Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.73
Liaison Megan Litke
Submission Date Jan. 31, 2011
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.0

American University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Emily Curley
Sustainability Coordinator
Sustainability
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Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s participation in federal TRIO programs:
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A brief description of the institution’s policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students?:

Through targeted awarding practices the financial aid office is able to assist low income students and families in defraying the cost of an AU education.
www.american.edu/financialaid

The Frederick Douglass Scholarship
http://www.american.edu/financialaid/fdsprogram.cfm

The Scholarship promotes educational access and opportunity while enhancing educational diversity. Bringing together the best of AU—academic excellence, leadership development and international engagement—Frederick Douglass Scholars inspire, encourage and expect high achievement. Together, they are AU's premier academic community for enterprising students dedicated to careers in social justice and improving under-resourced, underserved communities around the world.

Currently, six students are attending the university as Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars. The scholarship provides full tuition, room and board and is renewable for a total of four years of undergraduate study, provided scholars satisfy academic performance requirements.

Preference is given to first-generation students as well as those from diverse ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.


A brief description of the institution’s programs to equip the institution's faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:

Human Resources offers a training titled "Valuing Diversity": The differences people bring to the workplace can promote tremendous creativity and innovation. Those same differences, however, also can contribute to misunderstandings as we bump up against each other with our different styles and work ethics. This course creates awareness of how to recognize and appreciate differences leading to more options and better problem solving.


A brief description of the institution’s programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
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A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:

The Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Research has graduate assistantship programs for masters and PhD students for underrepresented minorities. One is the "Hall of Nations" which specifically supports international students; another is the "Special Opportunity Program" which supports minority students from the US.


A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:
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A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:

Admission and Financial Aid participate in school visits and present financial aid workshops to local DC public Schools such as SEED Public Charter School.


A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:
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A brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:
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A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:
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The website URL where information about programs in each of the areas listed above is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.