DU Expands Programming for First-Generation Students
Author(s)
Anna Filippova
Student Writer
College can be challenging for anyone—First@DU aims to ease the journey for those navigating it without a roadmap.
At universities across the United States, the number of first-generation students—or students whose parents don’t hold bachelor’s degrees—has steadily ticked up in recent years. According tos, more than half (56%) of all postsecondary students are first-generation, or first-gen, students.
At DU, this year’s first-year class, the Class of 2028, included 19% first-gen students, or about one in five—bringing the total number of first-gen undergraduates on campus to just under 1,000.
For these students, navigating college, not just academically but also financially and socially, can be especially challenging. In response, DU has ramped up its programming to offer a continuum of support—from outreach to high school students to mentorship and career guidance—through its program.
Six ways DU supports first-gen students
A program within , First@DU was launched in the 2023-24 academic year, thanks to a generous gift from an anonymous donor.
The inspiration for the program, says Senior Director Angela VanDijk, came from the success of 1GenU initiative, DU’s original first-generation student cohort program. The University wanted to replicate the success of the 1GenU on a broader scale—and First@DU was born. The program supports and celebrates first-gen students in six different ways:
for high school students, including the Volunteers in Partnership (VIP) program, a partnership with several Denver high schools, and the Summer Link to College program, which brings high school juniors to campus for a five-day experience during the summer.
, such as etiquette dinners and barbeques, graduation celebrations, weekly study sessions, the study abroad talk show, and First-Gen Week.
, by supporting students who apply for the Daniels Scholarship Program, the Davis New Mexico Scholarship, and the Denver Scholarship Foundation Scholarship.
, which helps cover additional academic expenses such as paying membership dues or studying abroad.
Family engagement, including connecting students and first-gen families with .
, a cohort program that includes pre-orientation, the option to live on a dedicated first-gen floor in residential housing, peer mentorship, academic resources, and social activities throughout students’ four years at DU.
First@DU also works closely with the , a separate program within the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The CAHSS program offers similar benefits, including peer and faculty mentors, study sessions, first-gen breakfasts, graduation celebrations, access to a study lounge in Sturm Hall, and a newsletter with information about scholarships and resources.
Meeting the needs of first-gen students
These programs and events are changing the campus experience for many first-gen students. “We're having a much broader impact than we had two or three years ago, when we were just doing 1GenU,” says VanDijk. She points to the increased number of applications for the Enrichment Fund, including from those not directly involved in First@DU.
The long-term goal of the program, she says, is to not only engage students but to make sure they “go off to graduate school or enter the workforce at the same rate as their continuing generation peers—and that social capital, or a sense of belonging, is built.”
VanDijk says they are continually focused on trying to get more students involved, including graduate students, and tailoring programs to student needs. They try to include student voices in everything they do, such as having student members on the First@DU steering committee.
“It’s critical to figure out what success means for these students, not what we think it means for them,” she says. “Most first-gen students say they’re here because they want to make their family proud and make a difference in their community. We want to create opportunities and initiatives that will resonate with that, recognizing that there’s not one size that fits all.”
