First Generation College Students

You made it to CU Boulder and adjusted to life on a new campus. This is a huge accomplishment on its own. As a first-generation college student, you have the opportunity to be the first in your family to ever live abroad while in college. Now is the time to start thinking about your next step! 
 

Did you know?

  • There are programs for different lengths of time, and there are programs that are comparable in price to what it costs to attend CU Boulder.
  • There are programs that will help fulfill academic requirements – including major coursework –so you can still graduate on time.
  • Financial aid can be used on approved CU Boulder programs. Additional scholarships are also available.

Benefits:

  • Many employers view education abroad as an admirable attribute; it can display an applicant’s flexibility, cultural adaptability, and experience with diverse populations.  Having an education abroad experience on your resume can help set you apart in a competitive job market.
  • You will gain confidence and the assurance that you can succeed in many situations.  It is an accomplishment that will continue to give back even after returning to Boulder.
  • Gaining knowledge of another community abroad can help widen your scope and help you to see things in your own community from a new perspective.  Many education abroad alumni become more active citizens in their own home communities, and many have made connections that have taken them abroad again after graduation.

Useful Resources to Begin Your Exploration:

  • IES Abroad: A great resource for students going abroad, including blog posts by first-gen students.
  • Center for Cultural Connections & Community: Comprehensive services and innovative programs that support and advance the intellectual, personal, cultural, and social development of diverse students, with a focus on first generation students.
  • CU-LEAD Alliance and Scholarship Program: A CU program comprised of diverse academic learning communities which offers a range of services and financial benefits for highly motivated students of color and first generation college students.
  • DA Global: This website provides tips for first generations students on how to best prepare for studying abroad; includes advice, scholarship information, student testimonials, and more.
  • First in the Family: Videos, hard facts, tips, planning checklists, and words of inspiration from first generation students who have already completed high school and college, as well as resources for current first-gen students.
  • Global Opportunity Scholarship: A scholarship specific for First-Year First Gen students with unmet financial need; scholarship funds must be used before graduation. 


 

"Studying abroad allowed me to travel to places I never thought I’d be able to go, meet people I never could have met otherwise, and have once-in-a-lifetime experiences – all for just barely more than what I would pay for a regular semester here at CU!"


- Education Abroad Participant (Alicante, Spain)