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Many colleges and universities have specific programs, resources and events for first-generation and limited-income students. These programs can include academic support, mentorship, and career/networking opportunities.
Click on a state to find colleges that provide these types of programs.
There is at least one college in each of the 50 states (plus D.C.).
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Click on a state to find colleges that provide these types of programs.
There is at least one college in each of the 50 states (plus D.C.).
Choosing the Right College for You
Deciding which college you’ll attend isn’t easy because there are many things to consider: cost, student diversity, graduation rates, starting salary for graduates, and more. So, how do you pick the one that’s best for you?
Don’t worry, FGLIstudents.org is here to help. Using our exclusive College Results Score (CRS) makes this decision easier than ever. Plus, it takes into account factors that are of special importance to first-generation and limited-income students.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you’ve been accepted to the following two colleges. Which one would you pick and why?
Many students would automatically select College ABC because its cost is much lower. But, that logic only takes into account one of several important factors, and it focuses exclusively on a short-term benefit at the expense of a potential long-term payoff.
Don’t forget that college isn’t an expense; it’s an investment. You’re only going to pay tuition for the next 4 years, but you’ll be earning a salary for the next 40 years. So, you should consider College XYZ more than you initially did because its average salary is much higher.
You can start to see the problem here. Looking at each metric individually doesn’t work. You need to look at colleges more holistically. In other words, you need a way to combine multiple metrics into one overall score. Until now, you really only had one option: college rankings. We’ve all heard about the problems with rankings. One of the biggest is that they don’t give much weight to issues that are most important to FGLI students.
Fortunately, you now have alternative to using traditional college rankings – one that is designed to meet the unique needs of first-generation and limited-income students.
College is an investment not an expense.
College is an investment not an expense.
The FGLIstudents.org College Results Score (CRS)
What is the CRS and how does it work? It’s an easy way to compare colleges by incorporating four commonly-used metrics into one overall score. The higher the score, the better.
Here’s an example. Remember Colleges ABC and XYZ from above? You can see how each college fared using the CRS calculation.
According to our CRS, College XYZ is the better choice. Why? Because it incorporates multiple factors, including tuition, salary, graduation rates, and student diversity.
Why is this important? Because paying low tuition is great if you’re going to graduate in four years. But, the reality is that most college students don’t. So, you should be just as concerned about graduation rates, and not just the average graduation rate for all students. The graduation rate of FGLI students is more relevant.
You'll only pay tuition for 4 years, but receive a salary for 40
FGLIstudents.org College Results Score (CRS) isn’t perfect, but no one number is, not even a college’s ranking. But, our CRS gives FGLI students a second way to evaluate which college is best for them – a way that is designed especially for their unique needs. Give it a try. You might be surprised at what you find out.
For more details see the video below. Good luck!
You'll only pay tuition for 4 years, but receive a salary for 40
What is a TRIO program?
TRIO programs for undergrads aka Student Support Services (SSS) can be found in all 50 states. Many colleges give their programs additional names such as Aspire, Horizons, and S.C.O.P.E. Students are usually required to apply to these programs and prove they meet eligibility requirements.
What is a College program?
College programs are, as the name suggests, created by individual colleges. There are far fewer of them than TRIO programs, and they are more likely to be found at private colleges. Unlike TRIO programs, College programs usually welcome any student who identifies as first-gen or limited-income.
Number of Students Served: TRIO
Most TRIO programs serve a very small percentage of FGLI students on campus.
Number of Students Served: College
Most College programs are open to all FGLI students on campus.
Paid for By: TRIO
TRIO programs are paid for by the Federal government via grants to colleges.
Paid for By: College
College programs are paid for by colleges themselves.
Not all FGLI programs are the same.
The two most common types are TRIO and College-Sponsored.
Not sure how to tell if a program is TRIO or College-Sponsored?
Look for the link to the college website (see examples below).
What is a TRIO program?
TRIO programs for undergrads aka Student Support Services (SSS) can be found in all 50 states. Many colleges give their programs additional names such as Aspire, Horizons, and S.C.O.P.E. Students are usually required to apply to these programs and prove they meet eligibility requirements.
