First Generation Student Resources

A source of evidence-based practices, professional development, and knowledge creation for the higher education community to advance the success of first-generation students.

This First Generation Digital Storytelling project explores the use of storytelling and digital social media to give voice to the rarely heard narratives of First Generation college students and graduates.

Being the first in your family to pursue higher education can be daunting. Here are some encouraging pieces of advice as you enter college.

More than half of all college students in the U.S. are first-generation college students, according to recent findings from Forbes Advisor. First-generation college students – defined in the report as students whose parents are without four-year college degrees – make up 56% of the nation’s postsecondary students, the report found.

Over half of undergraduate students in the U.S. are the first in their family to attend an institution of higher learning. These first-generation students are likelier than their peers to be from minoritized backgrounds, to face economic challenges, and to juggle jobs and families in addition to school. And they may be less familiar with the “hidden curriculum”—the implicit norms and knowledge that help students navigate college life. These factors make it harder for first-gen students to function in institutions that were developed for elite whites.