Amherst College
PA-9: Affordability and Access

9.1 Number of paid work-hours per year required to meet the average net price of attendance for low-income students

An institution earns 1 point when 500 or fewer paid work-hours over the course of a year are sufficient to meet the average net price of attendance for low-income students. Partial points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report the most recent data available from within the previous three years for undergraduate students, if present, or else the institution’s predominant student body. 

Report the local minimum hourly wage or the minimum hourly wage that the institution pays student workers, whichever is most representative of the work opportunities available to entering students.

Report the average annual net price of attendance for full-time, beginning degree/certificate-seeking students in the lowest family income range tracked by the institution (e.g., 0 to 30,000 USD), for example, as posted on the institution’s website or a source such as the US College Navigator. If the average annual net price of attendance is not published or tracked by the institution, it may be calculated using the guidance provided in the STARS Help Center.

9.2 Percentage of students that are low-income

An institution earns 1 point when at least 50 percent of its students are low-income. Partial points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report the most recent data available from within the previous three years. This may be a representative snapshot (e.g., at the beginning of an academic term) or the average of a one to three year period. An institution may report on its entire student body or limit its analysis to the predominant student body and/or entering students.

Low-income students may be identified by their receipt of or qualification for need-based assistance, a family income threshold (e.g., a local, national, or international poverty line), geographic origin (e.g., economically divested communities), or as otherwise tracked by the institution. Further guidance is available in the STARS Help Center.

9.3 Legacy and donor admissions

An institution earns 1 point when an applicant’s relationship to the institution’s alumni or donors is not a factor that is positively considered in admission decisions.

Measurement

Report on the current status of the institution’s admissions policies and procedures. 

Applicable to all institutions.