I think you qualify. I don’t know how much of a hook it is but I’ve encountered special info for 1st gens on a couple of college’s admissions sites. Some schools give special scholarships to 1st gens. This page at VA Tech explains 1st generation and gives a good timeline of what you need to do during the application process:
http://www.admiss.vt.edu/first-generation-students/
and a video:
http://cnre.vt.edu/media/video/2014/cnre-diversity-and-inclusion-2014.html
Google “First generation -school name-” and see if there are special pages for the schools you are considering.
If you have colleges you are considering, look at each school’s “Common Data Set.” You find it by googling, for instance, “VA Tech Common Data Set.” There will be a list of what they consider for entry ( ex. 1st gen, interview, race, essay…) and what they don’t consider. (I haven’t looked lately but I don’t think that particular school considers interviews or essays).
Common Data Set will also give you a clue about which classes they expect you have taken and what the GPA and SAT spread is among admitted students.
Be sure and do the cost of attendance calculators for schools you’d like to attend and have at least one you can afford without borrowing too much. You can only borrow $5500 freshman year without parents as cosigners. Have the conversation NOW (well not at 2 a.m.) with your parents to see what they can contribute. Even if they think they can’t give you anything they can probably give you what they spend on food and clothing. Good luck!