First Gen Fellowship 2026: $1,000 Grants for First-Generation College Students Facing Financial Hardship in the United States
The First Gen Fellowship 2026 offers financial support to first-generation college students in the U.S. experiencing significant financial hardship. The program will award 50 fellowships worth $1,000 each for educational expenses.
Overview
The First Gen Fellowship is designed to deliver direct financial hardship relief to individual first-generation college students. The program awards 50 fellowships worth $1,000 each, providing a total of $50,000 in funding to help students manage essential educational costs and expenses related to their studies.
Recipients must allocate the grant funds toward permissible educational expenses, which include:
- College and university fees
- Books and required academic materials
- Housing and basic needs
- Professional development activities
- School-related transportation
Eligibility
To qualify for the fellowship, applicants must satisfy all of the program's explicit criteria:
- Enrollment: Must be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited college or university in the United States. International students are not eligible.
- First-Generation Status: Must identify as a first-generation college student.
- Academic Standing: Must maintain good academic standing and meet minimum GPA requirements without active academic probation.
- Age: Must be at least 18 years old at the time of application.
- Financial Hardship: Must demonstrate significant financial need either through Pell Grant or other need-based financial aid eligibility, or by providing a personal statement detailing financial difficulties.
How to Apply
Applications are completed via the online application platform. Candidates should follow these steps:
- Register an account on the award portal and log in using your credentials.
- Create your online application and complete the required sections.
- Save your progress as a draft while compiling supporting materials and reviewing responses.
- Submit the final application prior to the closing deadline. Note that saving as a draft does not constitute final submission.
Deadline
Applications close on September 16, 2026, at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) / 6:00 PM Pacific Time (PT). Late submissions will not be reviewed.