I’m a senior and will be applying to colleges in a couple of months and was just wondering if I would be considered a first generation student if my parents attended college in a different country (a country in East Africa). They both did not complete college and neither received a degree and ended up moving to the U.S and had me.
Your parents still attended college regardless of finishing.
The colleges do not ask if you are a First Generation college student, but you will submit your parents schooling information and they will make that determination. Most would probably say you are not First Generation but that is up to each college.
You are a first generation college student if your parents weren’t able to complete their education. I am a parent of a 2021 college student and my Son was considered a first generation student because his father and I went on to successfully work without finishing our college due to financial constraints. Do you have dual citizenship? If you do add that to your college resume.
This is from Brown University and other Universities have similar responses to FAQ’s;
Q: How do I know if I am a first-generation college student?
A: The formal definition of a first-generation college student is a student whose parents did not complete a four-year college degree. At Brown, we think of it more as any student who may self-identify as not having prior exposure to or knowledge of navigating higher institutions such as Brown and may need additional resources. For example, if a parent attended a four-year college in a different educational system outside of the United States; if a student has only had close contact to people with minimal college experience; if a student and/or parent feel that they are unfamiliar with college culture at Brown-- these are diverse ways in which students might identify with the first-generation identity.
Being first-gen may also have greater saliency for some students more than others and at different phases in their education – from a first-year undergraduate through the final stages of doctoral or medical education. First-gens are diverse in myriad ways and span socio-economic classes, international, domestic, religions, races and ethnicities, sexual orientations, etc. Our program, student organization, and community do not require students to share their familial background or their reasons for joining the community.
What are you hoping to gain by being first generation?
Sometimes this is a help with admissions…but you posted your question in the financial aid forum.
@thumper1 Please be kind to this High School student, this is a legitimate question. Many Universities accept a high percentage of first generation students. Also, first generation students will more often completely appreciate and work harder to achieve the major accomplishment of being the first in their family to complete a degree.
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I don’t think I was being unkind…but what is the hope of being first generation? Is it admissions (where first generation MIGHT help…at some schools? Or is there a hope that the student will get financial aid because they are first generation (not likely…unless there is a specific scholarship that specifies it is for first generation students only).
I do think first generation can help in admissions to some colleges…but I don’t think it’s much help in terms of getting financial aid.
So…I think it’s a fair question to ask what the student is hoping to gain?
The question is legitimate, once again, because it is a hook. Just as having a parent that gives them a legacy advantage or any other hook. You asking “what the OP has to gain”, looks like you are expecting a teenager to explain why she has the question. This is the OP’s question. What do you gain, by knowing why the question was asked or motivation for their knowing the answer ? This is none of any ones business. I’m seriously confused as to why you asked what this kid is hoping to gain.
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Maybe because thumper wants some clarification so they can help the OP out further? Perhaps the OP is asking for admissions purposes or for a scholarship?
I don’t see why this is being called out. Thumper’s question is just as legitimate as the OP’s
Also, this is the financial aid forum. If the OP is asking in terms of admission, they might get more responses on an admissions page, too. But like it has already been said, different universities may handle this differently. It’s best to read each school’s policies
It really isn’t a hook. Being first generation isn’t a hook in and of itself. If you’re a poor, first generation student then sure- maybe.
thumper said absolutely nothing wrong.
OP, I was a first gen student and it didn’t do anything for me. Sometimes scholarships asked if you had challenges- and one of them can be that you were raised in a non-college educated household. You weren’t.
Is there some specific scholarship or school that you’re applying to that asks? If so, you probably should ask the school or scholarship sponsor directly.
@harvestmoon, Financial aid and scholarships are inclusive of admissions and hooks, as in having low parental income, first generation, GPA , ACT/SAT-scores etc.
This is a scholarship forum in addition to a Financial aid forum.
I found the question by Thumper very odd. Financial aid, Scholarships and admissions are considered in the application process. Maybe you are correct, Maybe Thumper just wants to help and I was wrong in asking why?
Goodness, screenname. thumper was literally asking why this OP was asking. Is it for a college scholarship? Is it for an outside scholarship? Is it just for admissions?
The answer to those questions help us direct the OP.
You’re reading WAYYY into thumper’s post something that is simply NOT there.
OP, I do hope you’ll come back.
Yes, @Screennamekiddo, I really do think Thumper was trying to help and understand. I also agree that the OP’s question applies to lots of things (scholarships and admissions), which is why a question of “what are you trying to gain?” can help provide more guided advice (scholarships to look for, maybe, certain schools to consider, etc)
I hope we didn’t frighten lightningspirit, high schooler, away with all of the comments and questions. Wishing the best to all future college applicants. May they get the answers to their questions during the stressful application process. And lightning just struck near by my home because of Tropical Storm Cindy. I think it’s a sign to stop posting.
Michigan State probably would not care, but at some schools it is a hook.
If they are first generation and low income, our state U (for example) has a special program with more financial aid and closer monitoring for academic progress and some specific sections of some freshmen classes - all geared to help students who may need extra academic/social support.
So I would say that possibly it would help beyond admissions at some schools - depending on student’s situation.
Some colleges consider students first gen if their parents didn’t earn a degree, some don’t if they went at all. As stated, on the common app you put in the info for your parents and the colleges use that info as they want.
If @lightningspirit is asking about applying to scholarships that are for first gen students or something else, generally the specific scholarship will say what they mean by that.
I’m sorry if I confused anyone by posting this forum in the Financial Aid and Scholarship. Again, as I already stated I just asked this question because I was “just wondering”. I wanted to know if it was worth mentioning in my application. I really appreciate those who stuck to the original question and didn’t ponder too much about where exactly it was posted. And for those who must know why I posted this in Financial Aid and Scholarship it was because I have heard certain scholarships that ask if you are first gen and wanted to know if I was qualified.
^ the answer is to check each scholarship to see how they define it, @lightningspirit
Thank you for the clarification.
As with admissions…you may find that different scholarships will have different criteria in terms of whether or whether not you are considered first generation.
You could contact the scholarship awarding entity and ask. If it’s a national scholarship, or something college specific, someone here might be able to help you with the specifics.
As they say…YMMV depending on the scholarship.