First Generation College Student Scholarships and Grants

Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship

The Coca-Cola Company offers scholarship assistance to first-generation Native American college students through the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship. The award is valued at $5,000 as of 2011. To be eligible, an applicant must be a college freshman in a tribal college who is able to prove American Indian or Native Alaskan status. In addition, an eligible applicant must have a GPA of at least 3.0, and demonstrate financial need. The annual application deadline is May 31.

The Florida Department of Education provides grant money to first-generation college students in the state through its First Generation Matching Grant Program. This program matches all funding that a first generation student procures from private sources. To be eligible, a student must be a resident of Florida and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident as well as an undergraduate student attending a Florida college. An applicant must fill out a FAFSA order to be eligible.

First generation students at Colorado State University may be eligible to receive education grant money through the CSU First Generation Award Program. This scholarship is awarded in amounts of up to $4,000 per year (as of 2011,) and may be renewable. To be eligible, a student must be an incoming freshman or transfer student and a resident of Colorado in financial need. The annual deadline for application is March 1.

Arizona State University offers a variety of scholarships specifically limited to first generation students. The Carole and Robert Behrens First-Generation Scholarship is available in the amount of $1,000 as of 2011. The Bidstrup Foundation First-Generation Scholarship is available as of 2011 in amounts ranging from $800 to $1,000. The Faire Elizabeth Virgin Sax Scholarships are available in the amount of $8,000 to first generation students who are residents of Mohave County and have GPA of at least 2.5 as of 2011. The annual application deadline for ASU first generation scholarships is February 15.