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First-Generation Scholarships can make a huge difference for students who are the first in their families to earn a college degree.

Find TONS of awards here!

First-generation scholarships, sometimes referred to as “first-gen” or “first in family” scholarships, are those awards offered to students whose parents have not gone to college at all or have not completed a bachelor’s degree.

In other words, the student applying for first-generation scholarships will be the first in their family to go to college and earn a four-year degree.

All students in the same family whose parents have not earned a four-year degree can usually be considered eligible to apply for first-generation scholarships and not just the first student to attend college, but check the guidelines of each award carefully. (I cannot stress that enough!)

Students with parents who have earned AA degrees are also usually considered first-generation college students.

Are you a first-gen student or the parent of one?

Here are some fantastic scholarships and resources for first-generation students:

FRYE LAW GROUP ONWARD SCHOLARSHIP (Open to residents of Georgia only.)

THE SEDAGHAT SCHOLARSHIP FOR FIRST-GENERATION ACHIEVERS

COLLEGE PREP SCHOLARSHIP

FIRST OF US SCHOLARSHIP

EDUCATION ACCESSIBILITY SCHOLARSHIP

JEREMY SCHULMAN SCHOLARSHIP FOR FIRST-GENERATION AMERICANS

FIRST GENERATION SCHOLARSHIPS

FIRST IN FAMILY SCHOLARSHIPS

BIGGEST SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FIRST IN FAMILY STUDENTS

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FIRST TO COLLEGE STUDENTS

9 FIRST GENERATION SCHOLARSHIPS TO HELP YOU PAY FOR COLLEGE

Open to High School Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors! APPLY NOW HERE

FIRST GENERATION GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

4 ORGANIZATIONS FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS CAN USE TO FIND SCHOLARSHIPS

College Scholarship Tip: When writing essays for first-generation scholarships, students should share personal stories about what a college degree would mean to them and how their parents’ lack of a degree has made a difference in their life.

[Be sure to read How to Write an Amazing Scholarship Essay here.]

You can learn more about the scholarship process in my ebooks, How to Win College Scholarships: Guides for Parents and Students in 10 Easy Steps, which also contain information on writing a strong essay, locating awards, impressing the judges, and creating stand-out scholarship applications. Download them now here and find out how to greatly increase the chances of winning scholarships for you or your student.

Monica’s ebooks were a huge help for us- also the scholarship spreadsheet available on her site. Definitely a small investment that paid off big for us…my daughter’s first semester is paid through scholarships. We found the local ones to be the most accessible- our career center would send out a weekly email with them listed- local ones didn’t really start coming out until around January- some national ones are earlier in the fall-also get on Monica’s email list– it was a huge help too! We also worked it as a team- I would find them and put them on the spreadsheet then give my daughter reminders of due dates as they came close- all of this is explained in her ebooks,” Mary, Scholarship Help and College Talk for Parents group member

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Do you have a college scholarship question? I would be happy to answer it!

Ask in the comments section below or email me at info@how2winscholarshps.com.

Are you a first-generation college student? Apply for these scholarships now! Click To Tweet

Monica Matthews

Monica Matthews is the author of How to Win College Scholarships. She helped her own son win over $100,000 in college scholarships and now shares her expertise with other parents and their students. She truly has “been there, done that” in regard to helping parents and students navigate the scholarship process.

Her method of helping students in finding college scholarships, writing unique and compelling scholarship essays, creating amazing scholarship application packets, and more have taught desperate parents to help their own students win thousands of scholarship dollars. She teaches them how to apply S.M.A.R.T. with outstanding results.

Monica’s scholarship tips have been featured on many prominent websites, and she has been dubbed the “Go-To” expert on college scholarships.

Quick & Easy Scholarships

$2500 Scholarship, no essay or minimum GPA

$1000 Easy Money Scholarship

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship

$1000 A Portrait of You Scholarship

$2500 Christian College Scholarship

10 Comments

Amber Temerity on February 5, 2019 at 4:38 pm

I’m technically a first gen, but never considered myself to be in regards to these scholarships because my mom got her Associate’s right before I started high school; lesson learned! ^_^
- Monica Matthews on February 5, 2019 at 7:00 pm
  
  I was too, Amber. I wish I would have known about First Gen scholarships when I was struggling to pay for college. 🙁
Rachael Stray on February 6, 2019 at 6:39 am

This is ever so useful!
- Monica Matthews on February 7, 2019 at 8:12 am
  
  Thanks, Rachael!
Jennifer on February 10, 2019 at 10:34 am

What a great opportunity for students from families that never went to college.
- Monica Matthews on February 10, 2019 at 1:28 pm
  
  Exactly! Thanks, Jennifer. 🙂
M Selvey on December 30, 2019 at 7:49 pm

My daughter will be the first person to attend college ever on my husband’s side. I have a BS. Does being first for the Selvey family qualify her at all?
- Monica Matthews on December 30, 2019 at 8:15 pm
  
  Hi, unfortunately, because you have a BS degree, your daughter does not qualify as being a first-generation student.
Mindi Richey on June 12, 2022 at 5:02 pm

Are First Gen scholarships only for students attending a Four year college? Our son plans to attend a 2yr and transfer to a 4 year
- Monica Matthews on June 12, 2022 at 6:08 pm
  
  It depends on the scholarship requirements, Mindi. They are all different. Check the guidelines carefully.