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Thanks to Student Senate legislation (S-110-07), the First-Gen Fund was created in 2024 to provide financial assistance to first-generation, Pell Grant eligible students. Eligible students may apply for funding up to two times within their undergraduate career (once/year). Applications, among other things, must provide a detailed breakdown of costs and a compelling reason for why this funding will directly impact their academic success at SMU. A committee, comprised of students and staff, will meet on a monthly basis to review the applications. After the meeting, applicants will receive a decision via email within one week. If you have any questions or concerns, please email or set up an appointment with the Director of the First-Generation Initiative.

Tuition aside, materials required for classes is expensive! Many of our first-generation students work multiple jobs to pay for laptops, textbooks and school supplies. Therefore, we offer modest funds to our undergraduate, first-generation students to cover or reduce the cost of their required course materials. Applications open three weeks before the beginning of the term, are offered on a first come first serve basis, and will close when funds run out (link will be inactivated). 

 

If you are a first-generation, undergraduate student who does not belong to another program providing free printing, please fill out this short form and at the beginning of the month, we will load funds to your PaperCut account to print around campus. You are able to reapply for this.

 

Set up a free Scholly account and this database will match you with eligible scholarships to apply. Be as detailed as possible when filling out your account. After setting it up you can filter through the scholarships based on how much effort it takes to complete the application.

The First Generation Civil Rights Fellowship Program, or FirstGEN, is a paid summer program for undergraduate students who are the first in their immediate families to attend college and who intend to pursue careers in social justice. Our mission is to identify and support first generation college students as they emerge into tomorrow’s leaders. Fellows receive hands-on experience advocating for civil rights, participate in training and professional development seminars, and join a growing community of emerging leaders in the FirstGEN Alumni Network. Fellows are placed with the national Lawyers’ Committee and its partners at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC).

There is something special about being the FIRST……especially being the first in your family to attend and graduate from college. I’m First!, an initiative of UStrive, is an online community celebrating first-generation college students.

Give first-generation college students a chance to benefit from the life-changing experience of studying abroad. This achievement-based scholarship program offers first-generation college students significant financial, academic, and pre-professional support for study abroad on a January, summer, semester, or year-long IFSA program.