First-generation students face unique barriers to college—and there are scholarships specifically for you.
Here are the best ones.
Why First-Gen Students Exist (And Get Extra Help)
First-generation student = you’re the first in your immediate family to attend college.
Reality for first-gen students: – 55% less likely to graduate (complex reasons) – Earn 50% less by age 30 (on average, pre-degree) – Face more financial hardship – Have less knowledge of college systems – Get less financial aid (families don’t know how to navigate FAFSA)
Result: Many foundations created scholarships specifically for first-gen students.
Top First-Gen Scholarships to Apply For
Tier 1: Prestigious National Scholarships ($10K-$25K)
1. Dell Scholars Program – Award: $20,000 – Requirement: First-generation, 2.4+ GPA – Odds: 400 winners nationally (good odds) – Timeline: November-January – Bonus: Career coaching + mentorship included – Website: dellscholars.org
2. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (If 3.5+ GPA) – Award: Up to $40,000 – Requirement: First-generation, 3.5+ GPA, demonstrated excellence – Odds: 50-60 winners nationally – Timeline: September-November – Website: jkcf.org
3. Coca-Cola Scholars Program – Award: $20,000 – Requirement: First-generation, 3.0+ GPA, leadership – Odds: 150 winners nationally – Timeline: September-October – Website: coca-colascholarsfoundation.org
4. JLS Foundation (First-Gen Specific) – Award: $2,500-$10,000 – Requirement: First-generation, 2.5+ GPA – Odds: 100+ winners annually – Website: jlsfoundation.org
Tier 2: Regional/Specific First-Gen Scholarships ($2K-$15K)
5. Raising the Bar Scholarship (First-Gen Focus) – Award: $5,000-$15,000 – Requirement: First-generation, demonstrated need – Odds: 50-100 winners – Website: raisingthebarscholarship.org
6. My Brother’s Keeper First-Gen Scholarships – Award: $3,000-$10,000 – Requirement: First-generation, community service – Odds: 30-50 winners – Website: mybrotherkeepermovement.org
7. FGCU Scholarships (First Gen College Unites) – Award: $1,000-$10,000 – Requirement: First-generation – Odds: 1,000+ winners annually (highest odds) – Website: fgcu.org
Tier 3: University-Specific First-Gen Scholarships ($3K-$20K)
8. University of Michigan First-Gen Pledge – Award: Up to full tuition – Requirement: First-generation, family income <$65K – Odds: Varies (but generous program) – Website: umich.edu
9. Amherst College (First-Gen) – Award: Full need-based aid (meets full need) – Requirement: First-generation, admitted to Amherst – Website: amherst.edu
10. Williams College (First-Gen) – Award: Full need-based aid – Requirement: First-generation, admitted – Website: williams.edu
11. Harvard College (First-Gen) – Award: Full need-based aid – Requirement: First-generation, admitted – Website: college.harvard.edu
Note: Top universities increasingly have generous aid for first-gen students. Apply to a few reaches—they’re often more generous than expected.
Tier 4: Niche/Specific First-Gen Scholarships ($500-$10K)
12. Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) – First-Gen – Award: $1,000-$10,000 – Requirement: Hispanic first-gen, STEM major – Website: shpe.org
13. Business Professionals of America (BPA) – First-Gen – Award: $1,000-$5,000 – Requirement: First-gen, business career interest – Website: bpa.org
14. Your State’s First-Gen Grant Program – Award: Varies ($2K-$20K) – Requirement: First-generation, in-state – Website: [Your state] higher education agency – Examples: California’s Cal Grant, Texas Grant
15. Community Foundation Scholarships – Award: $1,000-$10,000 – Requirement: First-generation, local connection – Odds: 30-60% (less competitive than national) – Website: foundationcenter.org
The Strategic Application Plan
If you’re first-gen:
Apply to scholarships across tiers: – 2-3 Tier 1 scholarships (competitive but high value) – 3-4 Tier 2 scholarships (good odds, good money) – 4-5 Tier 3 scholarships (if you’re applying to that university anyway) – 5-10 Tier 4 scholarships (highest odds of winning)
Total applications: 15-20 scholarships Expected outcome: 4-7 scholarships awarded Average value: $5,000-$8,000 each Total: $20,000-$56,000
Over 4 years: $80,000-$224,000 in free money
The First-Gen Essay That Works
First-gen scholarships specifically want to hear:
- Your family background (be specific)
- Where are your parents from?
- What do they do?
- What barriers did they overcome?
- Why education matters to your family (not generic)
- What does your parents’ sacrifice look like?
- Specific examples
- Your commitment to higher education
- How will you honor their sacrifice?
- What’s your plan?
- How you’ll give back
- Will you mentor other first-gen students?
- Support your family?
- Give back to community?
Example opening: “My mother cleans offices at night to put food on our table. She never graduated high school—dropped out to work. When she tells me, ‘Mija, you’re going to college so you don’t have to do what I do,’ I hear her dreams embedded in my dreams. I’m the first in my family to graduate high school, apply to college, and have the chance to break the cycle. This scholarship would honor her sacrifice…”
Key: Show the real person and real sacrifice behind the label “first-generation.”
Pro Tips for First-Gen Success
- File FAFSA (even if you think you don’t qualify)
- First-gen families often don’t know to file
- You might qualify for grants you don’t expect
- Website: fafsa.gov
- Connect with first-gen office at college
- Most colleges have first-gen student resources
- Mentorship, workshops, community
- Often helps with scholarships/grants
- Tell every family member about scholarships
- Your parents/grandparents might work for company with tuition aid
- Relatives might qualify for specific scholarships
- Family networks = resource networks
- Apply early
- Scholarships often have rolling admissions
- First applicants have better odds
- Deadline doesn’t mean “close by deadline”—apply early