Supporting first-generation students
The Newbury Center is a support hub for first-generation students from matriculation through graduation, and is one of the only programs in the country to serve first-generation students completing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees.
The center opened its doors in January 2021 with the goal of fostering the holistic development and success of first-generation students at Boston University—students we refer to as “Terrier F1RSTS.” We aim to become a highly visible, transformative unit of the University, offering programming and services designed to ensure that first-generation students experience the same sense of well-being, belonging, self-efficacy, and academic accomplishment as their continuing-generation peers.
Gifts to the Newbury Center support a variety of initiatives and programs, including housing awards for first-gen students doing summer internships or research, the Professional Clothing Closet, emergency funds, cultural events, and more.
The Newbury Center is located in the heart of campus, at 755 Commonwealth Ave. and is primarily funded by an endowment established with funds received from Newbury College, a private liberal arts college that served many first-generation students in nearby Brookline before closing its doors in 2019.