Biggest Schol­ar­ships for First in Family Students Top 25 Schol­ar­ships

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As the cost of tuition and other college-related expenses continue to soar, many students who are the first in their family to go to college are trying to decide how they can possibly find the funding to do it. While most first-generation students consider taking out loans, many others are wary of doing so as they do not wish to incur large amounts of student debt. However, this may seem like the only option for many these students. Thinking that their options are to take out a student loan in order to get a college degree or to not get a college degree at all, these first-generation students are putting themselves in a real quandary. They must decide whether or not to put themselves into what sometimes can be crippling student debt or to try to make a go at it in a job market that increasingly favors those with college degrees. It can seem like this situation is a lose-lose situation for many. Fortunately, there is another option that many first-generation students forget to consider.

Scholarships are a great way for students to combat the rising cost of college tuition and expenses without incurring unwanted student debt. While most people understand the concept of scholarships, free money that is awarded to students based on certain criteria, many students are completely unaware out how prevalent scholarships are and how easy they can be to attain. Seeming “too good to be true” many students right off the idea of even applying for scholarships as they believe that the process isn’t going to be worth the time. However, just last year alone, over $46 billion in scholarship and grant money was made available to United States students. That’s an incredible amount of free money just waiting to be claimed by students each and every year.

Students are able to get scholarships for many different reasons. One such scholarship is the first in family scholarship. A scholarship awarded to the first member of a family to attend a college or university, the first in family scholarship was created in order to fight intergenerational poverty. As many people know, poverty can be a hard cycle for a family to overcome. If a parent never had the opportunity to go to college, it’s likely that they, in turn, will not have the financial means to help send their child to college which perpetuates this type of poverty. Wanting to combat this issue, many individuals, colleges, and organizations have instituted first in family scholarships that designate money to people from these groups in order to ensure that everyone has an equal chance at a college education. Here’s a list of the largest scholarships available to first in family students. 

image 35The Odyssey Scholarship is offered to students by the University of Chicago. Founded in 1890, the University of Chicago is one of the top private, research universities in the entire country. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the University of Chicago has grown to become one of the biggest schools in the state of Illinois. Today, the University of Chicago is home to a student body of just over 16,000 students. Students at the University of Chicago are able to enroll in over fifty different academic majors as well as a variety of different masters and doctoral programs. Committed to diversity and representation on campus, the University of Chicago offers students a variety of different scholarship programs that help students fund their college education. Offered to students from different groups, the University of Chicago has instituted a very robust scholarship program.

One of the biggest scholarships available to first in family students, They Odyssey Scholarship has been integral to allowing students from lower-income families be able to fund their college education. Offered by an anonymous donor named “Homer”, the Odyssey Scholarship helps lower-income families who are trying to send students who are the first in their families to the University of Chicago. Students are selected for this scholarship based on their need and their family circumstances. This money that is offered to them is also able to be used on study abroad programs and other enrichment activities offered by the University of Chicago. If selected, students will receive $50,997 in scholarship aid. 

image 34The Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota First Generation Initiative Scholarship is offered to students by Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Located in Winona, Wisconsin, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota was founded in 1912. Originally founded as a men’s college, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is now one of Minnesota’s best private, coeducational universities. Having grown immensely over the years, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is now home to a student body of just over 5,900 students. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota offers its students a variety of degree programs ranging from undergraduate programs all the way up to doctorate degrees. Committed to representation and affordability, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has instituted a variety of financial programs to help students to be able to afford an education at the school.

One such program is the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota First Generation Initiative Scholarship. Noting one of the biggest barriers to breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty is the cost of a college education, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota created the First Generation Initiative Scholarship in order to help provide lower-income first in family students with the funding that they need to get a college education. Through this opportunity to get a college education, these students will now be in better positions to go out into the job force and start a career that will be much more promising and lucrative than if they had not received a college education. Students are selected for this program based on their academic performance and financial need. If selected for the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota First Generation Initiative, students will receive up to $46,000 in scholarship funding per school year.

image 33The University of Colorado Boulder First Generation Grant is offered to students by the University of Colorado Boulder. Located in Boulder, Colorado, the University of Colorado Boulder is the flagship university of the University of Colorado system. One of the best public research universities in the country, the University of Colorado Boulder was founded five months before Colorado was officially admitted into the United States in 1876. Since then, the University of Colorado Boulder has grown to enroll over 17,000 students in over 150 different academic programs. Committed to making sure that the University of Colorado Boulder is accessible to all students regardless of their financial background, the University of Colorado Boulder has started to implement a variety of financial aid and scholarship programs in order to award capable students with additional funding for their college education.

