Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 48.39
Liaison Connie Morales
Submission Date Feb. 14, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Claremont McKenna College
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.52 / 4.00 Justin Rodriguez
Intern
Facilities and Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have policies and programs 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:

Claremont McKenna College has been nationally recognized for an outstanding financial aid program.
CMC's admission policy is need-blind for all U.S. citizens and permanent residents. This means that admission is based solely on your academic record, personal achievements, talent, and potential as a CMC student. For U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the family's financial situation is not considered and has no bearing on your admission decision. In addition, the college is committed to meet 100% of demonstrated need.

The financial aid calculator measures the financial strength of each family and uses other facts provided to estimate the amount of need-based grant assistance and other financial aid that is likely to be available. The "net price" is the difference between the "estimated" grant assistance from various sources and the cost of attendance. Types of Aid include Academic Scholarships, Need-Based Awards, Federal Work-Study, and Loans. There are also subsidized loans, no -nterest loans, and loans that only start charging bills 2 years have passed during graduation.

Our Progress So Far

As President Chodosh announced in his January 2016 welcome message, the College has now surpassed the Imperative's initial $100m goal in pledges and cash commitments. These resources will be used to support our yearly financial aid budget, which includes institutional resources, loans, grants, ROTC funding, and other forms of support.

But these resources will also be used for more than supporting the financial aid budget. In national and global admissions pools, we want to seek out those students with particular interests and provide them with scholarships that include first-year summer experiences tied to their interests, key areas, and themes. We’ve always been renowned for helping students find successful career paths and exciting post-graduation opportunities—this will help us even more.


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

Staff have their own cultural competence training.


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

The college has hired three new Dean of Students to focus on Academic success, health and wellness, and a Dean of Diversity and inclusion. Mainly, they host workshops with the writing center, career services, and other places on campus. Additionally, they reach out to students who receive low-grade notices, receive lower than a C in one of their classes, and respond to anyone who requests assistance. The college will be supporting the first generation college group on campus by providing funding for an emerging mentoring program.


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

The College has inaugurated the first groups of first- and second-year students—we refer to these groups as “scholar communities”—with a wide diversity of backgrounds (first-generation Americans, for instance), students with special leadership qualities (as game-changers) or with substantive interests or commitments to specialized areas, such as public policy, human rights, global expertise and experience, etc.).

These scholarship communities are small (5-6 students in each class), and students in each are eligible for a special first summer experience with a minimum stipend of $3,500. Our Career Services Center works with student scholars to determine a transformational summer experience to help them begin the learning and networking that will serve them not only in their careers, but also in their lives.

Thus far, the scholar communities now available as part of The Student Imperative are:

Conte First Generation Scholars
A fund established by financier JP Conte has made it possible for many first-generation American students to realize their undergraduate aspirations at some of the best colleges and universities across the nation.

Dreier Roundtable Scholars
Named for former Congressman David Dreier '75, who served for many years as chair of the U.S. Congressional Ways and Means Committee, Dreier Roundtable Scholars participate in a program designed to give them early exposure to public policy research and decision-making on matters of national controversy.

Kravis Scholars
The establishment of the Kravis Scholars Fund by Henry Kravis '67 provides generous need-based financial aid assistance to deserving and first-generation students who enroll at Claremont McKenna.

Interdisciplinary Science Scholarship (ISS)
Students with a passion for science and leadership are eligible for an Interdisciplinary Science Scholarship. This program is aimed at students interested in exploring a double or dual major that pairs science with a non-science major.

McKenna Scholars
The McKenna Achievement Award is a renewable scholarship given to approximately 15 entering freshmen every year who have the highest academic achievement and significant extracurricular achievements as well as demonstrating sustained commitment, leadership and personal growth.

Records Family Game Changer Scholars
The recipients of the Records scholarship demonstrate the personal characteristics of perseverance, determination, fortitude, and courage. Students selected to be Records Family Scholars will show excellence in both intellectual and fortitude inside and outside the classroom, and service or background in a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Seaver Scholars
The Frank Seaver Leadership Scholarship is a renewable full-tuition scholarship given to approximately five entering freshmen every year who demonstrate exceptional promise to become leaders intent on making a positive impact in the world.

