By Andreas Rivera, Staff Writer

Bodil Taula is the first in her family to go to college, but she’s struggled with financial aid since coming to the U.
“My first year in college was hard because I became very ill and had to find another way for my school books because financial aid had not rolled in,” Taula, a freshman in nursing, said. But her story doesn’t have to be one shared by future first-generation students like her.
On July 1, the U’s Office of Diversity and Equality was awarded a grant from the Suder Foundation, an organization that helps disadvantaged first-generation students &- the first in a family to ever attend college &- afford that education.
The foundation gave the two-part, $70,000 grant to the U after heavy consideration. The U was one of 18 schools to apply for a $10,000 scholar profile grant, and one of 48 to apply for a $60,000 planning grant. The U was the only school to receive both grants.
The office plans on using the money to establish a student support program, which will offer them benefits, such as an ongoing scholarship, professional counseling, mentoring and tutoring, said Octavio Villalpando, vice president of the Office of Diversity and Equality.
On top of the grants, next year the office will receive funding for scholarships for at least five years, and hopefully more, Villalpando said.
Villalpando believes the U stood out to the Suder Foundation because of its “very well-supported diversity programs and most importantly, its research program.”
Colleen Casto, associate vice president for the Office of Diversity and Equality, also believes the U was selected because it already offers so much support through scholarships for first-generation students, a proven dedication that shows the money would not be wasted in inexperienced hands.
Taula said that she and students like her have to set an example for the next generation of students to come, such as her younger brother.
“It helps me recognize that opportunities like these grants would be very helpful, because we who go through it, can learn from it and help those who come in the future,” she said.
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