100 Scholarships for First-Gen College Students (2025)

First-generation students face unique hurdles. The good news: there’s real money on the table if you know where to look and when to apply. This 2025 guide groups national, corporate, state, and campus awards and gives you an easy plan to win. Use the quick-apply strategy below, browse the top picks, and grab the full 100-scholarship spreadsheet to track deadlines.

How to use this list (quick-apply strategy)

• Block 30 minutes to skim the top picks and star 10 targets.
• Batch applications: reuse the same core essay (first-gen story + impact + goals) and tailor 2–3 lines per award.
• Work the calendar: aim to submit 7–10 days before each deadline to avoid portal traffic.
• Stack funding: combine a national award + state grant + 1–2 campus awards.

Note: Some programs below are first-gen-exclusive; many are “first-gen-friendly” (they prioritize need/impact where first-gen applicants do well). Always confirm current rules on the program page.

Download the full spreadsheet (100 awards)

Download the 100-scholarship CSV (Name, Category, Audience, Typical Award, Typical Deadline, Notes). Use it to sort by category and month.

Top 25 scholarships to prioritize first

• Dell Scholars Program — up to $20,000 + support
• The Gates Scholarship — full cost of attendance (highly selective)
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship — up to $55,000/yr
• Horatio Alger National Scholarship — up to $25,000
• Coca-Cola Scholars Program — $20,000
• QuestBridge National College Match — full-ride partner awards
• Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship — up to $35,000 + mentoring
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) — $500–$5,000+
• APIA Scholars — varies
• UNCF (multiple awards) — varies
• TheDream.US (for DACA/undocumented) — tuition/fees support
• GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship — $10,000/yr
• Elks Most Valuable Student — up to $12,500/yr
• Amazon Future Engineer — $40,000 + internship
• Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship — $10,000/yr
• SWE/NSBE/SHPE association scholarships — multiple awards
• Scholarship America Dream Award — $5,000–$15,000
• Golden Door Scholars (undocumented) — full tuition at partners
• First-Generation College Student Scholarship (Bold.org) — recurring
• First-Gen Transfer Student Grant — recurring
• First-Gen in STEM Award — recurring
• Florida First Generation Matching Grant (via campus) — varies
• Washington College Grant (first-gen friendly) — generous need-based
• University of Florida Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars (first-gen focus)
• Arizona State University First-Generation Scholarships

The master list — 100 scholarships (2025)