One of the biggest scholarships available to first in family students, the University of Colorado Boulder First Generation Grant awards capable students who might otherwise not attend the University of Colorado Boulder due to financial constraints. Wanting to help break the cyclical nature of generational poverty, the University of Colorado Boulder is offering the First Generation Scholars Grant to first in family students in order to encourage them to pursue a college education. It is believed that through this college education, these students will be able to attain a better career and break the cycle of poverty. Students are selected for the University of Colorado Boulder First Generation Grant based upon their academic performance and their financial need. If selected for this program, students can receive up to $8,000 in scholarship funding towards their degree.

image 32The Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship is offered to students by The Justice & Diversity Center. Founded in 1977, the Justice & Diversity Center is one of the largest and most distinguished legal services provides in San Francisco. A nonprofit organization, The Justice & Diversity Center was created in order to provide free legal services to low-income San Franciscans. Formerly known as the Volunteer Legal Service Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco, the Justice & Diversity Center has grown tremendously over the years. Every year, the Justice & Diversity Center offers approximately 45,000 hours of legal services each year for free and maintains a network of 2,000 volunteers. Thanks to the Justice & Diversity Center, many low-income San Franciscans have been able to have access to quality legal support.

Continuing to be committed to diversity, The Justice & Diversity Center also administers the Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship. One of the biggest scholarships offered to first in family students, the Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship was established in 1998 to reaffirm The Justice & Diversity Center’s commitment to diversity in legal education and the legal profession. Since its creation, the Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship program has worked to attract a variety of first in family students to pursue a college education. Over 99 students have been helped through this program, receiving more than $1.9 million in scholarship funding. If selected, students will receive up to $10,000 in scholarship funding for their law degree. 

Smith Scholarships are offered to students by the Smith Scholarship Foundation. Named after Mignon C. Smith, the Smith Scholarship Foundation was created in 2005 when Mignon C. Smith endowed The Smith Scholarship Foundation in the name her mother and father, Page T. Smith and J. Craig Smith. The Smith Scholarship Foundation was created to help students from Alabama who were the first in their family pay for their college education. Understanding the burden it might place on a family to send a student to college, and how poverty can perpetuate itself from generation to generation, the Smith Scholarship Foundation was created with the idea of helping students break the cycle of not gaining a college education.

The Smith Scholarship program is one of the biggest scholarships offered to first in family students. This scholarship is offered to all students from Alabama as they are getting ready to graduate high school. Students are chosen based upon their civic involvement and financial need. Through this scholarship program, students will receive full financial support for their college education up to $15,000 in scholarship aid. This scholarship funding will allow first in family students to get a college education without incurring large amounts of student debt. 

Screen Shot 2018 05 19 at 2.27.28 PMThe Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is made possible by the United States Department of State. Funded in part by the United States Department of State and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship was founded in order to honor the legacy of the late congressman, Benjamin A. Gilman. Born in New York, Benjamin A. Gilman was the main author of the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. Through the writing of this act, Benjamin A. Gilman established a system that would help students from a background with a higher financial need to have the opportunity to study abroad. Wanting to provide all students, regardless of their financial situation, the opportunity to see the world, Benjamin A. Gilman passed this legislation in order to help this group of students.

Now one of the biggest scholarships available to first in family students, the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship has been given to over 2,900 students since it was created over seventeen years ago. Administered by the Institute of International Education, the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship has been offered since 2001. Since its creation, the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship has been awarded to first in family students as well as minority students. Students are selected for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship based on their academic performance as well as their academic need. If selected, students will receive up to $5,000 in scholarship funding. 

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.17.26 AMThe Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship is made possible to students by the Coca-Cola Foundation. Founded in 1984, the Coca-Cola Foundation was created as the philanthropic arm of the Coca-Cola company. Since its creation, the Coca-Cola Foundation has raised over $820 million that has been invested into communities across the globe. Instituted by Roberto Goizueta, the Coca-Cola Foundation has grown to become a massive worldwide philanthropic organization. Now, Coca-Cola has committed to giving back 1 percent of its year’s operating income annually to be invested by the Coca-Cola Foundation. The Coca-Cola Foundation focuses on three areas of investment: women, water, and well-being.

