Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 51.11
Liaison Kathleen McCaig
Submission Date March 15, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Berea College
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.98 / 4.00 Kathleen McCaig
Sustainability Coordinator
Operations & Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

A brief description of any policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students:

Berea College covers the cost of tuition for each student through Federal, State, Non-Berea Scholarships, and institutional grants. All students who are accepted into the college must be low income (98% of Berea College domestic students are Pell eligible), and must also work at least 10 hours per week to help defray their Cost of Attendance. Our students also consistently graduate with some of the lowest student loan debt in the nation. Our graduation success rate for low income students (our entire student body) exceeds the national norms (65%).


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

All students come from low income backgrounds, and in the interest of best serving the student's needs along with the unique college life they lead at a labor college (as opposed to most non-labor required colleges) faculty and staff are briefed and prepared as a part of the on-boarding process to best provide for these students.


A brief description of any programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:

The FRESH START and other orientation week programs help students adjust and find the best academic pathway for their needs and interests, be they based on their financial need or other forms of diverse backgrounds.


A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:

Berea College awards a four-year, tuition scholarship to every admitted student. This scholarship works in conjunction with any other grants or scholarships students receive to completely cover the cost of tuition.

Costs, such as housing, meals, and mandatory fees, may also be covered by Federal, State, non-Berea scholarships, and the College, depending upon your financial need. Nearly all of our students receive some amount of aid for these costs.


A brief description of any programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:

There is a parents only portion of the orientation process organized to help parents engage in their children's education. In addition, college faculty and staff engage with families during the process of the student's education to help them understand financial and academic opportunities and costs of their education.


A brief description of any targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:

The Berea College GEAR UP Partnership serves six high-poverty school districts through intensive programming and relationships with 16 schools in the contiguous Appalachian counties of Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison and Rockcastle. Also, the College's Admissions Counselors serve the Berea territory (mainly the Appalachian Mountain region) to recruit students from low-income backgrounds. Students must not have an Expected Parental Contribution of not more than 4750 to be admitted to the College, in addition to a history of service, and high ACT/SAT scores.


A brief description of other admissions policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:

Average family income for an incoming Berea student is $29,273.
95% of first-year domestic students are eligible for Pell grants.
All prospective students must complete a Family Resource Questionnaire and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application to meet financial eligibility guidelines.
Since the College covers the cost of tuition with grants and scholarships, Berea students receive the equivalent of a four-year scholarship, currently valued at $102,000.
Financial aid grants and scholarships are available for helping to meet the additional costs of housing, meals, mandatory fees, and books, depending upon financial need as determined by the FAFSA..


A brief description of other financial aid policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:

Now one of seven Work Colleges in the US, Berea was founded for those individuals who did not have access to a higher education due to race, gender, and/or income. Aid given through the Student Financial Aid Services Office is need-based.


A brief description of other policies and programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students not covered above:
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Does the institution have policies and programs in place to support non-traditional students?:
Yes

A brief description of any scholarships provided specifically for part-time students:

Federal, State, non-Berea, Berea grants and scholarships are pro-rated based on the course load of a student.


A brief description of any onsite child care facilities, partnerships with local facilities, and/or subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of students:

The College has a Child Development Center (CDL) on campus to assist student parents with child-care. They are also given help in enrolling in state programs to assist with child care, food, and housing expenses.


A brief description of other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:

Single parents are given extra scholarships to recognize that there is only one adult in the household.


Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (accessibility and affordability indicators)?:
Yes

Indicators that the institution is accessible and affordable to low-income students::
Percentage (0-100)
The percentage of entering students that are low-income 95
The graduation/success rate for low-income students 68
The percentage of student financial need met, on average 95
The percentage of students graduating with no interest-bearing student loan debt 40

The percentage of students that participate in or directly benefit from the institution’s policies and programs to support low-income and non-traditional students:
100

The website URL where information about the institution's affordability and access programs is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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