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 19. However, Penn offers additional programming starting on Sunday, August 16, 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 have collaborated 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 future related communications.

Penn First Plus F.O.R.G.E. Program

(Fostering Opportunity, Resourcefulness, Growth, & Excellence) 

We also invite you to participate in the Penn First Plus F.O.R.G.E. (Fostering Opportunity, Resourcefulness, Growth & Excellence) Program, a first-year experience program designed especially for first-generation college students at Penn. This program is offered at no cost to you, and we strongly encourage you to consider joining. 

F.O.R.G.E. begins with an early arrival (August 16-18) experience. During those two and a half days, you will connect with peer mentors, faculty, and other new students. The program is designed to help you build community, confidence, and connect you with mentors and campus resources to help you navigate your transition to Penn and thrive during your first year. You will then benefit from continued support through dedicated mentors, workshops, social trips, and a retreat through the end of the academic year. 

For more information on F.O.R.G.E., visit the Penn First Plus website.  

Application is required. Please complete it no later than 5pm PST on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.  Students who are admitted to the Pre‑First Year Program (PFP) are NOT eligible to participate in F.O.R.G.E., as PFP students are already paired with mentors through PFP and PennCAP.  

Welcome Events

All Penn First Plus eligible students will be invited to join us for our welcome reception on Tuesday, August 18th. More details will be listed on the New Student Orientation calendar. Please also plan to stop by for our Open Houses on Wednesday and Thursday, August 19th and 20th! 

Move-In

Whether you participate in F.O.R.G.E. or not, all first-generation and/or limited-income students are welcome to move in on Monday, August 17. Penn offers this flexibility to accommodate the work schedules of the loved ones helping you move in. 

Once you confirm your housing assignment, you will be able to select a move-in time slot for August 17 or 18. Specific questions about housing can be directed to living@upenn.edu.