As with all college students who leave home, finding new friendships and relationships at college is an important part of integrating into campus life. According to Tomorrow’s Professor’s Postings at Stanford University, first-generation college students often need advice on how to handle this kind of pressure, and many times they have to decide what and whom they must leave behind. At Ivy League schools and other elite campuses across the country, tuition, room and board, and books are often covered by scholarships, grants, and other sources for first-generation students. To participate in the campus social life, however, can often cost hundreds or thousands of dollars more. Whether the school has an active Greek community or students spend their weekends and vacations traveling, there are many ways that first-generation, lower-income students are left out of the college experience.
I’m First First Gen Fellows America Needs You Opportunity Nation
The goals of the Harvard First Generation Student Union (FGSU) are:
To facilitate the transition to college for first generation students through initiatives such as providing mentorship networks and sharing academic and social resources among membersTo build a community among first generation Harvard studentsTo provide the first generation student community a platform to express its voice and to advocate for themselves.