One of the initiatives of the Coca-Cola Foundation is the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship. Offering one of the biggest scholarships to first in family students, the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship helps students who are the first from their family to ever gain a college education. Understanding that poverty is often past down generationally, the Coca-Cola Foundation wants to help fight that by offering first in family students the financial support so they can receive the education they need to lead a successful life. If selected for the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship, students will receive $5,000 in scholarship funding to the school of their choosing. 

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.15.14 AMThe David C. Lizarraga Fellowship is offered by TELACU in partnership with Toyota. Founded in 1968, TELACU was originally chartered as the Community Development Corporation. From its creation, TELACU was to help communities become more self-reliant self-sufficient. Instituting this idea of the TELACU model, TELACU created guidelines that called for businesses and organizations to not just measure their success through the bottom-line but also through what they offer to the community and whether they are making a positive social impact. Through the work of TELACU, businesses have become more beholden to the communities that they are part of and must act more accountable for the products and services that they release into the world.

One way that TELACU works to create better communities is through the creation of the David C. Lizarraga Fellowship. Offered in partnership with Toyota, the David C. Lizarraga Fellowship is one of the biggest scholarships offered to first in family students. Through this program, first in family students will receive financial support that will allow them to earn a college education without incurring large amounts of college debt. This program is offered to the student based on their academic performance as well as their demonstration of financial need. If selected, students will receive up to $5,000 in scholarship funding.

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.16.22 AMThe Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program is offered to students by Fontana Transport Inc. Based out of Southern California, Fontana Transport Inc. is a long haul trucking company that specializes in hauling loads throughout the entire country. The owners of Fontana Transport Inc., care very deeply about education and helping the future leaders of America get the education that they deserve. Through the money that they earn through their business operations, Fontana Transport Inc. hopes to raise funding that can be used to help students from different backgrounds afford their college education. Believing that all students should have access to a high-quality college education, Fontana Transport Inc. invests as much money as they possibly can into programs that allow students to achieve their education goals and become the best versions of who they can be.

One way that Fontana Transport Inc. achieves this is through the administration of the Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program. This scholarship is offered to students nationwide and is now one of the biggest scholarships for first in family students. Wanting to help level the playing field for students from lower income families, Fontana Transport Inc. offers this scholarship as they believe all students should have access to a public or private college education regardless of their family’s financial cal situation. By offering this scholarship, Fontana Transport Inc. hopes that it will provide students with the opportunity they need to succeed. If chosen for this scholarship, students will receive $5,000 in scholarship funding.

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.15.14 AMThe TELACU College Success Program Scholarship is made possibly by TELACU. Established in 1968, TEALCU has been operating for five decades. Originally known as the Community Development Corporation, TELACU has been helping build communities since its founding. TELACU was started in order to help build communities by partnering with businesses and organization in order to help them create business models that looked at more than just the bottom-line. With so many companies concerned with earning the most money as possible, TELACU worked with organizations to help them look at other additional metrics of success including community engagement and social impact. Through working with different organizations and businesses TELACU has helped to establish the notion that businesses should measure their success in more ways than just dollars.

One of the ways that TELACU works to help build communities is through the TELACU College Success Program. One of the biggest scholarships available to first in family students, the TELACU College Success Program works with first in family students in order to help provide them with the financial support that they need in order to advance their education to the next level. Believing that a college education should be accessible to everyone, the TELACU College Success Program is offered to students based upon academic performance and financial need in order to help those from different socioeconomic backgrounds to have the financial support needed to get an education. If selected for this scholarship program, students will receive $5,000 in scholarship funding. 

image 31The Fannie & Sam Constantino First Generation Scholarship is offered to students by St. John Fisher College. A private liberal arts college, St. John Fisher College was founded 1948. Located in Pittsford, New York, a suburb of Rochester, St. John Fisher College is named after John Fisher, an English Catholic bishop who presided over the Diocese of Rochester. Over the years, St. John Fisher College has grown to become a modestly-sized private college with a student body of approximately 3,700 students. Students who are enrolled at St. John College are able to choose from over thirty-five different undergraduate majors as well as a variety of masters and doctoral programs. Committed to making sure that St. John Fisher College attracts the brightest students, regardless of income or financial background, St. John Fisher College offers scholarships to students based upon certain factors.

