So I plan on going away to college in the fall of 2019. I was looking at financial aid options and found that first generation college students earn quite a bit. My dad went to college for 3 years and majored, but didn’t complete college and didn’t earn any degree. My mother went to community college for a year and didn’t earn any degree. Because of this, would I be a first generation college student or would I not count as one?
Yes, if your parents don’t have a college degree you are a 1st generation college student.
what do you mean by “first generation college students earn quite a bit.”? First gen is a hook but it won’t make up for mediocre stats. Are you Pell eligible?
It depends on the school. Each school determines what is considered first gen; some schools consider no college, while others consider the parent has not completed a bachelors.
I agree with @TomSrOfBoston: What do you mean about that statement “first generation college students earn quite a bit”?
Also you need to distinguish between need-based financial aid and merit based financial aid. Some schools only give need-based FA and 1st generation is a consideration if you are also low income. Merit aid is based on GPA/Test scores above the averages in most cases.
Does first generation mean parents didn’t go to any college/university or specifically in the US?
The definition of first generation depends on the school. At some schools a first generation is someone whose parents did not graduate college, at other schools it is someone whose parents never set foot in a college. A person’s whose parents graduated from a college abroad are typically not considered first generation.
The college application has no box to check for first generation. The applicant will put his/her parent’s educational history down and each college will decide if that person is first generation or not. If applying to any scholarship or other program be careful to read the definitions/qualifications etc. thoroughly.
If your parent went to college anywhere in the world you should include it on your application