Students and nonprofit leaders urge Prince George's County to continue funding First Generation College Bound during FY26 housing plan hearing

Prince George's County Council held a public hearing April 15 on a series of housing and community development plans for fiscal year 2026, and students and local nonprofit leaders used the forum to urge continued county funding for First Generation College Bound, a college-preparation program serving first-generation and low- to moderate-income students.

"My name is Nessa Garnier, and I am currently attending Parkdale High School," said Nessa Garnier, a Parkdale senior, who described mentorship and help completing the FAFSA and CSS Profile that she said led to a full scholarship to Oberlin College. "They offered guidance on choosing different colleges, help with completing FAFSA and the CSS profile...and also with preparing personal statements and meeting all the different deadlines in the college application process." (public comment during CR-32 public hearing)

Deja Cobbs, director of program services at First Generation College Bound, told the council the nonprofit has operated about 35 years and asked the county to renew funding at the same level as the current year, which she gave as $180,000. Cobbs said the program has helped 3,435 students enroll in college, 1,139 who have graduated, and 2,119 who are currently in college; FGCB serves roughly 600 students in grades 10–12 across nine Prince George's County high schools, including Bladensburg, Central, Fairmont Heights, Laurel, Parkdale, High Point, DuVal, International High School at Langley Park, and Potomac.

"First Generation College Bound has been around 35 years now and at the forefront of providing individualized services to Prince George's County students from low to moderate income families to attend college and graduate," Cobbs said. She also said FGCB helped bring FAFSA awareness to about 1,412 students this year through state and local outreach. (public comment during CR-32 public hearing)

Other students described personal outcomes they attributed to FGCB. Darwin Batista, a senior at DuVal High School, said the program helped him complete the FAFSA and college applications and encouraged him to pursue music education at either the University of Maryland, College Park, or the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Cecilia Turisios, a graduating senior at High Point High School, said FGCB helped raise her GPA from about 1.4 to 3.4 and assisted her in securing a $15,000 scholarship from Trinity Washington University.

Bronwyn King, incoming executive director of the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation, submitted a letter and spoke briefly in support of inclusion in the FY26 plan, saying the funding will help sustain economic-development work for small businesses in Hyattsville. "We just wanna...say thank you," King said. (public comment during CR-32 public hearing)

The comments were made during the public hearing on CR-32, a council resolution concerning the FY26 annual action plan for housing and community development. Two related public hearings — CR-33, a resolution concerning the FY26–30 analysis of impediments to fair housing choice, and PR-34, a resolution concerning the FY26–30 consolidated plan for housing and community development — concluded with no public speakers; work sessions on those items were scheduled for April 22, 2025, according to the council record.

No formal votes on the resolutions were taken during the April 15 hearing. The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn was moved by Councilman Harris and seconded by Councilman Raulerson; the chair called for those in favor to raise their hands and adjourned the meeting. The council indicated work sessions on the consolidated plan and analysis of impediments would occur April 22.

The county council’s public hearing record shows community members asking the council to preserve funding streams that support college access for first-generation and low-income students, while the council continues work-session review of the housing and community development plans later this month.