Higher education can be difficult to navigate, especially if you’re the first person in your family to go to college.
While first-generation students face unique challenges when applying to and paying for college, they also have access to many resources, from scholarships and grants to school-based programs dedicated to first-gen students.
A report from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., projects that by 2031, 72% of jobs in the U.S. will require postsecondary education or training, up from about 68% in 2021. Additionally, about 42% of jobs will require a bachelor’s degree, according to the study.
“First-generation students have an incredible ability for generational change through social mobility,” says Deana Waintraub Stafford, executive vice president of FirstGen Forward, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting first-generation students.
Who Is Considered a First-Generation Student?
While colleges provide a number of different definitions for “first generation”, most institutions consider first-generation students to be students whose parents did not attend college.
The term was established during reauthorization in the late 1970s of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and has remained in effect since then.
For federal funding purposes, including TRIO programs and the Pell Grant, first-generation students are defined as “an individual both of whose parents did not complete a baccalaureate degree.” Students of single-parent households are also considered first generation if their parent didn’t complete a higher education degree.
Be sure to check how schools of interest define first generation. Some institutions consider students whose parents obtained a higher education degree in another country as first-generation students. For instance, the University of California, Los Angeles considers a first-generation student “a student whose parent/guardian has not received a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree.”
According to FirstGen Forward, about 8.2 million first-generation undergraduate students are in the U.S., and they make up 54% of all undergraduate students nationwide.
How First-Gen Students Should Start the College Search
“An important starting place is going to someone who’s a trusted resource, whether it’s a mentor, a family friend, or family member, or even a high school counselor, and asking questions,” Waintraub Stafford says.
Professionals like teachers and high school counselors can help create a plan for graduation and beyond, experts say, and can help first-generation students become familiar with college application and financial aid resources.
“One of the things that was the biggest learning curve (was) learning the lingo of going in, applying for school, doing the Common Application, because my parents never went to college,” says Kevin Xie, a first-generation student pursuing a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pennsylvania.
Xie started his higher education journey as an undergraduate student at Temple University in Pennsylvania, and he says it was difficult to begin his college search.
“My parents didn’t have the education, but they also don’t really speak English, so I couldn’t rely on them,” he says. His parents immigrated to the U.S. from China, and he was born and raised in Philadelphia.
Xie sought advice and support from other adults like high school academic counselors, and from peers who were applying to college when he was.
[Read: How to Make a College List]
Financial Aid Options
Exploring financial aid options can also be challenging as a first-generation college student.
“If the families don’t necessarily understand the system and the benefits of it, then having that huge price tag associated with college can be a very scary thing,” says Avdeep Dhillon, co-founder and executive director of First Gen Empower, a nonprofit that supports first-generation, low-income and immigrant students.
Experts suggest students start their college search with finances in mind. College websites can provide a comprehensive guide to how much attendance might cost.
“One of the things we have all of our students do is the net price calculators that schools actually have on their own website,” says June Folliard, director of scholarship programs at the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “That’s a great place to start because you get a realistic sense of how much it might cost for you to go.”
It’s important to be realistic about finances, but scholarships, loans and other types of financial aid are available to bring down the cost of college. Experts say students should become familiar with financial aid options early on, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA, and the CSS Profile.
FAFSA deadlines vary by school, so students should check deadlines for each school they apply to. The application opens around Oct. 1 each year and closes on June 30 after the following year — around 18 months after the application opens.
The CSS Profile is mostly required by private schools, and it helps schools gain a more detailed and current understanding of a student and their family’s financial situation, since the FAFSA uses information from the “prior prior year’s” federal income tax returns.
According to the College Board, 85% of first-generation students complete the CSS Profile for free. A lighter version of the CSS Profile is also available to qualifying students at participating schools.
It costs $25 to file the CSS Profile for the first college and $16 for each additional school, but a student in a family living in the U.S. that has an adjusted gross income of under $100,000 a year can get the fees waived.
Experts also encourage students to apply for scholarships, since that’s money that doesn’t have to be repaid.
“Think beyond FAFSA,” Dhillon says. “There’s a lot of scholarships out there. The school itself might have a separate portal for scholarships that you can apply to independently.”
Sites like College Greenlight can also help students find scholarships they’re eligible for, Folliard says.
[Read: How Undocumented Students Can Get College Financial Aid]
Borrowing is another option students can explore. In addition to scholarships, grants and work-study, schools might include loans in a student’s financial aid award letter.
“Borrowing should be a thoughtful decision that balances cost with long-term outcomes so students can set themselves up for success after graduation,” says Katarina Ellison, a spokesperson for Sallie Mae.
First-Generation On-Campus Resources
In addition to academic advisers, schools provide various resources that can ease the transition to college life and help students stay on track academically.
Many schools offer summer bridge programs, which allow students to connect with mentors and experience campus life before jumping into their studies.
“Oftentimes, universities will offer summer bridge programs to help students get acclimated to college,” Dhillon says. “Once they’re in college, they’re given really high-quality intensive mentorship throughout their journey so they can help get to and through higher ed.”
Some states have programs dedicated to first-generation and low-income students.
For example, California’s Educational Opportunity Program helps first-gen students understand the college process from beginning to end, providing resources and mentorship for students applying for college and navigating academics and financial aid. The program is available through The California State University system, the University of California system and California community colleges.
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What to Know as a First-Generation College Student originally appeared on usnews.com