out there that offer students such generous financial aid packages that they need to take out very little in loans if at all. These “no student loans” colleges replace student loans in financial aid packages with additional scholarships and grants to help fund a student’s tuition. Students accepted into these schools will pay much less than the cost of tuition and thus will not be as burdened with student debt. [...]
