Advocacy & Policy
FirstGen Forward engages policymakers to ensure they center first-gen students in decisions impacting student success and workforce development.
A voice for FirstGen
By mobilizing a national coalition of colleges, corporations, and nonprofit partners, we serve as a force multiplier for student success champions seeking lasting, systemic change that drives first-gen student success and the nation’s economic growth.
First-gen students are the future of America’s workforce—the talent pool from which the United States must draw to remain globally competitive. When we invest in first-gen student success, we invest in the nation’s success.
Our Policy Priorities
Increase awareness of first-gen students’ experiences and economic impact
Strengthen first-gen-focused data infrastructure
Increase college access and success for first-gen students
Hold institutions, corporations, and other stakeholders accountable for first-gen student success
Identify and create federal and state funding opportunities
First-generation College Celebration
First-Generation College Celebration (FGCC) is an annual opportunity to raise awareness of the first-generation college student identity by advancing an asset-based, national narrative of these students’ experiences and outcomes.
