Burlington, VT: On Tuesday, November 8, Vermont’s Upward Bound students celebrated the National First-Generation College Celebration Day at the University of Vermont. More than 95 students and staff attended the daylong event, recognizing the students planning to attend college who will be the first members of their families to earn a college degrees. Institutions and education agencies across the state participate in First-Generation College Celebration Day to highlight the achievements of students, educators, and alumni who are the first members of their families to pursue college degrees and to encourage this critical and resilient population to continue thriving.

This year’s participants were welcomed to campus by UVM’s Director of Admissions Moses Murphy and keynote speaker, Provost Patty Prelock. Additionally, NVU – Lyndon Upward Bound Alum and UVM graduate Alaura Rich shared her experiences as a first generation student at the University and the many mentors who helped her to become the first in her family to graduate college. The students also had a tour of campus, enjoyed a students’ panel, and had an admissions and financial aid overview, and an application review. Recently, to further reinforce UVM’s commitment to affordability and access for Vermont students, UVM President Garimella announced the “UVM Promise,” a new program that will guarantee full tuition to all dependent Vermont students in households with income of up to $60,000. For qualifying students, the UVM Promise will apply for four years, beginning with first-year and transfer students entering in the fall of 2023. The UVM Promise aims to remove financial barriers to higher education that many students and families face. The program signifies UVM's desire to remove financial barriers to an excellent education and environment to high achieving Vermont students.

The first national First-Generation College Celebration Day occurred in 2017 when the nonprofit Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) encouraged institutions nationwide on or around November 8 to celebrate first-generation college students or graduates. Lyndon Institute Upward Bound Director and member of the national COE Board of Directors brought a group of students to the event, sponsored by the admissions office at UVM. 

“First-generation students have repeatedly demonstrated that supporting and encouraging promising students, often moderate-income, whose parents never went to college, is one of the great investments our country can make,” said COE President Maureen Hoyler. “Their success stories are worth celebrating.” 

November 8 was selected as the date for the annual National First-Generation College Celebration to honor the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The Higher Education Act (“HEA”) emerged out of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. Much like other hallmark legislation of that era, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, HEA was intended to help level a playing field that for too long had been weighed against Americans from minority and low-income backgrounds. In addition to creating federal grants and loan programs to help students finance their educations, the legislation made key investments in institutions of higher education. Additionally, HEA ushered in programs, particularly the Federal TRIO programs, necessary for postsecondary access, retention, and completion for low-income, potential first-generation college graduates. The Higher Education Act (“HEA”) emerged out of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and along with support for education, federal financial aid for students and the birth of what we know as the federal TRIO programs! 

First-generation students who enroll in college do so against the odds and should be commended for their efforts. Research shows that students whose parents do not have a college degree are far less likely to enroll than those whose parents graduated from college, according to the Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the U.S.: 2022 Historical Trend Report. 

The TRIO Programs (initially just three programs) are funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and are referred to as TRIO. The Federal TRIO Programs (Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Veterans’ Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program) help students to overcome economic, social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher education. TRIO students are first-generation college-bound and from low- to moderate-income families and/or are students with disabilities.

Vermont currently has 13 different Educational Opportunity Programs. Collectively, these federally funded programs (known as TRIO) serve over 6,600 Vermonters and bring almost $10 million annually to the state. These include: Student Support Service programs that serve more than 1,100 college students, five Upward Bound programs serving 360 high school students statewide, a statewide Talent Search program, assisting 1,000 middle and high school students, the Vermont GEAR UP program, working with more than 2,600 low-income middle and high school students across the state, Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), advising more than 1,700 adults statewide annually, and the Ronald E. McNair Scholars program, helping undergraduate students pursue graduate education.

Local students participating from Northern Vermont University Upward Bound (left to right):

Kayley Goodsell, Danville High School,

Baily Huang, Danville High School,

Vincent Courtemarche, Lyndon Institute

Julian Thrailkill, Lyndon Institute

Joe Schabler, Lyndon Institute

Hannah Powers, St Johnsbury Academy,

Tori Persons, Lyndon Institute

Rosalyn Zaun, Lyndon Institute

Jessica Pinette, Blue Mountain Union High School (in back)

Mya Boutin, Woodsville High School

Savanah Boyce, Craftsbury Academy

Lorelai Collins, Lake Region High School

Addison Perry, Lyndon Instiute

Alida Apgar, Lyndon Institute and Upward Bound student president,

Kneeling – Kylee Betz, Woodsville High School.