Number of Students Served: TRIO
Most TRIO programs serve a very small percentage of FGLI students on campus.
Paid for By: TRIO
TRIO programs are paid for by the Federal government via grants to colleges.
What is a College program?
College programs are, as the name suggests, created by individual colleges. There are far fewer of them than TRIO programs, and they are more likely to be found at private colleges. Unlike TRIO programs, College programs usually welcome any student who identifies as first-gen or limited-income.
Number of Students Served: College
Most College programs are open to all FGLI students on campus.
Paid for By: College
College programs are paid for by colleges themselves.
Example #1 (TRIO program)
University of Minnesota (Minneapolis)
10
$ 17,419
18 %
Percentage of students
who are eligible
for a Pell grant
74 %
Average annual cost
for in-state students
after financial aid
Average annual income
1O years after
starting college
FGLIstudents.org
College Results
Score*
$ 65,087
6-year graduation rate
for students who are
eligible for a Pell grant
10
$ 17,419
18 %
Percentage of students
who are eligible
for a Pell grant
74 %
Average annual cost
for in-state students
after financial aid
Average annual income
1O years after
starting college
FGLIstudents.org
College Results
Score*
$ 65,087
6-year graduation rate
for students who are
eligible for a Pell grant
Example #2 (College program)
Rice University (Houston)
12
$ 17,805
17 %
Percentage of students
who are eligible
for a Pell grant
92 %
Average annual cost
for in-state students
after financial aid
Average annual income
1O years after
starting college
FGLIstudents.org
College Results
Score*
$ 87,254
6-year graduation rate
for students who are
eligible for a Pell grant
10
$ 17,419
18 %
Percentage of students
who are eligible
for a Pell grant
74 %
Average annual cost
for in-state students
after financial aid
Average annual income
1O years after
starting college
FGLIstudents.org
College Results
Score*
$ 65,087
6-year graduation rate
for students who are
eligible for a Pell grant
Fun Fact: Some colleges have both, and some have one of these programs plus a student organization (see examples below).
Sad Fact: Some colleges don't have either. All colleges listed on our site have at least one of these programs.
Example A (TRIO and College program)
Univ. of California - Davis (Davis)
22
$ 14,920
31 %
Percentage of students
who are eligible
for a Pell grant
87 %
Average annual cost
for in-state students
after financial aid
Average annual income
1O years after
starting college
FGLIstudents.org
College Results
Score*
$ 74,305
6-year graduation rate
for students who are
eligible for a Pell grant
10
$ 17,419
18 %
Percentage of students
who are eligible
for a Pell grant
74 %
Average annual cost
for in-state students
after financial aid
Average annual income
1O years after
starting college
FGLIstudents.org
College Results
Score*
$ 65,087
6-year graduation rate
for students who are
eligible for a Pell grant
Example B (Student organization and one program)
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
12
$ 17,086
18 %
Percentage of students
who are eligible
for a Pell grant
88 %
Average annual cost
for in-state students
after financial aid
Average annual income
1O years after
starting college
FGLIstudents.org
College Results
Score*
$ 79,580
6-year graduation rate
for students who are
eligible for a Pell grant
12
$ 17,086
18 %
Percentage of students
who are eligible
for a Pell grant
88 %
Average annual cost
for in-state students
after financial aid
Average annual income
1O years after
starting college
FGLIstudents.org
College Results
Score*
$ 79,580
6 year graduation rate
for students who are
eligible for a Pell grant
If there isn't a student organization, you can start one!
Let Us Know Which College You Chose & Why
We would love to hear
which one you chose, and
what led you to that decision!
Each program will offer a variety of different services and resources. Here are a few to look for when deciding which school is best for you.
We would love to hear
which one you chose, and
what led you to that decision!
Let Us Know Which College You Chose & Why
Do you know of a college not on our list, let us know! Ask on each page.
Monthly Poll w/ results for last months question
For May:
What are your summer plans?
We would love to hear
which one you chose, and
what led you to that decision!