Scholarships for First-Generation Students

Missouri State's Foundation Scholarships are established and funded by private donors. They are awarded to students based on a wide range of criteria. To find scholarships for first-generation students, go to the Foundation Scholarships' Search Tool and type 'first generation' into the Keyword Search field. This will bring up all the scholarships that mention 'first generation' in their description.

Complete the Missouri State Foundation Annual Scholarship Application no later than March 1 for the following academic year. This one application will apply you toward nearly 1,000 different scholarships. Learn how to apply on the university's Foundation Scholarships page.

Education Abroad Scholarship

CAST's Education Abroad First-Generation Student Scholarship Application. Next deadline to submit this application is October 15, 2026.

Other scholarship opportunity

TIAA offers a scholarship to support first-generation undergraduate students who plan to continue their education and are pursuing a career in Financial Services or Asset Management (e.g., Business, Marketing, Human Resources, Legal, Information Technology). Scholarship amount ranges from $5000 to $10,000 and can be used for any education-related expenses. Learn more on Scholarship America's TIAA First-Generation Scholarship page. Look for the next application cycle to open in January 2027.