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The Daily Insight

Can you get a scholarship for being the first in your family to go to college?

Author

Henry Morales

Published Mar 31, 2026

To qualify for a First Generation Scholarship, you must be the first in your family to attend a four-year college. Individual scholarships may have their own definition for “first generation.” You will need to check with each scholarship to see how they define it.

Can you get a scholarship for being an orphan?

There are many scholarships that require students to have a “unique” situation in order to qualify, which means there are scholarship providers out there offering orphan (parentless) scholarships. These orphan (parentless) scholarships can often be found through colleges and universities.

Are scholarships based on family income?

Each year, more than 1.7 million private scholarships and fellowships are awarded, worth more than $7.4 billion. Your family’s income doesn’t have to stand in the way. In fact, qualifying for such aid is often not based on income at all.

What is the first in family scholarship?

First generation scholarships are awards for students who are the first in their family to go to college. To qualify for a scholarship as a ‘first generation’ or ‘first scholar’, neither of your parents: Obtained a certificate or college degree. Earned an associate degree or more advanced degree.

What does it mean to be the first in your family to attend college?

First Generation College Student
What is a First Generation College Student? Being a first-generation college student means that you are the first person in your immediate family to attend college. In other words, neither of your parents has a college degree. Of course, a lot of questions come with being a first-generation college student.

Are you the first person in your immediate family to go to university?

Basically, if neither of your parents or in some cases any of your siblings have been to university, this is you, the first to go, so it could be worth your while taking a look at some of these scholarships available in case they suit your needs.

Is it good to be a first-generation college student?

As we’ve gone over, being first-generation is unlikely to hurt your chances of admission to a competitive college. In fact, your first-generation status may not only attract the attention of admissions officers, but also cause your application to be viewed more positively.

Can you be a first-generation graduate student?

A first-generation graduate student is someone who is in the first generation of their family to earn a bachelor’s degree and is now pursuing a graduate degree. Common challenges that first-generation graduate students may encounter include imposter syndrome, self-doubt, feelings of isolation, or uncertainty.

How do I know if I’m a first-generation college student?

The Department of Education, in the Higher Education Act of 1965 and 1998, clearly defines a first generation college student as a student both of whose parents did not complete a bachelor’s degree, or in the case of students who live with and are supported by only one parent, a student whose only such parent did not …

Do first-generation college students have an advantage?

In fact, your first-generation status may not only attract the attention of admissions officers, but also cause your application to be viewed more positively. Colleges may be more willing to forgive slightly lower grades, test scores, or extracurricular involvement for first-generation college students.

Where can I get a First Family Scholarship?

The First Family Scholarship is a competitive scholarship offered to students attending Catawba College in North Carolina. The First Family Scholarship is so competitive that applicants must literally compete for this prestigious award. Two competitions are held each year in November and March.

Why are there scholarships for first generation college students?

Access to higher education is an important measure of progress, so families that are sending their first members to college are given special consideration in the form of First in Family Scholarships. If you are your family’s first college student, this aid provides a leg-up towards increased educational mobility.

How to become the first in your family to go to University?

Worth £6,500 a year, this scholarship is open to students wishing to study law at Queen Mary, London University who have resided in the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham or Hackney for at least three years; household income of £42,600 or less and are the first in family to go to university.

When to apply for first generation minority scholarship?

Application Deadline: Varies. Amount: Varies. The First Generation Minority Student Scholarship is available for students enrolled in the College of Undergraduate Studies. This scholarship provides an opportunity for minority students whose parents did not attend college to complete a Christian college degree.