Nevada State College (Nevada State), the NSHE institution with the highest percentage of first-generation college students, is launching a new initiative called the First & Fierce Program to support first-generation students, made possible through a $4 million anonymous gift. The donation will be used to fund the new program, which will provide mentorship support, scholarships, emergency assistance funds, graduation completion support and more to the 56% of Nevada State students that are first-generation college students.
We at Nevada State College are incredibly thankful for this generous anonymous gift,” said Nevada State College President Dr. DeRionne Pollard. “These funds will create an additional avenue for our first-generation students to pursue their academic goals, and will bring opportunity, hope, and resources to our programs.”
The $4 million gift will be used to support the First & Fierce Program over a 5-year period and seeks to increase retention of Nevada State’s first-generation student population and help support them on a pathway to college graduation. The program will focus on partnerships and student recruitment in local high schools, following them throughout their college journey and further into their post-graduate life to ensure career success.
While the gift remains anonymous, the donor shares their hopes for the students in the program; “I want you to dream big.” The donation is part of a larger $5 million gift that will go to support Nevada State initiatives.
Nevada State College was recently accepted into the First Scholars Network, a part of the Center for First-Generation Student Success, the national initiative led by the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA). This achievement will allow Nevada State to share data, innovations, and strategies with hundreds of educational institutions across the nation and learn from one another on how to better support first-generation students.
The First & Fierce Program will expand upon Nevada State’s existing initiatives to assist first-generation students. Programs like the Trio Student Support Services, First-gen Forward, Nepantla Program, and the Division of Culture, Planning, and Policy that offer first-generation students a wide range of academic and financial support so they can flourish at Nevada State.
To learn more about Nevada State’s programs to support first-generation students, visit https://nsc.edu/first-and-fierce/.
###
About Nevada State College
Nevada State College (Nevada State), a four-year public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Nevada State places a special emphasis on the advancement of a diverse and largely under-served student population. Located on a developing 500-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, the college was established in 2002 as a new tier in the state system between the research universities and the two-year colleges. In this role, the college emphasizes high-quality instruction, exemplary service, engaging learning experiences, and innovation as a means to more efficient, effective outcomes in all corners of the campus. Since 2002, Nevada State has grown to offer more than 65 majors and minors, has received independent accreditation and has expanded its physical campus. Committed to fostering a personal learning environment, students are taught by faculty who serve as mentors and guides in classrooms with an average class size under 20 students. Nevada State serves approximately 7,100 students and has over 7,700 alumni, each representing a broad array of cultural and economic backgrounds. For more information, visit https://nsc.edu.