One of the scholarships offered to students at St. John Fisher College is the Fannie & Sam Constantino First Generation Scholarship. Offered to students who will be the first in their family to attend a college, the Fannie & Sam Constantino First Generation Scholarship is designed to help attract students who might not be considering attending college due to their family not quite having the financial means to send them to college or their family not having a history of finding a college education to be important or necessary. Students are selected fro the Fannie & Sam Constantino First Generation Scholarship based on their academic performance as well as their financial need. If selected for the Fannie & Sam Constantino First Generation Scholarship, students will receive $5,000 in scholarship funding.

image 30The Regents’ Scholars Program is offered to students by Texas A&M University. Located in College Station, Texas, Texas A&M University is the flagship university of the Texas A&M University system. Established as The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Texas A&M University was founded in 1871. Today, Texas A&M University has grown to have one of the ten largest endowments of any university in the nation. With just under 69,000 students enrolled, Texas A&M University is the largest student body in Texas and is the largest in the United States. Students at Texas A&M University are able to enroll in over ten different academic colleges encompassing a large number of degree programs. Committed to accessibility and ensuring that students of all backgrounds can attend Texas A&M University, the school has instituted a variety of scholarship programs intended to help students from different backgrounds afford their education.

The Regents’ Scholars Program is just one of the scholarship programs offered to students by Texas A&M University. One of the biggest scholarship for first in family students, the Regents’ Scholars Program was established to assist first-generation college students. Recognizing that for many potential students that a history of generational poverty might make it hard for these students to fund their academic pursuits, Texas A&M University wanted to ensure that they offered a solution to these groups of students. Based upon academic performance and financial need, students who are selected for the Texas A&M University Regent’s Scholars Program receive up to $5000 in scholarship funding per year. 

image 29The Bernard & Audre Rapoport First Generation Scholars program is offered to student by McLennan Community College. Founded in 1965, McLennan Community College is located in Waco, Texas. Originally a small regional community college, McLennan Community College has grown to enroll over 9,000 different students. Partnered with a variety of Texas public universities, McLennan Community College works as a springboard for many students as they look to begin their academic careers. Committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to attend a college despite their financial situation, McLennan Community College has created a robust scholarship program designed to help provide aid to students from different backgrounds in order to ensure that a diverse group of students attends the university.

One such way that McLennan Community College accomplishes this goal is through The Bernard & Audre Rapoport First Generation Scholars program. One of the biggest scholarships offered to first in family students, this scholarship was designed in order to help students from families who have never had anyone attend college. Wanting to help families break the cycle of poverty, The Bernard & Audre Rapoport First Generation Scholars program intends to help twelve to fifteen different students each year. Students are selected for this scholarship based on their academic performance and their financial need. If selected for The Bernard & Audre Rapoport First Generation Scholars program, students will receive up to $5,000 in scholarship funding.

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.10.04 AMThe HEEF Architecture and Engineering Scholarship is offered to students by the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund. Founded in Orange County, California, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund was created to help Hispanic/Latino families fund their education. Since then, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund has expanded to also provide support for first-generation college students. Since the creation of the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund, over $2.65 million has been given to students in need of financial support. In order to raise money for these students, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund has partnered with a variety of different organizations including Edison International, Wells Fargo, and UnionBank. Through these partnerships, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund has been able to help students since 1993.

One of the many scholarships offered by the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund is the HEEF Architecture and Engineering Scholarship. Offered to first in family students of Hispanic descent, the HEEF Architecture and Engineering Scholarship is one of the largest scholarships offered to first in family students. Noticing a lack of representation in the field or architecture and engineering, the HEEF Architecture and Engineering Scholarship was created to attract students from different socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue an education in either architecture or engineering. Wanting to make sure that these industries were open to all students, the HEEF Architecture and Engineering Scholarship encourage more first in family students to pursue these degrees. If selected, first in family students will receive $3,000 in scholarship funding for their education. 

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.10.04 AMThe HEEF Mike Carona Foundation Law Enforcement Scholarship is made possible by the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund. Through partnerships with companies like Wells Fargo, Union Bank, and Edison International, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund has been able to help students fund their college degrees since 1993. Founded in Orange County, California, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund was started in order to help first in family Hispanic/Latino students pay for their college education. Wanting to help break the cycle of poverty in this community, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund has worked to give over $2.85 million in financial support to first in family students since its founding. Through their efforts, many students have been able to get an education they would never have been able to afford otherwise.

