Last Updated on 09/03/2026 by Ethan Sawyer
Written with Charlotte West, with thanks to Erika Coplon (College Essay Guy), Matt Rubinoff (Strive for College), and Jamiere Abney (Oregon State University).
“Something that I realized over the course of my college career is that low-income, first-gen students have to overcome so many obstacles to get to the same place that other students have sort of had their mind set on their entire lives. For a lot of my peers, their parents have been telling them that they’re gonna go to the University of Michigan their whole lives. Their teachers and college counselors and everyone were telling them what to do and how to get there and helping them along. A lot of my first-gen, low-income peers had to figure a lot of things out for themselves and they had to navigate this process that was not designed with them in mind. We should take a lot of pride in that because the fact that we did not have this path set out for us, but still chose to forge it for ourselves is incredible.”
— Lauren Schandevel, graduate of the University of Michigan
What Does It Mean to Be a First-Generation Student?
Being “first-gen” generally means that neither of your parents completed a four-year college degree, though definitions can vary by college. If this is the case, you may not be able to ask your parents about navigating the application process—and you might find yourself explaining things like financial aid to them, rather than the other way around.
It doesn’t stop there once you arrive on campus either. Speed bumps keep coming. As counselor Amanda Miller puts it: “My sister had no idea how many ‘credit hours’ would be a good idea, so she signed up for 21 credit hours her first semester. (That’s a LOT.) That lesson almost prompted her to quit before she realized others weren’t taking nearly as many classes. These easily preventable setbacks can make the whole college experience a bit more daunting for first-gens.”
Around a third of all college freshmen are first-gen, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Many first-generation students are also low-income and many are students of color—though not always.
Who Qualifies as a Low-Income Student?
The most common way colleges define low-income students is by Pell Grant eligibility. Pell Grants fund students with exceptional financial need who haven’t yet earned a bachelor’s degree. Approximately 22.2 million students—or 32% of all undergraduates—receive Pell Grants. Because they’re grants and not loans, you don’t have to pay them back. To see how many students at a college you’re interested in receive Pell Grants, look up the school’s Common Data Set and check Section B.
Students who don’t qualify for Pell Grants can still face significant financial stress, especially as the gap between financial aid and cost of living continues to widen—particularly in cities with expensive housing markets.
Seven Tips for First-Generation and Low-Income Students
- Prioritize schools that meet full need and offer need-blind admissions—but read the fine print. Need-blind admissions means a college doesn’t consider your financial need in the admissions decision. But that doesn’t guarantee a loan-free aid package. Same with “meeting full need”: some colleges do it without loans, others include loans. Ask the specific colleges on your list for details.
- Look for colleges with programming specifically for first-gen and low-income students. These might be mentorship programs, orientation experiences, academic and career support offices, or a dedicated resource center. These programs exist because colleges know the transition is harder for first-gen students.
- Use your experience in your personal statement. Counselor Amanda Miller notes: “It doesn’t need to be your entire essay, but don’t be afraid to share how your experiences—including being first in your family to attend college or being low-income—have shaped how you’ve grown and gained perspective and focus. That’s precisely the sort of thing colleges want to know about you.” You can also describe significant responsibilities—like working to support your family or caring for younger siblings—in the Activities or Additional Information sections.
- Ask for help when you’re confused. If something about the application process seems weird or unclear—or something feels off once you get on campus—ask for support. Admission officers and college staff want to help, but they may not know you’re struggling.
- Know you’re not alone. Around one-third of all college students are first-generation and/or low-income. Many are afraid to talk about it. You don’t have to be.
- Use the Common App fee waiver. The Common App has a fee waiver section where you can confirm eligibility and avoid application fees. Applying outside the Common App? Ask the admissions office if fee waivers are available.
- Find your people before you move in. Look online or call your admission officer to identify offices and people you can turn to when you hit a speed bump. These services—available at no cost—might include Residence Life, a Student Success Center, Career Services, an LGBTQ+ Center, a Diversity Center (which may have been renamed at some schools), or the Counseling Office.
Words of Wisdom from an Admission Dean: “Students are not always able to participate in sports, student government, or other activities because their responsibilities at home preclude doing so. However, students often don’t realize that taking care of siblings, working part-time, and similar commitments can demonstrate a high level of leadership, service, and responsibility. Students should list these in the Activities List section and expand in the Additional Information if needed.”
— Patricia Peek, Dean of Undergraduate Admission at Fordham University
A First-Gen Student Shares Her Story
Lauren Schandevel, a University of Michigan graduate who created The Being Not Rich Guide for low-income students on her campus, says she didn’t ask anyone for help when she was applying to college.
