If you are the first in your family to attend college or grad school, St. Thomas provides resources to support you, including our Proud To Be First program. From navigating the application process and scholarship opportunities to the transition to college and your academic success, St. Thomas has a team here to help you along the way. We are proud to have many first-generation students at St. Thomas as part of our campus community.
St. Thomas is recognized as a First-Gen Forward Institution by the Center for First-Generation Student Success. One of only 200 institutions with this designation, it recognizes our commitment to first-generation student success.
Opened in 2017, Dougherty Family College is a two-year college program for inspired students who want to obtain a four-year college degree and face financial or social obstacles on the way to their goal. (Best for: undergrads)
This cohort program is designed to address barriers to success facing Black male students with high financial need, with a preference to first-generation college students. It includes scholarship aid as well as mentorship, leadership development, and other supports. (Best for: undergrads)
Peer mentoring program designed to support underrepresented students, including students of color, first-generations students and students demonstrating significant financial need. (Best for: undergrads)
Provides leadership for building a more diverse, welcoming and inclusive community at St. Thomas. (Best for: undergrads, grad students, faculty, staff)
St. Thomas program designed to help our first-generation students in their transition to college. (Best for: undergrads)
Provides a five-week summer academic and co-curricular orientation for incoming underrepresented first-year students; a program from Student Diversity & Inclusion Services (SDIS). (Best for: undergrads)
Multiple scholarship opportunities including the Dease Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship for underrepresented students, including those who are first-generation. (Best for: undergrads)
Promotes student awareness and support for diversity, inclusion and social justice. (Best for: undergrads)
Inspires and teaches diverse Minnesota high school students to use multimedia storytelling to share the stores of their lives and communities. (Best for: high school students)