My father went to MTSU for 1 year and dropped out, and then he and my mother received associates degrees from a dance conservatory (the American Music and Dramatic Academy), which was a 2-year program and at the time not a real 4-year college. Do I count as a first gen because that was a technical school or no? And is there an authoritative, standardized definition of “first gen” somewhere that I can find? Thank you!
Each college may have its own definition of “first generation to college”. Some may define it as “neither parent has a bachelor’s degree” (or foreign equivalent), while others may define it as “neither parent attended any college”.
There is no box to check for first gen. You put down your parents education and the school decides whether they think you are first gen or not. This is not something you determine and there is no universal definition.