Being the First to go to College

I was the first in my family to earn a Bachelor's degree.  I did not have anyone in my family or friends who I can turn to who could give me advise on what to do and not to do.  As an immigrant my parents and I did not really understand how the education system worked.  I felt confused about what to do or where to get help.  

My father and mother came to the United States to build a better life for myself, my brother and sisters.  They both worked hard in a foreign country, learning the language and trying to help in our education as best they could.  Like a well built house is built on a solid foundation, my parent's hard work gave me the foundation to study hard so that I had a chance to go to college. 

I made every mistake possible when applying for college.  I did not take the ACT. I did not apply for schools on time.  One grade school teacher told me I did not have the grades to go to college. But I was not afraid to make a mistake, ask questions or believe the negative things people told me.  I did not give up.  I may have fallen but I dusted myself off and tried again.  I called schools and asked them questions until I talked to someone who would answer my questions.  Every step of the way my parents encouraged me.  

I was finally accepted at a college.  It seemed like all the students except me had their carreer choice already decided.  I thought they were the luckiest people in the world.  I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.  I was not sure if I could keep up with everyone.  But there were some nice teachers and some fellow students who told me that it was okay to not know what your carreer was going to be.  That college was the time to try out different subjects to see what I liked.  That was a lot different from grade school and high school where you were told pretty much what classes you had to take.  

First generation students, especially those who come from immigrant families often feel alone.  College can be a confusing place.  And if you come from a family who has not gone to college before you it is hard to learn from someone elses experience.  

The key is to find people at school, in your neighborhood, friends, church and family who can guide you through the whole school process.  At school look for counselors or teachers that are willing to talk with you about what you need to do.  Ask all your questions.  Ask for suggestions.  You can't wait for the help to come to you.  You have to find help. 

And don't listen to negative advice.  When that teacher told me that I did not have the grades to go to college, I used it to motivate me to prove her wrong.  I worked even harder to get into college.  My brother and sisters were counting on me to get into college because they were going to college right behind me. 

And once you get into college don't stop.  Be the first to start a conversation in class about how college works, be the first to see your professor during their office hours, be the first to go to the alumni office, be the first to go to counselor's office. Build that foundation for your brothers and sisters, other immigrants to succeed by helping them. But you can't help if you don't get into college first!

Here are some scholarships and grants for first to go to college (see my financial aid tab for other information about paying for college).

Saint Mary’s University, for example, started their First-Generation Initiative that offers access and financial support to first-generation students. The University of Iowa provides the First Generation Iowa program to first in family students, the University of Colorado Boulder has the First Generation Grant and Texas A&M University offers the Regents’ Scholarship.

Carol A. Hurley Memorial Scholarship 
Application Deadlines: March 07, Annually  [...] More

TELACU David C. Lizarraga Fellowship 
Application Deadlines: February 28, Annually
Each year, the TELACU Education Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships to students in California, Texas, Illinois and New York. /HTMLCHUNK_4/ Minimum eligibility requirements: Must be a low income, first-generation college student, a full-time student for the entire academic year of the award, and attend one of TELACU's 36 partnering colleges and universities. For applicants in California: [...] More

TELACU Scholarship Program 
Application Deadlines: February 28, Annually
Each year, the TELACU Education Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships to students in California, Texas, Illinois and New York. To apply for a scholarship, download the application from our website and return it, with required attachments, to the office indicated on the application./HTMLCHUNK_4/ Minimum eligibility requirements: - Must be a low income, first generation college student - [...] More

Saint Mary’s University – First-Generation Initiative Scholarship 
Application Deadlines: February 01, Annually
The First-Generation Initiative provides access to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota for qualifying students. It is designed to offer academic and personal support to first-generation college students as they transition into higher education. The initiative will also build the [...] More

College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) 
Application Deadlines: March 15, Annually
The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) is a federally-funded grant available only during your college freshman year. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, be obtaining your GED or high school diploma, and be seeking a four-year academic degree to be eligible. /HTMLCHUNK_4/ You and/or your family must have been migrant or seasonal farm workers doing agricultural [...] More