“It ended up sort of shooting me in the foot because I didn’t know a lot about the programs that I was applying to. So when I applied to Columbia University, I applied to their journalism school because I didn’t know the difference between undergraduate and graduate programs.” She also didn’t contact admissions officers because she was afraid they’d think she wasn’t serious.
“I wish I had gone in knowing my own strengths as a first-gen, low-income student because I feel like that identity was something I had to develop over time.”
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know Until You Get There
The experience of being a first-gen and/or low-income college student can feel like culture shock. Mai Mizuno, a student at USC, described it this way: “You’re walking into these spaces and you’re realizing that the world is not as you thought it was back in the fields of Kansas. And you’re realizing that social capital matters, who you know matters. And you see other people who are able to just sit back on their heels and not worry about working X hours a week like you do so you can pay for food, for housing, for tuition on top of your courses.”
Professors and staff may make assumptions about who’s in the room, and students may not be aware of the unspoken norms and expectations on campus. Knowing this going in—and knowing where to find support—helps.
Questions to Ask During Your College Search
Strive for College’s I’m First! Guide to College features profiles of 163 colleges committed to serving first-generation students. Matt Rubinoff, former Chief Strategy Officer for Strive for College, shared these questions to ask when researching schools:
- Does the college meet 100% of demonstrated financial need?
- Is the financial aid package loan-free, or are loans included?
- Are there additional scholarships or grants for first-generation or low-income students?
- Does the school offer emergency funding for unexpected expenses?
- Does the college have a fly-in program, open house, or campus visit program for students like me?
- How diverse is the student body and faculty?
- Does the campus foster a welcoming environment for first-gen students?
- Is there an orientation or summer bridge experience to help with the transition?
- What attention is given to first-year students during the transition to college?
- Are there peer mentoring opportunities to connect with upper-class students?
- What academic advising and personal counseling resources exist?
- Does the school have a support office or student organizations for first-generation or multicultural students?
- Are there year-round housing options and flexible meal plans?
- Does the school have a basic needs center or food pantry for students facing food insecurity or housing instability?
How to Get Free One-on-One Mentorship
Strive for College pairs first-gen students with mentors through a partnership with the Common App. Sign up at www.ustrive.com or opt in through your Common App account.
The Matchlighters Scholars Program at College Essay Guy provides free one-on-one help from experienced counselors on college essays and building a balanced college list. The program pairs hundreds of students with counselors each year. To sign up for free help, go to collegeessayguy.com/matchlighters. Counselors can sign up to be mentors at that same link.
You’ll find many more resources at www.imfirst.org, including video testimonials from first-gen students and graduates, a blog written by current first-gen college students, and information on how to get the I’m First! Guide to College.
Fly-In Programs
Special thanks to Jamiere Abney (Colgate University) for contributions to this section.
Fly-in programs are travel subsidy programs that typically offer overnight campus visits for students traditionally underrepresented in higher education—including BIPOC students, rural students, and students who would be first in their family to attend a four-year institution.
Who is eligible? Institutions actively seek students from underrepresented communities, including those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and first-generation students. Applications open in the summer after junior year. Eligibility varies, so check with the admission office.
How do I find out about them? Sign up for each college’s mailing list—schools often share fly-in information via email and on their websites. Some programs are nomination-based through school or community organizations; others are open to any interested student. You’ll typically need to submit an application with a short essay and your transcript and test scores.
Advice for Students Who Can’t Visit Campus
If you can’t visit a school in person, don’t fret.
- Use a virtual tour if the college offers one.
- Reach out to admission staff and alumni in your area. Admission officers travel widely to promote their colleges, and many schools connect students with regional alumni for one-on-one interviews.
- Visit similar schools nearby. Maybe you can’t fly to the private liberal arts college across the country—but you can visit one an hour away. Use nearby colleges to get a feel for different types of academic and social environments.
Advice for Students from Rural Areas: “Students coming from rural areas and small towns add dimensions of diversity that are often absent from college campuses. I recommend that students from rural places talk about what it’s like to grow up and attend school in their communities. Highlight the types of co-curricular experiences they have that may be different from others… Think about a discussion about healthcare access in a college seminar. For students growing up in large cities, they might point to lack of access to preventive healthcare in low-income neighborhoods. Students in rural areas may have a completely different perspective—perhaps they are an hour or more away from an emergency room. Those worldviews must be present in our classrooms.”
— Andrew Moe, Ed.D., former Director of Admissions, Swarthmore College
Further Resources
- CEG’s First-Generation and Low-Income Resource Center
- The Matchlighters Scholars Program
- Fly-In and Diversity Visit Programs for College Students
- I’m First! Guide to College
- The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs
- CEG Podcast Episode 209: Paying the Price (with Sara Goldrick-Rab)
- CEG Podcast Episode 210: The Being Not-Rich Guide