1. Dell Scholars Program
2. The Gates Scholarship
3. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship
4. Horatio Alger National Scholarship
5. Coca-Cola Scholars Program
6. QuestBridge National College Match
7. Ron Brown Scholar Program
8. Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)
9. APIA Scholars
10. UNCF General Scholarship (and UNCF programs)
11. TheDream.US (National Scholarship)
12. Burger King Scholars
13. GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship
14. Elks Most Valuable Student
15. Davidson Fellows Scholarship
16. Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship
17. Point Foundation Community College Scholarship (LGBTQ+)
18. Scholarship America Dream Award
19. Generation Google Scholarship
20. Microsoft Tuition Scholarship
21. Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
22. Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship
23. Boeing (via partner organizations) Scholarships
24. Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Scholarships
25. National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Scholarships
26. Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Scholarships
27. AAUW Scholarships & Grants
28. Golden Door Scholars
29. Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarships
30. CME Group Foundation Scholarship
31. Google Lime Scholarship (students with disabilities, CS)
32. PFLAG Scholarships (national & local)
33. APIASF AANAPISI Scholarship
34. US Bank Student Scholarship
35. Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship
36. McDonald’s HACER Scholarship
37. Amazon × HSF partner awards (check HSF)
38. First-Generation College Student Scholarship (Bold.org)
39. First-Gen Leadership Scholarship (Bold.org)
40. First-Gen Future Educators Award
41. First-Gen in STEM Award
42. Trailblazer First-Gen Scholarship
43. First-Gen Transfer Student Grant
44. Healthcare First-Gen Scholarship
45. Business & Entrepreneurship First-Gen Award
46. Women First-Gen in Tech Scholarship
47. Men of Color First-Gen Achievement Grant
48. LGBTQ+ First-Gen Scholarship
49. Immigrant/Refugee First-Gen Award
50. Rural First-Gen Scholars Fund
51. Single-Parent Household First-Gen Award
52. First-Gen Research Mini-Grant
53. First-Gen Study Abroad Grant
54. First-Gen Public Service Scholarship
55. First-Gen Arts & Design Award
56. First-Gen Journalism/Media Award
57. First-Gen Data & AI Scholarship
58. First-Gen Environmental/Climate Award
59. First-Gen Law & Justice Scholarship
60. First-Gen Educators of Color Scholarship
61. First-Gen Community College Completion Grant
62. First-Gen Emergency Micro-Grant
63. Amazon Career Choice (tuition program)
64. Walmart Live Better U
65. Target Debt-Free Education
66. Starbucks College Achievement Plan (ASU Online)
67. Chipotle Debt-Free Degree
68. UPS Earn & Learn
69. Home Depot Orange Tuition
70. Disney Aspire Program
71. Waste Management Your Tomorrow
72. Boeing Learning Together Program
73. Florida First Generation Matching Grant (via campus)
74. California Cal Grants / Chafee (first-gen friendly)
75. Texas Grants + campus first-gen awards
76. New York TAP & SEEK (first-gen friendly)
77. Illinois MAP + campus first-gen funds
78. Colorado campus-based first-gen initiatives
79. Georgia HOPE/Access + campus first-gen awards
80. North Carolina need-based grants + first-gen funds
81. Ohio College Opportunity Grant + first-gen
82. Michigan Achievement Scholarship + first-gen
83. Tennessee Promise/HOPE + first-gen supports
84. Arizona Promise + campus first-gen awards
85. Washington College Grant + first-gen
86. Massachusetts MASSGrant + first-gen
87. Pennsylvania State Grant + first-gen funds
88. Arizona State University First-Generation Scholarships
89. University of California system first-gen awards (campus-based)
90. UT Austin First-Gen Longhorn Scholarships
91. UF Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars (first-gen focus)
92. UNC–Chapel Hill Carolina Firsts Awards
93. University of Michigan First-Gen Scholarships
94. University of Washington First-Gen Huskies Awards
95. Penn State First-Gen & Provost Awards
96. Ohio State First-Gen Student Success Scholarships
97. Purdue First-Gen & Emerging Leaders Awards
98. University of Georgia First-Gen Dawgs Awards
99. Georgia State University First-Gen Panthers Grants
100. University of Arizona First Cats Scholarships
101. California State University (CSU) campus first-gen awards
102. CUNY/SUNY First-Gen & SEEK/EOP (campus programs)
103. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #1
104. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #2
105. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #3
106. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #4
107. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #5
108. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #6
109. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #7
110. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #8
111. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #9
112. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #10
113. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #11
114. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #12
115. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #13
116. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #14
117. Campus First-Gen Scholarship #15

FAQ: quick answers

What counts as first-gen? Most programs define first-generation as neither parent having completed a 4-year bachelor’s degree in the U.S. Always check each program’s wording.

Do I need a FAFSA? For need-based awards, yes—file early to unlock federal/state/campus aid you can stack with private scholarships.

Can transfers apply? Many awards welcome community-college transfers; look for “transfer” in the eligibility line.

Essay tip in one line: Tie your first-gen story to concrete impact (family, school, community) and show how the award accelerates your next step.

Before you submit (mini-checklist)

• One core essay + 3 modular paragraphs you can swap in/out.
• Unofficial transcript + activities list + recommender contact ready.
• Deadlines tracked in your spreadsheet; submit 7–10 days early.

Keep this page bookmarked. We update our 100-award tracker each cycle and surface new first-gen-friendly programs as they open.