Welcome to the Penn First Generation and/or Limited-Income Community!

The Office of New Student Orientation & Academic Initiatives (NSOAI) would like to officially congratulate you on your admission to the University of Pennsylvania!

New Student Orientation (NSO) for all incoming first-year undergraduate students will begin with mandatory activities on the evening of Wednesday, August 23. However, Penn offers additional programming starting on Monday, August 21, that may be of interest to you as you have been identified as an undergraduate who will be the first in their family to attend a 4-year college and/or come from a community with limited financial resources.

This programming is hosted by Penn First Plus (P1P) and the Office of New Student Orientation & Academic Initiatives (NSOAI), who collaborate to craft a warm and informative welcome to Penn.

What is the “FGLI” acronym? 

FGLI is the acronym some students at Penn use as short-hand for being the First-Generation-to-college and/or coming from families with Limited Income. You are not required to use it, but you might find that it describes your experience if any of the following are true: 

• Both of your parents or guardians have not completed a bachelor's degree, or you are estranged from the members of your family who had the experience of pursuing a full-time, residential college experience
• You are the first in your family to pursue higher education at an institution whose culture around academics and student life are as dynamic and rigorous as an urban research university with the opportunities and resources that reflect some or all of Penn’s privileged context
• Your community of origin’s financial situation would situate you somewhere on toward the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder

Penn First Plus is Penn’s hub for programming and resources for students who identify with part or all of the FGLI experience. If you do not identify in this population, please email us at provost-nso-ai@pobox.upenn.edu and we will remove you from all related communications. 

Move-In

All first-generation and/or limited-income students are welcome to move in on Monday, August 21. By moving in on Monday, you will be able to take part in programming specifically designed to prepare you to thrive in the upcoming years. More details about these programs are coming soon! 

Once you confirm your housing assignment, you will be able to select a move-in time slot for August 21. Specific questions about housing can be directed to living@upenn.edu.

Still have questions?

We’re happy to help with any questions you might have. Please feel free to check out the NSOAI Website or contact us at provost-nso-ai@pobox.upenn.edu. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing you on campus in August!