First generation students are students who will be the first in their families to earn a college degree. With neither parent a college graduate, first generation students face the unique challenges of navigating the college campus without the advantage of valuable parental insights and guidance.

As referenced by Susanna Cerasuolo in "What it Means to be a First-Generation College Student," (2014) many of these students must supplement scholarship monies with near full-time employment in order to meet expenses. There is seldom money available for professional internships, study abroad, in addition to the rising cost of semester books and software.

FGWAB seeks to fulfill this vacuum and help students meet academic expenses not covered by traditional scholarships as well as providing opportunities that can lead to future career goals. Scholarship recipients from FGWAB will also participate in professional partnerships within the community that can foster career goals and promote community service.

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