Student smiling while watching a presentation

We know celebrating first-generation students isn’t enough.

The First-Generation University Initiative (FGUI) at Colorado State University is dedicated to validating and uplifting the experiences of firstgeneration students (CSU students whose parents or guardians have not completed a bachelor’s degree).

We recognize that a student’s firstgeneration identity cannot be understood in isolation but as an identity that is also interconnected with race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, ability, nationality, and other identities. Grounded in intersectionality as a framework, we seek to envision an experience that creates opportunities for success — as defined by students and families — by exploring the relationship between a student’s firstgeneration experiences and CSU practices.

For some first-generation students, attending and graduating from CSU is more than the standard achievement;

It’s a chance for a better life.

Illustration of a stack of coins

It’s higher lifetime earnings.

It’s lower unemployment.

Illustration of the sun rising over Horsetooth Rock in Fort Collins, Colorado

It’s a landmark moment in their story.