Tri-Alpha National Honor Society for First-Gen Students

The Purdue Chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha, a national honor society for first-generation college students, was founded in 2021. There are more than 150 chapters at colleges across the U.S.

Each year, after the completion of the Spring semester, the honor society will determine which students meet the eligibility requirements. At the beginning of the following Fall semester, those students will be invited to join the honor society. To be eligible, students must:

Be an undergraduate student at Purdue West Lafayette campus
Have completed at least 30 credit hours at Purdue West Lafayette campus (AP and transfer credits don’t apply)
Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2
Come from a family where neither parent/legal guardian has a bachelor’s degree
Receive an invitation to join.

Benefits of being inducted into Alpha Alpha Alpha include:

Public recognition of academic excellence
Lifetime membership even if a student’s GPA falls below 3.2 in the future
Participation in local and national communities of first-generation scholars from all academic disciplines
A highlight on a resumé or CV that distinguishes a student as a person of superior academic ability and commitment
A personalized certificate from the national office (suitable for framing)
Access to a members-only LinkedIn page

The Purdue chapter is governed by 15 Advisors who represent all of Purdue’s colleges, the Purdue for Life Foundation, and alumni. Many, but not all, of the Advisors are first-generation college graduates.