SCU First-Generation Student Experiences

The goal of this guide is to provide information about primary resources that document the first-generation experience here at Santa Clara University. This guide provides information on SCU's LEAD Scholars Program and its previous incarnation, the Bridge Program, as well as the Summer Readiness Program; student and administration perspectives regarding first-generation student experiences and issues; and links to current campus resources that support first-generation students.

Who are first-generation students?

In general, first-generation students are defined as students with parents who did not graduate with a four-year degree. They may be the first person in their family to graduate from college.  

Video: Why first-generation students need mentors who get them

From PBS News Hour - When Jennine Capó Crucet was a college freshman, her parents stayed for her entire orientation. It wasn’t because they especially wanted to; they just didn’t know what they were meant to do. As a first-generation college student, Crucet was not aware of the norms understood by most of her peers. Now a novelist and professor, she gives her take on what first-generation students need.