Campus Resources

This page includes a non-exhaustive collection of campus departments that provide resources and support for first-generation students. Learn more about each unit.

Large group of participants wearing black TRIO t-shirts

Office of Minority Student Affairs

  • TRIO Student Support Services
    A program that works with students to enhance their academic performance, increase retention and graduation rates, and help prepare them for careers after graduation. We seek to create a vital link between participating students and University resources.
  • TRIO McNair Scholars Program
    A program in which all McNair Scholars achieve academic and personal success so they can become the next generation of scientists, researchers, and professors. We seek to empower scholars to believe that the vision they have for the world can be realized through their research and service efforts in the academy.
  • TRIO Upward Bound
    Program committed to providing students with high quality academic, cultural, and career related activities designed to prepare and equip them to successfully complete high school, enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution and obtain a baccalaureate degree.
  • TRIO Talent Search
    Program designed to create and sustain a college-going culture for its target schools and target areas and to improve parents’ capacity to prepare their child/children for college.
  • Tutoring & Academic Services
    Assisting student in developing the confidence, independence, and active learning skills necessary to meet both the university’s academic rigor and students’ individual educational goals.
  • Advising & Mentoring
    Delivering world class and empirically-based academic mentoring services that enable the university achieve excellence in student retention and timely graduation.
Counselor and student talking at table with papers on it

Counseling Center

Group of FOCUS participants standing and smiling

The Career Center

Presenter pointing at board full of post-it notes with small group looking on

Division of General Studies

  • DGS Enrichment Experience Program
    An intensive support program for undeclared undergraduates who are exploring academic majors and career opportunities at Illinois. Participants benefit from a variety of curricular and co-curricular opportunities that position them well for success at Illinois and for transition into a major of their choosing
Two women sitting with backs to each other and arms out wide

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

  • Access and Achievement Program
    LAS provides a supportive learning environment that works to connect students with university resources that complement their academic talents and will help shape their academic paths and ambitions. AAP offers solid academic support, promotes leadership and self-advocacy, and identifies opportunities for outreach, research, and scholarship. The goal is to prepare students for academic success, graduation, and a life of impact.
Male in orange hat and sweatshirt speaking from behind a computer screen

College of Applied Health Sciences

  • ILEAP - The Mannie L. Jackson Illinois Academic Enrichment and Leadership Program
    Provides support to undergraduates enrolled in the College of Applied Health Sciences who are first-generation students, students from underrepresented groups, student athletes, and those recognized by the President Awards Program (PAP) and Educational Opportunities Program (EOP).
  • First-Year Orientation Course
    In the First-Year Orientation course, I-LEAP Scholars have open and honest conversations about how to navigate their transition to the University of Illinois and excel in their studies. Guest speakers from across campus meet with our students to discuss the importance of communication, goal setting, change management, team building, civic responsibility, leadership styles, and career opportunities.
  • Workshops
    I-LEAP Scholars have the opportunity to engage in exciting workshops and seminars that focus on a wide variety of topics including academic skill building, graduate studies, business etiquette, diversity education, and leadership and career development.
  • Community Service
    Students engage in meaningful volunteer opportunities that enrich the educational experience and raise awareness of social problems that they help address through their service. Community service takes place locally throughout the fall and spring semesters, and in one major city in the U.S. during spring break.
  • Peer Mentoring
    Every incoming student is provided with an upperclassman peer mentor who provides advice, encouragement, and valuable information.
Group of students outside working on a science demo

The Grainger College of Engineering

  • ARISE (Academic Redshirt in Science and Engineering
    Provides access to engineering studies to students from low income backgrounds who may not be academically competitive for admission to engineering yet show promise based on their high school experience. Programming in ARISE creates a community of support that includes a multi-day orientation experience, facilitated study groups, social activities, and mentoring course.
  • MEP - Morrill Engineering Program
    Supports students from ethnic and racial backgrounds historically underrepresented in engineering. Programming includes a freshman mentoring class, alumni-coordinated academic/professional development retreat, and academic network. MEP staff serve as faculty mentors to the student chapters of the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.
Side perspective view of blue wall with Block I and text 'Education at Illinois Great Minds Think Illinois'

College of Education

  • Education Success Initiative
    Designed to support students in their quest to succeed academically at the university level and reach their personal and academic goals. Students meeting designated criteria will be invited to participate in ESI.
Wide view of students studying at tables in the College of Law library.

 Pre-Law Advising Services

  • I Am Ready: Law School Admission Readiness Program
    The I Am Ready: Law School Admission Readiness Program is a joint effort between the University of Illinois Pre-Law Advising Services Office and the University of Illinois College of Law Office of Admissions & Financial Aid. The I Am Ready program is designed to support diverse pre-law students in central Illinois who belong to populations traditionally underrepresented within the legal profession. The program aims to support students from many different diverse backgrounds including, but not limited to race, national origin, gender identity, first-generation, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomics. The program offers a diverse curriculum of topics and resources aimed to enhance participant success in the law admissions process and first year of law school.

Faculty resources on working with First-Generation students

First-Generation college students can present many unique opportunities for learning, mentorship, and professional development. Visit the resources below to learn about First-Generation college student experiences and how you can be of support during their time at Illinois: