First-Gen at KU

For undergraduate students: Being a First-Generation undergraduate student means that neither your parents or guardians have a bachelor's degree.

For graduate students: Being a First-Generation graduate student means you are in the first generation of your family to earn a bachelor’s degree and are now earning a graduate or professional degree.

Being the first in your family to get a bachelor’s degree is something to be proud of but may add extra challenges. Not all First-Gen students will have the same experiences at KU or face similar situations. Because a student who is First-Gen may have questions that they are not able to get answers to from family. Hawk Link is here to support First-Gen students however they need and help them adjust and be successful at KU.

Hawk Link is open to all students at KU from the time they are accepted to KU to after they graduate. We prioritize the support of First-Gen students, but any student is welcome to seek our support and meet with a coordinator.

Visit our homepage to set up an appointment with one of our coordinators!

Hawk Link host the Jayhawk JumpStart program that prioritizes first time freshman who are First-Gen students to come to campus a week early in the Fall, meet their peers, and learn to navigate some of KU before the first day of class. If you’re not able to attend, you can also schedule an appointment with a Hawk Link coordinator to ask questions you may have.

Currently, Hawk Link also supports the Mentored Scholars Program (MSP), a scholarship program for first-generation students that supports both by connecting you to a faculty mentor in your area of study as well as through scholarships.