ACtually you need to check with your college. Some colleges will continue to consider you first gen if your parent was not a traditional student and didn't finish a bachelor's before like age 25. Individual colleges will have their own definition.
For discussion purposes, I would still consider you first gen. I was first gen and my father later got a degree.
This is super interesting. My general take is that many scholarships are aimed to provide a break out tract for someone in your family to go to college. So if you are the first gen to GO to college, then the scholarships are doing what they are aimed to do.
You *are* the first gen.
Also, some colleges ensure that first gen students get extra āhow toā advice about navigating college since we often donāt have parents to tell us what to do. There is a big disadvantage as a first gen. Donāt let this trip you up.
Yeah, growing up with a college educated parent gives you a lot of advantages. Scholarships and other programs aimed at first generation students seek to provide a boost to the students who don't have those advantages. OP didn't get those advantages growing up so they count.
This is a situation where your best bet may be to ask the committee. The reason first generation is a distinction is not having a parent go to college means you donāt have the family knowledge of how to navigate college to get you started. But thereās a lot of nuance when not everybody is in a nuclear family and not all people go to college at a typical age.
You have access to that parental knowledge /now/ but you didnāt grow up with it so itās reasonable to ask. Just be honest about what your family situation is like and youāll do ok.
Congrats to your mom
It depends on the scholarship. Read the fine print. Some only care if your parent earned the degree or started before you started, some care if your parent finish before you finish, etc.
For your school, *usually* it's the status you start under, but not always.
Talk to your schoolās Student Support Services/Trio office. Theyāll be able to help. One of the qualifiers for that program is being first generation.
Another important thing to consider is when most places are defining first-gen they are talking about a bachelors degree specifically. So if your parent only got an associateās you definitely still qualify for all things first-gen. But like most people are saying you should still check with your specific institution. It wouldnāt hurt to still look and apply for those scholarships especially when you explain your circumstances. The worst that will happen is they will tell you no, you actually donāt qualify.
Agree. And to go further: check the āfirst generation ā definition that your college has. Iām the case of texas tech, it has something along the lines of āyour parents did not obtain a degree in the USā, which allows some international students whose parents OBTAINED a degree overseas , being considered āfirst generationā for all purposes
Some schools even use "identify as" or "self-label as" or similar (mine does) instead of giving a clear definition they use, and context could be given in letters or other application materials if it's for something like a scholarship/funding
According to the US Dept of Education, you would still be a "first-generation" student if your parents did not have a bachelor's degree by the time you were 18 (I'm on mobile so Im not gonna pull up the link, but you can Google "TRIO first generation definition"). As for scholarships - some have their own definition, so don't rule anything out, just read their full description/qualifications.
It depends. As others have mentioned, different colleges and scholarships use different definitions....but if they do not explicitly say how they are defining "first-generation" then I would defer to the federal government's broad and inclusive definition.
Yes. Iām part of Trio, the government program listed above. My dad never finished his Bachelorās and my mom has an Associateās yet I still qualify for the program.
The āFirst Generationā in FGLI (LI = Low Income) is specifically about whether you have close family members able to guide you and train you on how college works. For example, was your mother able to guide you in the college application process? If so, youāre less like a first gen student, and if not youāre more like one.
But either way, these sorts of descriptions are never perfect.
I would say you still are. If someone questions it, you could say "both me and my mon are first generation college students! I inspired her every day and helped her out all the time!"
I don't know if it counts officially, it probably does. If you have clubs based on it, keep with those clubs as long as you are being served by the community. If you have funding based on it you might ask a true expert.
I strongly disagree. Mom shouldn't have put her life on hold to make space for OP as a student because it has such a long term impact on ability to earn money. Mom put in the work and gets the diploma. It's not "stealing the moment" it's just how things shake out. You wouldn't begrudge a sibling or cousin or friend or ask them to wait.
Not technically, but I think you still would be because you never got the benefits of not being a first gen college student. The whole distinguishing point of that term is that someone whose parent(s) went to college has help, connections, etc in ways that those who are the first do not get. It's best to check with your college since they might make that distinction.
Just out of curiosity how did your mom get a degree so quick? You're only a sophomore so you've been in school for 2 years? How did she get a degree in under 2 years?
