A Pell Institute brief found the share of first-generation students in U.S. degree-granting institutions fell 13% from 1996 to 2020 even as overall bachelor’s attainment rose—signalling that while more Americans earn degrees, first-generation representation shifted as social mobility improved for some families. The report praises long-standing support programs like TRIO for improving persistence but warns that first-gen students still face concentrated poverty and barriers to completion. Separately, Education Week analysis highlighted that few students access emergency aid and called on institutions to promote awareness and streamline access to keep vulnerable learners enrolled. The combination of shifting demographics and limited emergency supports has prompted calls for colleges to expand targeted financial safety nets and to better publicize resources to avoid preventable stop-outs among low-income and first-generation cohorts.