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The term “first-generation college student” was first introduced by the TRIO community in the late 1970s and has since been widely recognized within higher education. Today, approximately 8.2 million undergraduates, or 54 percent of all students, identify as first-generation. Most colleges and universities define first-gen students as those “whose parents or guardians did not complete a baccalaureate degree,” in line with the federal TRIO definition.