Help Where it's Needed Most
Francis Marion University’s First Generation Fund is designed to help FMU students who are the first in their family to attend college. First Generation students represent a significant segment of the FMU community — better than 40 percent of the most recent freshman class — and also a significant challenge.
But within that challenge lies great opportunity. Advancing the cause of first generation students offers the widest path to improving our community and our country. Informed donors like you can make a difference.
How the First Generation Fund Works
FMU began a new, needs-based scholarship program four years ago called the Heart of the Pee Dee. Heart of the Pee Dee students are identified by counselors and teachers at their respective high schools as promising students who might not attend college due to financial constraints. The scholarship helps fund the difference between grants and other scholarships the student may qualify for, and their FMU tuition. The same mechanics will be used to deliver new funding to students from the First Generation Fund, but on a broader scope, both financially and geographically.
FMU and First Gen Students
Since its founding, FMU’s mission has been to educate the men and women of the Pee Dee. By definition that means providing educational access to first generation students. FMU has addressed this issue continually over the years. The University has always worked hard to keep tuition low — it’s currently one of the lowest in the state — and it has benefitted from the generosity of its many donors in the region and across the state. The First Generation Fund seeks to accelerate and enhance that work in a dramatic way.