Fairmont State University Receives Funding to Expand Initiatives for First-Generation Students

Fairmont State University has been awarded $16,000 through the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC) First-Generation Student Success Grant to continue, strengthen, and expand upon first-generation programming that was established last academic year. This funding was secured with the assistance of Fairmont State University’s Office of Sponsored Programs. 

First-generation students are defined as those students whose parents did not complete a baccalaureate degree.  These students are less than half as likely to obtain a bachelor’s degree than continuing generation students within the first ten years after high school.  

This program, titled First Gen Falcons, seeks to provide support and guidance in the areas that first-generation students demonstrate the most need, leading to better outcomes for these students. Key components of this program include the establishment of a first-generation advisory board and panel, an outreach campaign encouraging first-generation students to self-identify, a carnival and activity fair, and financial aid and campus employment workshops. These efforts will be led by Marion Holmes, Senior Director of First Year Experience and Connections at Fairmont State University. 

“We are honored to receive this grant and expand the support we provide to our first-generation Falcons,” Holmes said. “First-generation students make up a significant portion of our student population, and this investment will allow us to strengthen programs, resources, and opportunities that help them succeed. Through our First Gen Falcons initiatives, we connect students with targeted support services, mentorship opportunities, and campus resources that can help them navigate college with confidence and reach their academic and personal goals.” 

WVHEPC develops and oversees a public policy agenda for West Virginia’s four-year colleges and universities. Their First-Generation Student Success program funds comprehensive projects that meaningfully improve first-generation college students’ educational experiences through recruitment, campus-based, and research or data collection initiatives.  

Fairmont State is proud to receive this grant and use this resource to enhance student support services for first-generation students, remove barriers to success, and help more students achieve their goals.