One of the biggest scholarships for first in family students is the Mike Carona Foundation Law Enforcement Scholarship. Made available to first in family students of Hispanic/Latino descent, the Mike Carona Foundation Law Enforcement Scholarship was created to award money to first in family students who are interested in pursuing an education that would prepare them for a career working in law enforcement. Wanting to encourage more diversity in the law enforcement community, the Mike Carona Foundation Law Enforcement Scholarship works to entice more students to enroll in a degree to prepare for a career in this industry. If selected for the Mike Carona Foundation Law Enforcement Scholarship, students will receive up to $3000 in scholarship funding towards the college or university of their choosing. 

image 28The Mercedes-Benz US International Scholarship is made possible by Mercedes-Benz, US International Inc. The American branch of Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz is a luxury car manufacturer. First moved to the United States in 1996, Mercedes-Benz US International is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. After researching a variety of different potential sites for the new production facility, Mercedes-Benz had chosen the city of Tuscaloosa, forever changing that history of this Alabama town. Since moving into Tuscaloosa, Mercedes-Benz has helped the city to grow. Over the course of the past three decades, over $5.4 billion has been invested into Tuscaloosa, Alabama by way of Mercedes-Benz US International. Through bringing this arm of the well-known luxury care manufacture to Alabama, Daimler AG was able to reinvigorate the local economy of Tuscaloosa.

Another way that Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz has been able to support the people of Alabama has been through the creation of the Mercedes-Benz US International Scholarship. One of the biggest scholarships made available to first in family students, the Mercedes-Benz US International Scholarship was created in order to help students fund their college education. Students for this scholarship program are selected by Mercedes-Benz US International based upon their academic performance. Open to students from across Alabama, this scholarship program prioritizes first in family students in order to give those students and families an opportunity to attend college. If selected for the Mercedes-Benz US International Scholarship, students will be awarded $2,000 in scholarship funding for the college or university of their choosing.

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.10.04 AMThe HEEF Arts Scholarship Program is offered to students by the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund. By partnering with companies like Union Bank, Edison International, and Wells Fargo, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund has been able to support students with the financial assistance that they need in order to get a complete college education since 1993. Established in Orange County, California, the Hispanic Education Endowment fund originated from the need to help first in family Hispanic/Latino families have the resources to fund a college education. In order to work with this community to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund has raised over $2.85 million to award to people from this community. It’s through these efforts that first in family students have been able to gain an education without incurring as much debt.

One of the scholarships offered by the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund is the HEEF Arts Scholarship. Offered to first in family Hispanic/Latino students who are interested in the arts, the HEEF Arts Scholarship is one of the biggest scholarships available to first in family students. Created in order to attract more first in family students to the arts, the HEEF Arts Scholarship awards academically gifted first in family students. To be considered for the HEEF Arts Scholarship, students must be doing well academically and have demonstrated a financial need for the scholarship funding. If selected for the HEEF Arts Scholarship, students will be awarded $2,000 in scholarship money for the college program of their choosing.

image 25The Carol A. Hurley Memorial Scholarship is made available to students by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. Established in 1965, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation is a public nonprofit agency created to advocate for students and families to help them get the knowledge and information they need, as well as the financial assistance, to achieve their education goals. Since the creation of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, over 421,000 students have received financial counseling to help them plan their academic future. The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation has also awarded nearly $630 million in scholarship and grant funding to students in need of financial support. With counselors in nearly every school in Vermont, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation is a prolific organization that has made a lasting impact on the people of Vermont.

One of the biggest scholarships available to first in family students, the Carol A. Hurley Memorial Scholarship is offered to students by the Vermont Students Assistance Corporation. Created to provide financial assistance to first in family students, the Carol A. Hurley Memorial Scholarship helps families to afford the college education of the first student they send to university. Through the massive amount of fundraising done by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, the Carol A. Hurley Memorial Scholarship is able to be made available to first in family students. To be selected for the Carol A. Hurley Memorial Scholarship, students must demonstrate a financial need and be in good academic standing. If selected, students will receive $1,000 in scholarship funding. 

image 27The First Generation Scholarship is awarded to students by Colorado Mesa University. Located in Grand Junction, Colorado, Colorado Mesa University was first founded in 1925. Originally known as Mesa State College, Colorado Mesa University has become one of Colorado’s based public universities. Since its establishment, Colorado Mesa University has grown substantially. With its endowment grew to $19.2 million dollars, Colorado Mesa University is also home to a student body of approximately 11,000 students. Students are able to earn associates, bachelors, and masters degrees at Colorado Mesa University. Committed to helping students from different backgrounds afford a college education, Colorado Mesa University has instituted a variety of different scholarship programs aimed at making college much more affordable for students.