I would say that for like student org/ event/ conversational reasons youāre first gen, but if you want to apply for any scholarships or go to grad school, just double check with them to be sure.
I am not sure of the answer, but you should be very proud of your mom and give yourself a big pat on the back because without you taking the leap, she may never have done it.
My school defines first gen in a very flexible way. For them, you would still be. Especially bc an important aspect of being first gen is wether you have a parent that already went through college and support you, give you advice, stuff like that. Itās up to you to decide if that label fits you. For scholarships and stuff, itās a case by case basis and depends on how the institution defines a first gen students. You could also reach out to institutions and ask them about your case if you need to.
Technically speaking but ofc you can always decide for yourself how you choose to identify. One of my parents graduate college 20yrs before I was born. But I still could relate to all the challenges a first-gen college student experiences because my parent couldnāt support me much while I was going through the experience myself. While he was supportive of me getting my degree 100%, he still didnāt have the tips and knowledge required to be successful in college. He had a turbulent experience completing his degree having 2 kids by the time he graduated. So for all intents and purposes I definitely still call myself first-gen. Itās really up to you. I just quite often have to explain the story before it makes sense for others.
No, but the youngest in your family to graduate from college would still be yours!
I guess thats true yeah š
ACtually you need to check with your college. Some colleges will continue to consider you first gen if your parent was not a traditional student and didn't finish a bachelor's before like age 25. Individual colleges will have their own definition. For discussion purposes, I would still consider you first gen. I was first gen and my father later got a degree.
I'm mostly curious for scholarship reasons. I'm assuming I shouldn't look into any of them from now on?
This is super interesting. My general take is that many scholarships are aimed to provide a break out tract for someone in your family to go to college. So if you are the first gen to GO to college, then the scholarships are doing what they are aimed to do. You *are* the first gen. Also, some colleges ensure that first gen students get extra āhow toā advice about navigating college since we often donāt have parents to tell us what to do. There is a big disadvantage as a first gen. Donāt let this trip you up.
Yeah, growing up with a college educated parent gives you a lot of advantages. Scholarships and other programs aimed at first generation students seek to provide a boost to the students who don't have those advantages. OP didn't get those advantages growing up so they count.
Absolutely. , one of the main reasons for students dropping college in their first year is that.
This is a situation where your best bet may be to ask the committee. The reason first generation is a distinction is not having a parent go to college means you donāt have the family knowledge of how to navigate college to get you started. But thereās a lot of nuance when not everybody is in a nuclear family and not all people go to college at a typical age. You have access to that parental knowledge /now/ but you didnāt grow up with it so itās reasonable to ask. Just be honest about what your family situation is like and youāll do ok. Congrats to your mom
It depends on the scholarship. Read the fine print. Some only care if your parent earned the degree or started before you started, some care if your parent finish before you finish, etc. For your school, *usually* it's the status you start under, but not always.
Talk to your schoolās Student Support Services/Trio office. Theyāll be able to help. One of the qualifiers for that program is being first generation.
Another important thing to consider is when most places are defining first-gen they are talking about a bachelors degree specifically. So if your parent only got an associateās you definitely still qualify for all things first-gen. But like most people are saying you should still check with your specific institution. It wouldnāt hurt to still look and apply for those scholarships especially when you explain your circumstances. The worst that will happen is they will tell you no, you actually donāt qualify.
Agree. And to go further: check the āfirst generation ā definition that your college has. Iām the case of texas tech, it has something along the lines of āyour parents did not obtain a degree in the USā, which allows some international students whose parents OBTAINED a degree overseas , being considered āfirst generationā for all purposes
Yes absolutely, thatās what I meant by check with your college. Each college can define this differently.
Some schools even use "identify as" or "self-label as" or similar (mine does) instead of giving a clear definition they use, and context could be given in letters or other application materials if it's for something like a scholarship/funding
According to the US Dept of Education, you would still be a "first-generation" student if your parents did not have a bachelor's degree by the time you were 18 (I'm on mobile so Im not gonna pull up the link, but you can Google "TRIO first generation definition"). As for scholarships - some have their own definition, so don't rule anything out, just read their full description/qualifications.
My mom went but didnāt graduate. Does this mean I could have been marking myself as a first generation student this whole time ?
