Texas A&M University Office for Student Success

Faculty and Staff Resources

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First-Gen Coordinating Committee

The First-Generation Coordinating Committee convenes monthly, bringing together representatives from undergraduate colleges, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and satellite campuses to advance first-generation status success.

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First-Gen Forward

In January 2020, Texas A&M University was recognized as a First-Gen Forward Institution. The University is a national leader in advancing first-generation student success.

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Be a part of First-Gen Fun

The Routh First-Generation Center in the Office for Student Success holds the First-Generation Celebration Bash in Aggie Park. Students are welcome to visit resource tables with free goodies, enjoy the lively DJ and grab a plate full of delicious lunch.

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Interested in paying it forward? Join the Faculty and Staff First-Gen Network!

The First-Gen Network is comprised of both of individuals who are themselves first-generation college students and individuals who are supportive of first-generation students through the work they do here at TAMU.

Are you a former student?

Join the First-Gen Former Student Network

The First-Generation Former Student Network is a Chartered Constituent Network of the Association of Former Students. The group was founded in 2022 and officially chartered in Fall of 2023.

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Educational Research on First-Gen

First-Gen Fact Sheets
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FirstGen Forward is committed to producing dedicated first-generation data and research to the field, allowing for evidence-based decision-making that is critical to first-generation student success— in education, career, and life.

These fact sheets were produced for FirstGen Forward by RTI International, an independent, nonprofit research institute. The suggested citation for each fact sheet is provided below.

 

 

First-generation College Students’ Achievement and Federal Student Loan Repayment (Fall 2024)

This fact sheet presents statistics about first-generation and continuing-generation students’ degree attainment and federal student loan repayment. The fact sheet represents the six-year outcomes of students who first enrolled in college in academic year 2011–12.

Highlight: Six years after starting college, 24% of first-generation students and 59% of continuing-generation students had earned a bachelor’s degree.

Suggested Citation: RTI International. (2024). First-generation College Students’ Achievement and Federal Student Loan Repayment. Washington, DC: FirstGen Forward. Retrieved from First-generation College Students’ Achievement and Federal Student Loan Repayment

 

 

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Fact Sheet 4

First-generation College Graduates after Four Years: Employment, Finances, and Additional Education (Spring 2024)

This fact sheet describes first-generation college graduates’ experiences with employment, finances, and additional education four years after they earned a bachelor’s degree. The fact sheet includes median earnings, employer type, and the percentage who enrolled in graduate school.

Produced with support from the Crimsonbridge Foundation

Highlight: 14% of first-generation college graduates and 24% of continuing-generation college graduates had enrolled in a research or professional doctorate program within four years of earning a bachelor’s degree.

Suggested Citation: RTI International. (2024). First-generation College Graduates after Four Years: Employment, Finances, and Additional Education. Washington, DC: FirstGen Forward. 

 

 

First-generation College Graduates after Four Years: Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: 2020 to 2021 (Spring 2024)

This fact sheet describes first-generation college graduates’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2020 to 2021. The fact sheet includes statistics about failing to meet essential expenses, deferment on private student loans, and taking on additional family or child care, among other difficulties.

Produced with support from the Crimsonbridge Foundation

Highlight: 14% of first-generation college graduates and 8% of continuing-generation college graduates did not meet essential expenses in the previous year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation: RTI International. (2024). First-generation College Graduates after Four Years: Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: 2020 to 2021. Washington, DC: FirstGen Forward. 

 

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First-generation College Students in 2020: Demographics, Characteristics, and Postsecondary Enrollment (Winter 2023)

This fact sheet shows the percentage of undergraduate students who were first-generation college students, their parents’ median income, their race/ethnicity, and other selected characteristics. The fact sheet also displays the percentage of undergraduates who were first-generation college students by type of minority-serving institution and by college sector.

Produced with support from the Crimsonbridge Foundation

Highlight: The median income of first-generation students’ parents was $41,000 in both 2016 and 2020, but the median income of continuing-generation students’ parents increased from $90,000 in 2016 to $103,000 in 2020.

Suggested Citation: RTI International. (2023). First-generation College Students in 2020: Demographic Characteristics and Postsecondary Enrollment. Washington, DC: FirstGen Forward.

 

 

First-generation College Students’ Experiences During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic: January to June 2020 (Winter 2023)

This fact sheet describes the experiences of first-generation undergraduate students during the early COVID-19 pandemic, from January to June 2020. The statistics shown include the percentage of first-generation students who withdrew from their college, who had difficulty accessing or paying for food, and who received emergency financial assistance through their college.

Produced with support from the Crimsonbridge Foundation

Highlight: Twelve percent of first-generation students and 7 percent of continuing-generation students had difficulty accessing or paying for food as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation: RTI International. (2023). First-generation College Students’ Experiences During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic: 2020. Washington, DC: FirstGen Forward.

 

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National Data Fact Sheets on First-generation College Graduates (2021)

These fact sheets provide national statistics about first-generation college graduates’ transition to graduate school and employment in the year after earning a bachelor’s degree. They also show the extent to which first-generation college graduates had used career planning services and participated in extracurricular and co-curricular activities when they were undergraduate students, activities that can help individuals prepare for graduate school and employment. Some statistics are shown separately by race/ethnicity and age.

 

First-Gen Brief
First-Generation National Insights
Research & Publications

First-generation College Students Career Entry Cover

 

First-generation College Students' Career Entry

Research Brief 2 - Identifying First-generation College Students Definitions, data, and data use

 

Identifying First-generation College Students

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Supporting First-generation College Students in 2025


Research Brief 4 - Student Voice-1

 

"It's Kind of a Flex"

Research Brief 5 - Perspectives

 

Defining & Delivering Support for First-gen College Students

First-Generation Toolkit

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Zoom Backgrounds