One of the biggest scholarships available to first in family students, The First Generation Scholarship was created by Colorado Mesa University in order to give first in family students the financial support that they may need to fund their college education. Wanting to encourage families who have never had anyone attend college to send their children for a college education, the First Generation Scholarship acts as an incentive by Colorado Mesa University in order to entice this group of students. Students are selected for this scholarship program based upon academic performance, leadership qualities, and economic need. Those selected to receive The First Generation Scholarship are given $1,000 in scholarship aid.

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.06.02 AMThe Cynthia E. Morgan Scholarship is offered to students by the Cynthia E. Morgan Scholarship Fund. Established by John Kantorski, son of Cynthia E. Morgan, the Cynthia E. Morgan Scholarship Fund was created to honor her life. Passing away of cancer in 2004, Cynthia E. Morgan had become a very notable member of the Baltimore, Maryland community. Throughout Cynthia E. Morgan’s life, she worked many different jobs to ensure that her son John always had access to a quality education. Recognizing the immense importance of a college education, Cynthia worked tirelessly to ensure that enough money was saved up for her son’s education. To honor her legacy, John Kantorski created the Cynthia E. Morgan Scholarship Fund in order to ensure that other students will have access to the funding needed to receive a quality education. By providing scholarships to students, the memory of Cynthia E. Morgan is able to live on.

One of the biggest scholarships for first in family students, the Cynthia E. Morgan Scholarship was created to help as many outstanding first in family students get the financial support that they need in order to attend a college or university. Not wanting students to forego an education due to intergenerational poverty, the Cynthia E Morgan Scholarship Fund helps to provide first in family students with additional scholarship funding to ensure that they will be able to attend a college or university and receive a quality education without incurring debt. Students are selected for the Cynthia E. Morgan Scholarship based on their academic performance and financial need. Those chosen for the Cynthia E. Morgan Scholarship receive $1,000 in scholarship aid.

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Layton Family Foundation

image 26The Layton Scholarship is awarded to students by The Community Foundation of Shelby County. Founded in 1952, The Community Foundation of Shelby County was originally known as the Sidney Community Foundation. Located in Sidney, Ohio, The Community Foundation of Shelby County was created in order for the people of Sidney, Ohio, to raise money to be donated to community enrichment and worthy causes. Wanting to help streamline the process of charitable contributions in the city of Sidney, The Community Foundation of Shelby County wanted to establish an organization that would help guide people towards making charitable donations that The Community Foundation of Shelby County would then use to provide financial support to those in need. By entrusting this money to The Community Foundation of Shelby County, people would know that the donations would be going towards a good cause.

One of the good causes stewarded by The Community Foundation of Shelby County is the Layton Family Foundation Scholarship. Offered to students through financial contributions by the Laytons, the Layton Family Foundation Scholarship is one of sixty different scholarship offered to students by The Community Foundation of Shelby County. One of the biggest scholarships offered to first in family students, the Layton Family Foundation Scholarship was created by the Community Foundation of Shelby County in order to provide financial support to first in family students and their families. Wanting to ensure that more families begin the tradition of sending their students to college, the Layton Family Scholarship is awarded to outstanding students who are in financial need. If selected, students will be given $1,000 in scholarship aid.

image 25The Taigh Scholarship is made possible by The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. Founded in 1965, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation is a nonprofit public agency dedicated to advocacy and financial support of students and families in order to help them achieve their goals of a higher education. Since the establishment of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, over 421,000 students have received financial counseling that has helped them to make more educated financial decisions regarding their college education. The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation has also awarded over almost $630 million in grants and scholarships to students who are in need of financial support. Supplying trained counselors to almost every school in the state of Vermont, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation has been able to impact the lives of many students working towards a higher education.

