Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 47.10
Liaison Ciara Tennis
Submission Date Nov. 9, 2012
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Eastern Connecticut State University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Laura Worthington
Energy Technical Specialist
Institute for Sustainable Energy
"---" 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 the institution’s participation in federal TRIO programs:

Eastern runs the Summer Transition at Eastern Program/Contract Admissions Program also known as STEP/CAP and the Hartford/Manchester Dual Enrollment Initiative to recruit, enroll, retain and eventually graduate students who are first-generation, from families who live at or below the poverty line and come from racial and ethnic groups that are traditionally under-represented on college campuses.

STEP/CAP is now in its 30th year of continuous funding from the state of Connecticut.


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

The admissions office hosts group visits for school from inner city and rural communities. Eastern also facilitate College Knowledge Days designed to help students from underrepresented and low income populations start thing about college earlier.


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

Eastern offers an event known as 'College Knowledge Day' which is designed to inspire students to dream of college and help them plan even while they are in middle school or in the first year of high school.

Students attend age-appropriate sessions about planning and preparing for college and career exploration.


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

At Eastern all students are considered for merit scholarships those with high need also get a higher percentage of their need met through grants.

STEP/CAP and Hartford/Manchester Dual Enrollment students receive a wide array of supplemental instruction, tutorial support, professional and peer advising and mentoring designed to guide these students to graduation in four to six years – thereby minimizing costs. A big part of these services include direct interaction with the Office of Financial Aid in efforts to maximize a student’s eligibility for federal Pell grants and other state of Connecticut subsidized scholarships.


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

Administrative staff ranging from the Office of the President, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Office of Financial Aid office, the Dean of Students to department chairs in math and English to part-time university assistants in the Academic Services Center and the Intercultural center form a series of ad hoc and flexible teams that monitor and discuss ways in which faculty can best meet the individualized needs of these students. Each spring and summer, Math and English faculty review summer curricula designed for STEP students. This review is geared towards preparing faculty to successfully guide STEP students to complete the college writing requirement in the first semester and the math for liberal arts requirement by the end of the second.

STEP/CAP students are offered Pell grants and state of Connecticut subsidized scholarships. Dual Enrollment receive these scholarships plus subsidies provided by Eastern’s private foundation.


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

Staff from admissions at Eastern target high school visits to inner-city communities.


A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:

Admission to Eastern is competitive. The Admission Committee considers many factors when evaluating applications for admission. In general, applicants ranked in the top half of their high school class with acceptable SAT scores are offered admission to the University. Applicants' secondary school grades, along with strong letters of recommendation are also considered important in the review process. Eastern seeks to enroll students who have demonstrated academic success in a solid schedule of college preparatory courses in high school.

From the president to the interim director of STEP/CAP, from full-time staff from the Office of Financial Aid to part-time university assistants in the Academic Services Center, Eastern staff makes itself available to parents through formally scheduled workshops and presentations, frequent e-mail contact, face-to-face discussions with parents and their students. The parents of STEP/CAP and Dual Enrollment students are encouraged to contact staff.


A brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:

The Financial Aid Office at Eastern Connecticut State University assists parents and students who might not otherwise be able to meet their educational expenses. The staff in the Financial Aid Office is available to assist students, both current and prospective, in determining their eligibility for available financial aid. Financial need is determined by a federal formula that takes various factors into account including:
Student and/or Parent income
Family size
Assets (Parent/Student)
Number of family members in college, not including parents

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed to determine finacial aid need and eligibility. One of the key factors, in addition to need, that determines the amount of aid that a student can receive in an academic year is availability of funds. Eastern, like most schools, will not be able to meet the full demonstrated need of many aid applicants.


A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:

Eastern also offers work/study experiences for students who qualify as low-income. Eastern participates with the Federal Work Study (FWS) Program that provides funds for part-time employment to help needy students to finance the costs of postsecondary education. Hourly wages must not be less than the federal minimum wage.


The website URL where information about programs in each of the areas listed above is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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