For Students

First Gen Bulls Initiatives

An earned degree can be transformative for every student, but it can be especially transformative for first-gen students as it drives social and economic mobility and can help build generational wealth.

This is why USF is a proud member of the FirstGen Forward Network, a national collective dedicated to first-generation student success.

USF proudly enrolls more than 4,000 of our undergraduate students who are the first in their families to earn a baccalaureate degree. Of those, more than 500 enroll at the St. Petersburg campus.

First-Generation Day is celebrated annually on November 8 to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act (“HEA”) of 1965 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. This year, we celebrated First-Gen students for an entire week from Nov. 6 - 13, 2024. More than 300 students participated in First-Gen Celebration Week at USF St. Petersburg.

Across its three campuses, USF held several events raising awareness of the challenges and successes of first-generation students. (read story)

Upcoming First-Gen Event:

• See It, Be it! A First-Gen Networking Social
  Wed, Jan 22, 2025 
  12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
  Poynter Corner at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library