Our Opportunity

Our Opportunity

We partner with higher education, philanthropy, business, the public sector, and others to catalyze first-generation student success.
AdobeStock_148297287-1
AdobeStock_485398728-1

The Future is FirstGen

FirstGen Forward provides data, training, and expertise for a growing network of colleges and universities around the country to scale and sustain the important work of serving first-generation students. We also engage a broad coalition of advocates and allies across the public and private sectors to ensure support for this critical population. Our cause matters to students, families, higher education, and our country—and will have an impact for generations.

Consider this data:

54%

There are 8.2 million first-generation undergraduate students; 54% of all undergrads in the U.S.

2x

First-generation students are applying to college at twice the rate of continuing-generation students.

24%

The first-generation student graduation rate is 24%; the continuing-generation student graduation rate is 59%.

88%

College graduates are 88% more likely to be employed; earn higher wages; and twice as likely to be civically engaged (i.e., volunteering, voting).

The demographics illustrate the intersectional identities of the first-generation student:

50%

Over 50% of first-generation students are students of color;

62%

62% of students who are veterans are first-generation students;

65%

65% of students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are first-generation; and

67%

67% of students attending Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs) are first-generation;

60%

60% of students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are first-generation.

72%

By 2031, 72% of jobs in the U.S. will require postsecondary education or training.

18.5m

Between 2021-2031, 18.5 million job openings are expected per year; 12.5 million of those will require postsecondary education.

41k

There’s a powerful economic mobility impact on first-generation students who come from households with a median family income of $41,000.

4.4m

Closing the completion gap will result in 4.4 million more graduates and a net benefit of $700 billion to the U.S. economy.

AdobeStock_562135449-2-1

Our Solution

Promote, champion, and sustain an effective, diverse, multi-sector movement working to ensure the necessary support and ecosystem for first-generation students to thrive in college and beyond.

Our Strategies

Strengthening and Expanding the FirstGen Forward Network

FirstGen Forward works directly with higher educational entities on strategies for improving first-generation student success by driving innovative and evidence-based solutions, providing professional development and customized expert guidance, and supporting institutional transformation to advance systemic, scalable impact. Currently, there are over 400 institutions in the Network, with a plan to add hundreds of schools to the Network in the next four to six (4–6) years.

Serving as an Indispensable Resource for the Entire Field

There are approximately 5,800 higher education institutions across the nation. Through the collaboration with Network institutions and additional insights from other work, we will leverage its learnings, resources, and expertise to disseminate scholarship, research, best practices, and thought leadership to benefit the entire field of higher education.

Enhanced Focus on Data Insights and Sharing Best Practices

With a wealth of diagnostic tools and data compiled over the last decade, we will enhance our analysis and insights capabilities to develop and promote scholarly research and data-informed practices as the primary resource for postsecondary education to advance first-generation student outcomes. We aspire to be the premiere source for facts, data, and expertise about first-generation students, helping all stakeholders understand the connections between educational success and workforce impact.

Building and Sustaining a Multi-sector Coalition

We will lead a multi-sector coalition across public and private sectors to advocate for the necessary resources, partner support, and public policies to create and sustain an environment where first-generation students can succeed in college and beyond.

Cultivating and Securing the Resources

We will work tirelessly to assemble the financial resources necessary to advance our operations and accomplish our mission.

AdobeStock_620149616 (1)-min
AdobeStock_946835815-1

Partner with Us

Learn about ways in which you can support FirstGen Forward and first-generation students across the country.