fIRST-GEN orgs
nATIONAL organizations
1.
College Greenlight
College Greenlight was built for both first-generation and low-income students, and gives students access to a searchable database of more than $11 billion worth of scholarships.
College Greenlight will do the research for you, presenting a list of opportunities based on your academic, social and community accomplishments. Before you receive the results, you will be asked to provide your academic background and college preferences.
2.
Strive for College
With the UStrive platform, you can meet with a mentor online who can answer questions about the college application process, including about scholarships. Although the platform doesn't offer its own scholarships or database, your mentor can help you find the right scholarships to apply for.
Site: https://www.ustrive.com
3.
First Gen Fellows
Designed for first-in-family undergraduates who want to pursue a career in social justice, FirstGEN Fellows awards a one-time stipend of $1,500 per student. Besides receiving the award, the six fellows take part in a 10-week summer program interning in or near the District of Columbia.
​
If you're not interested in a career related to social justice, FirstGEN Fellows provides a list of organizations around the country that cater to low-income and first-generation students.
​
4.
Student Success Agency
Just as professional athletes have agents to negotiate their contracts, first-time college students should have someone who helps them navigate how to pay for college. That's the mission of Student Success Agency. It was founded by EJ Carrion, who knows firsthand how to score a full ride to college.
SSA says 90 percent of its agents received scholarships to attend college. They hail from 30-plus U.S. colleges. In addition to finding scholarships, your agent is available to help while you apply for and attend college. The company estimates that the average agent-student pair interacts around 45 times per month.
Unlike other support-oriented organizations for first-generation students, SSA charges a fee. To be paired with an agent, you have to fork over $65 per month.
​