Purdue University Global to celebrate First-Generation College Student Day with scholarship program

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — To celebrate First-Generation College Student Day on Monday (Nov. 8), Purdue University Global will launch a scholarship program for its first-generation students.

“First-generation students make up almost half of the students at Purdue Global,” Chancellor Frank Dooley said. “We are proud to have them as part of our family and congratulate them for their achievement in pursuing a college education. We will continue to work to identify ways to support them.”

The inaugural recipients of the Purdue Global First-Generation College Student Scholarship will be announced Nov. 8, 2022. Honorees will receive $500 toward their Purdue Global tuition and fees. The number of recipients will be based on the funds raised each year.

The scholarship is open to Purdue Global students who have completed three terms of study of an eligible undergraduate associate or bachelor’s degree program at Purdue Global with a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade-point average. Candidates must meet Purdue Global standards for satisfactory academic progress, as outlined in the university catalog, and have no Code of Student Conduct violations. In addition, applicants must submit a 500-word essay answering the following questions: What motivated you to pursue a college education? What advice would you give a student who is experiencing an obstacle or challenge while pursuing their degree?

Also Monday, at 7 p.m. ET, Purdue Global will host a Purdue Global Village Virtual Conference session titled “National First-Generation College Day Celebration.” A panel of Purdue Global Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) Honor Society board members, first-generation students, faculty and staff will share stories of their college experiences, offer advice for success and more.

Tri-Alpha is Purdue Global’s newest honor society for first-generation students, having launched in spring 2021. It has 1,386 members, making it one of the largest chapters in the country.

First-Generation College Student Day has been celebrated nationally since 2017, when it was selected by the Council for Opportunity in Education and the Center for First-Generation Student Success to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations – no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University’s flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, visit purdueglobal.edu.

Media Contact, Purdue Global: Tom Schott, 765-427-1721, tschott@purdue.edu

Source: Frank Dooley