Wartburg College is featured in a new report about efforts to support first-generation college students.

“Making Sure They Make It! Best Practices for Ensuring the Academic Success of First-Generation College Students,” a report by Council of Independent Colleges, cites the experiences of 50 colleges and universities that received grants from CIC/Walmart Foundation to strengthen exemplary programs supporting first-generation students. 

Wartburg received a $100,000 grant in 2008 from the CIC/Walmart College Success Awards program to enhance its Generation Orange program, assisting first-generation students with study skills, note and test taking, time and money management, organizational skills and stress management.

Students completing the program received a $1,000 scholarship during each of their last three years.

The efforts are described on a new CIC/Walmart College Success Awards website at www.cic.edu/CollegeSuccessAwards. All award winners had an undergraduate enrollment that included at least 30 percent first-generation students in their most recent classes of first-year students.

“The many and multifaceted successes of the CIC/Walmart Award recipients speak to the value of the institutions’ ongoing efforts. We are delighted by so many positive outcomes,” CIC President Richard Ekman said.

The goal for Walmart and CIC was to lessen the challenges of preparing for college faced by first-generation students who are more likely than their peers to come from low-income families, a home where English is a second language and rural communities. Two-fifths are American ethnic students.