POV: As We Observe First-Gen College Celebration Day, a Note of Thanks to BU’s Newbury Center
Upon entering college, I frequently felt at a crossroads between helping my family survive and pursuing my degree—the center helped me “navigate and thrive”
At Boston University, first-gen students make up 19 percent of its undergraduate population, and current trends suggest this number will likely grow. Since 2019, first-gen applicants to higher education have increased at nearly twice the rate of continuing-gen applicants. But what many don’t realize is that once they arrive on a college campus, many first-gen students face ongoing, unexpected, and sometimes unknown barriers in higher education.
I know because I’m one of them.