Catawba College's First Family Scholarships 
Application Deadlines: November 08, Annually
The First Family Scholarships are the most prestigious scholarships at Catawba College. Consideration for the First Family Scholarship is by invitation only. In order to be considered for an invitation, students must first apply for admission to Catawba. Those subsequently invited to compete must provide a recommendation from a teacher or administrator, submit an essay of approximately 300 words [...] More

First Generation Grant - University of Colorado Boulder 
Application Deadlines: Varies
The First Generation Grant is awarded to Colorado residents whose parents do not have any education or technical training beyond high school. Additionally, students awarded with the First Generation Grant have the opportunity to participate in the First Generation Scholars Program. /HTMLCHUNK_4/ To qualify for the First Generation Grant, a student must: - Be a Colorado resident - Certify that [...] More

Florida First Generation Matching Grant 
Application Deadlines: Varies
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, are enrolled in eligible participating post secondary institutions, and whose parents have not earned baccalaureate or higher degrees. Available state funds are contingent upon matching contributions from [...] More

Diamonds in the Rough Ministry International Scholarship 
Application Deadlines: May 03, Annually
The hope of Diamonds in the Rough Ministry Intl. is to empower women down the road of self-discovery and self-worth in Jesus Christ. The Diamonds in the Rough Ministry Intl. Scholarship is for high school senior females who excel in all things, including academics, community service, and extracurricular activities. /HTMLCHUNK_4/ Applicant Eligibility: - Female - High School Seniors - Minimum [...] More

Texas A&M University Regents' Scholarship 
Application Deadlines: March 15, Annually
The Regents' Scholarship is designed to assist first-generation college students in achieving their educational goals at Texas A&M University. Six hundred recipients will receive $5,000 per year for up to four years – with the ability to add other scholarship./HTMLCHUNK_4/ You must be a first-generation college student (neither parent has earned a bachelor’s degree). Your family’s adjusted gross [...] More

Wisconsin Talent Incentive Program TIP Grants 
Application Deadlines: Varies
The Talent Incentive Program (TIP) Grant provides grant assistance to the most financially needy and educationally disadvantaged Wisconsin resident students attending colleges and universities in the State of Wisconsin. First-time freshmen students are nominated for the TIP Grant by the school financial aid offices or by counselors of the Wisconsin Educational Opportunity Programs (WEOP). To [...] More

http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/first-in-family.htm

First in the Family offers an array of information, including year-by-year checklists for ninth through 12th-graders and interviews with current first-generation college students. ACT offers Family Firsts, downloadable booklets for both students and parents. And First Generation Student features an easy-to-navigate and comprehensive look at choosing, applying, paying for and graduating from college – and there's also an easy way to add your own story to the site!

One of the newest first-generation resource centers, I'm First, allows students to sign up for a free informational dashboard. Uniquely, the organization also offers a $2,000, four-year renewable scholarship each year.

To be eligible, you'll need to be a first-generation high school senior planning to attend one of the 180 I'm First college partners. Applicants are evaluated on their writing, leadership and community service – not grades or test scores – and winners also get to share their experiences and advice via the site's student blog.

The scholarships don't stop there, either. College Parents of America offers an annual First-Generation College-Bound Scholarship, which is open to incoming freshmen in the top half of their high school graduating class; applications for these ten $500 awards closed on May 1.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships each year, and they fund a number of first-generation-specific scholarships at schools around the country. Here's information for the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship at California State University—Long Beach and the University of Alabama, and a profile of this year's winners at the University of Texas—Pan American.

Your best bet for finding out if your prospective school offers this scholarship option is to contact the financial aid office and ask – and don't forget to ask about other, more specific aid, too. Your college, your high school or even your state may be a source of funding, especially if you're introducing a college education to a new generation. The road isn't easy for first-generation students, but these resources should help!