Are you the first person in your family to attend college? Or, did your parents not attend college? If the answer is yes to either of these questions, you are considered a first generation college students. Below are scholarships for students like you.

TrophyCentral Sportsmanship & Compassion Scholarship
Sponsor: Trophy Central
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: May 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to incoming college freshmen who had at least a 3.25 GPA in high school. Applicant must have demonstrated a unique or special form of sportsmanship, kindness or compassion. Although not required, special attention will be given to applicants who are the first in their generation to attend college or are entering a branch of the military (ex. ROTC).

David Hudak Memorial Essay Contest for Freethinking
Sponsor: Freedom From Religion Foundation
Amount: Up to $3,500
Closing Date: June 1, 2026
Description: Competition is open to freethinking students of color ages 17-21 who are either high school seniors or students currently enrolled in a college or university. Applicant’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must not have completed an associate’s or bachelors’s degree from an accredited college or university. Applicant must submit an essay on the following topic: “Why white supremacy dgoes hand-in-hand with Christian nationalism.”

Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship
Sponsor: Coca-Cola Foundation
Amount: Up to $5,000
Closing Date: July 2, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at a UNCF member college or university during the current academic year. Applicant must be first in their family to attend a four-year college or university, have demonstrated unmet financial need, and have at least a 3.0 GPA.