Wagener Family Global Scholars
The Global Scholars program provides direct financial support for students who qualify for need-based aid, first-year summer internships, and stipends for students on financial aid to go abroad in the spring semester of their sophomore year to non-English-speaking programs or countries.

The Imperative is hardly more than two years in the making; and yet our community is stepping up to the challenge. Several other funds tied to a variety of professional interests and the aspirational qualities of our students are also under development—we look forward to announcing many of these over the coming months once they've been formalized.

The Claremont McKenna College partners with questbridge to recruit 12 students who will receive full-ride scholarships and will also be part of the greater questbridge community at the five other institutions.


A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:

Claremont McKenna College is helping to lead the national effort to address disparity in access to higher education by joining 67 of the nation’s most respected colleges and universities in a new alliance dedicated to expanding opportunities for highly talented, lower-income students.

The American Talent Initiative (ATI) brings together a diverse set of public and private institutions, all with high graduation rates, united in the common goal of enhancing their own efforts to recruit, enroll, and support lower-income students. Launched in December 2016, ATI was founded with a national goal of educating 50,000 additional high-achieving, lower-income students at 270 selective colleges and universities by 2025


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

The College has now surpassed the Imperative's initial $100m goal in pledges and cash commitments. These resources will be used to support our yearly financial aid budget, which includes institutional resources, loans, grants, ROTC funding, and other forms of support. Additionally, on April 21, 2014 CMC alumnus Glenn Hickerson ’59 and Jane Hickerson announced a $30 million gift to increase their scholarship commitment to help low- and moderate-income students and families manage the cost for CMC once admitted.

Offered are:

•Academic Scholarships

•Need-Based Awards

•Federal Work-Study

•Loans

•Military/Veteran Assistance

In addition we have flexible pay plans and low late fees. Students can play monthly. Annual charges may be paid in 8 monthly installments (due on the 20th of August, September, October, and November for the fall semester and on the 20th of January, February, March, and April for the spring semester). The service charge for the monthly payment plan is $100 per semester. They can also pay per semester in, two installments, with no extra charge. The bill is sent out every month, and late fees are only 1% of the bill.


Does the institution have policies and programs to support non-traditional students?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s scholarships provided specifically for part-time students:

Part-time students are eligible for aid. Students carrying fewer than three courses per semester pay tuition of $8,763.33 per course, and $4,381.67 per one-half (0.5) course. These part-time student costs, for up to two-and-a-half (2.5) courses, also apply to CMC students who have received permission to study in absentia. The charge for three (3) or more courses in absentia is full tuition. Similar to full-time students, part-time students get aid based on their need and cost of attendance


A brief description of the institution’s on-site child care facility, partnership with a local facility, and/or subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of students:

The Children's School at Claremont McKenna College provides a language based, developmentally appropriate program for children ranging in age from two to six years. It accommodates children from the Claremont College community and from the community at large.


A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:

Cultural Vistas Fellowship: Summer internship opportunity for 8 weeks in Argentina, Germany, or Singapore. This opportunity seeks historically underrepresented candidates in cultural exchange such as: Pell Grant recipients, veterans, members of minority communities, first-generation college students, STEM majors, non-traditional students.


Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (tracking accessibility and affordability)? (If data is not available, select 'No'):
No

The percentage of entering students that are low-income (0-100):
13

The graduation/success rate for low-income students (0-100):
90

On average, the percentage of need that was met for students who were awarded any need-based aid (e.g. as reported to the U.S. Common Data Set initiative, item H2) (0-100):
49

The percentage of students graduating with no interest-bearing student loan debt or for whom no out-of-pocket tuition is required (i.e. the percentage of graduates who have not taken out interest-bearing loans) (0-100):
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Estimated percentage of students that participate in or directly benefit from the institution’s policies and programs to support low-income and non-traditional students (0-100):
49

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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.