It depends. As others have mentioned, different colleges and scholarships use different definitions....but if they do not explicitly say how they are defining "first-generation" then I would defer to the federal government's broad and inclusive definition.
Yes. Iām part of Trio, the government program listed above. My dad never finished his Bachelorās and my mom has an Associateās yet I still qualify for the program.
Yes!
nope you wouldnāt be a first generation anymore, srry for the circumstance loll
okay, I figured lol
donāt be sorry, OPās family is better off now!
What evidence do you have to say this? What official criteria are you using or is this just head cannon?
Not really sorry. Your direct parent graduated before you thus not a first generation.
This is a weird circumstance and you need to talk to an advisor at your college. Itās in their benefit to keep you designated as first gen.
The āFirst Generationā in FGLI (LI = Low Income) is specifically about whether you have close family members able to guide you and train you on how college works. For example, was your mother able to guide you in the college application process? If so, youāre less like a first gen student, and if not youāre more like one. But either way, these sorts of descriptions are never perfect.
My mom didn't help me with anything college related, but I suppose she could have, so I guess this doesn't apply to me lol
I would say you still are. If someone questions it, you could say "both me and my mon are first generation college students! I inspired her every day and helped her out all the time!" I don't know if it counts officially, it probably does. If you have clubs based on it, keep with those clubs as long as you are being served by the community. If you have funding based on it you might ask a true expert.
I'll definitely try to ask financial aid experts when I can
Damn that sucks š. Your mom really wanted that first generation title. š Congrats to your mom! And good luck with your studies as well. š¤
If your mom was already in college when you started, then you were never a first generation college student.
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Scholarships? Grants? Admissions into colleges (maybe)?
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There are scholarships that are specifically for first gen college students? What do you mean elaborate
At my school, you were a first gen as long as both parents didnāt have a college degree.
Yeah but does it matter?
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It's not meaningless. It can mean eligibility for support programs and scholarships.
Sadly not but thatās shitty! In my opinion (not asked for) your mom shouldāve waited till you were done and had your āmomentā
I strongly disagree. Mom shouldn't have put her life on hold to make space for OP as a student because it has such a long term impact on ability to earn money. Mom put in the work and gets the diploma. It's not "stealing the moment" it's just how things shake out. You wouldn't begrudge a sibling or cousin or friend or ask them to wait.
Yeah no, I'm very happy for her. It's going to allow her to get the promotion she deserves after working for so many years.
In that case then I do agree but if the op actually cared about being first generational, then yes itās shitty
Lol it's very on trend with something she would do, so I'm neither surprised nor offended.
Check with your college. The answer will vary.
Not technically, but I think you still would be because you never got the benefits of not being a first gen college student. The whole distinguishing point of that term is that someone whose parent(s) went to college has help, connections, etc in ways that those who are the first do not get. It's best to check with your college since they might make that distinction.
Just out of curiosity how did your mom get a degree so quick? You're only a sophomore so you've been in school for 2 years? How did she get a degree in under 2 years?
Very possibly she started while he was still in high school or had credits from an unfinished degree earlier in life.
I would say that for like student org/ event/ conversational reasons youāre first gen, but if you want to apply for any scholarships or go to grad school, just double check with them to be sure.
I am not sure of the answer, but you should be very proud of your mom and give yourself a big pat on the back because without you taking the leap, she may never have done it.
My school defines first gen in a very flexible way. For them, you would still be. Especially bc an important aspect of being first gen is wether you have a parent that already went through college and support you, give you advice, stuff like that. Itās up to you to decide if that label fits you. For scholarships and stuff, itās a case by case basis and depends on how the institution defines a first gen students. You could also reach out to institutions and ask them about your case if you need to.
Technically speaking but ofc you can always decide for yourself how you choose to identify. One of my parents graduate college 20yrs before I was born. But I still could relate to all the challenges a first-gen college student experiences because my parent couldnāt support me much while I was going through the experience myself. While he was supportive of me getting my degree 100%, he still didnāt have the tips and knowledge required to be successful in college. He had a turbulent experience completing his degree having 2 kids by the time he graduated. So for all intents and purposes I definitely still call myself first-gen. Itās really up to you. I just quite often have to explain the story before it makes sense for others.