One of the many scholarships offered by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, the Taigh Scholarship is one of the biggest scholarships available to first in family students. Established in order to provide support to first in family students and their families, the Taigh Scholarship helps encourage students from these groups by letting them know that their dreams to gain a college education are attainable. Through the awarding of this scholarship, first in family students are able to take some of the financial pressure off themselves, making them more likely to complete their college education. The Taigh Scholarship is awarded to students with high academic performance and financial need. If chosen, students will receive $1,000 in scholarship funding. 

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.02.21 AMThe Patty and Melvin Alperin First Generation Scholarship is offered to students by the Rhode Island Foundation. An organization made up of Rhode Islanders, the Rhode Island Foundation is a community fund created to help raise money to help fund projects meant to enrich the community and culture of the state of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Foundation is funded by citizens, companies, and other Rhode Island organizations. A philanthropic agency, the Rhode Island Foundation provides a variety of different services and support to the Rhode Island Community. Maintaining projects like the Civic Leadership Fund, the Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence, and the Carter Roger Williams Initiative, the Rhode Island Foundation has started a variety of different organizations and funds designed to alleviate particular problems within the state of Rhode Island. Through the stewardship of The Rhode Island Foundation, the state of Rhode Island has been able to flourish.

One of the many initiatives of the Rhode Island Foundation is the Patty and Melvin Alperin First Generation Scholarship. Established in 1998, the Patty and Melvin Alperin First Generation Scholarship was created by the Alperin family in order to help first in family students get the financial assistance they need to complete a college education. Having amassed great wealth in their personal careers, the Alperin family wanted to use their money in order to help give back to their community. Since the establishment of the Patty and Melvin Alperin First Generation Scholarship, over fifty families have received the financial support they’ve needed to send their first in family student to college. Students selected for this program receive $1,000 in scholarship funding to the college or university of their choosing.

Screen Shot 2018 05 30 at 11.01.12 AMThe Human Capital Scholarship is offered to students by the Asian Pacific Fund. Located in the Bay Area of San Francisco, the Asian Pacific Fund was created in order to raise money for the Asia and Pacific Islander community. Working to help a growing community within San Francisco and the United States, The Asian Pacific Fund was created in order to help provide resources to the Asian and Pacific Islander community in hopes to help have the community be more impactful on the community at large. The Asian Pacific Fund accomplishes these goals through philanthropy, community development, leadership, and awareness. Raising money from a variety of different donors, the Asian Pacific Fund works to allocated donations to Asian and Pacific Islanders in need. The Asian Pacific Fund also provides support to over seventy different affiliated organizations in order to support the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

One of the ways that the Asian Pacific Fund has been able to support their community is through the Human Capital Scholarship. One of the biggest scholarships available to first in family students, the Human Capital Scholarship was created by the Asian Pacific Fund in order to provide financial incentive to first in family Asian and Pacific Islander families for getting a college education. Wanting to encourage more first in family students to enroll in college, the Asian Pacific Fund offers this scholarship in order to help ensure people that they will be able to afford their college education. Students are selected for the Human Capital Scholarship based on their academic performance, civic engagement, and financial need. When chosen for the Human Capital Scholarship, students are given $1,000 in scholarship aid.

image 24The First in the Family Humanist Scholarship is made possible by the Black Skeptics Group. Established in 2010, the Black Skeptics Group is a community-based, volunteer, nonprofit organization. Founded in order to provide resources and education to humanists, secularists, and non-believers color, the Black Skeptics Group has grown to become an invaluable resource for atheists, agnostics, freethinkers and skeptics of color. Through their work, the Black Skeptics Group has been able to provide community outreach programs, educational support, and social justice initiatives to support the Black skeptic’s community. Supporting those who are marginalized within minority communities, the Black Skeptics Group values the idea of humanism. Championing the notion that humanity is defined by morals’ ethics, and options of justice, the Black Skeptics Group works to create a world of greater equality for all.

One way that the Black Skeptics Group helps different communities is through the creation of the First in the Family Humanist Scholarship. One of the biggest scholarships offered to first in family students, the First in Family Humanist Scholarship is awarded to first in family students who have shown an interest in humanism. Wanting to encourage more students to attend college in spite of their family history, the Black Skeptics Group is also working to combat intergenerational poverty by offering these students the financial support that they need to get a college education. Wanting to see more representation of humanist ideas in higher education, the Black Skeptics Group is also offering this scholarship to students who show an interest in humanism. If selected for the Black Skeptics Group’s First in Family Humanist Scholarship, students will receive $1,000 in scholarship funding.

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