Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.39
Liaison Ciara Tennis
Submission Date Dec. 31, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Eastern Connecticut State University
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.88 / 4.00 Laura Miller
Energy Technical Specialist
Institute for Sustainable Energy
"---" 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:

We package federal, state, institutional and external aid to assist students afford an Eastern education.


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

Eastern's financial aid office are trained to be open to serving students/families that bring little financial resources to the table in affording the cost of attendance.


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

Administered through the Academic Services Center, the Summer Transition at Eastern Program/Contract Admissions Program (STEP/CAP) is a collaborative effort to provide a wide array of support to students who are either the first to attend college, are from low-income families, or are from groups traditionally under-represented on college campuses. Prospective STEP/CAP students submit a regular application to Eastern’s Office of Admissions, which conducts the initial screening and then refers applicants to Student Development Specialist, Dr. Rick Hornung, who invites qualified applicants for an additional screening and interview during the spring semester. Decisions on STEP/CAP admissions are usually made within two-to-three weeks of the student’s interview.

For six weeks, five days a week, in the summer after high school graduation, STEP/CAP students live in an Eastern residence hall and participate in a variety of classes designed to improve math, writing, study and public speaking skills. In addition to raising academic performance, the classes focus on time management, preparation and establishing academic priorities. The work load includes preparing for and taking tests, writing and revising papers – and developing skills essential to making a smooth transition to college life.

Throughout the six-week session and well into the undergraduate years, STEP/CAP students are expected and encouraged to work closely with faculty, professional support staff and peer mentors in classroom, residential and tutorial settings. Successful completion of the summer portion of STEP/CAP requires an overall 2.0 grade point average, which then qualifies a student to continue as a freshman at Eastern in the fall semester. This determination is made in mid-August.


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

Eastern offers both need-based and academic merit-based aid for low income students. The need-based aid is awarded using the results of the FAFSA and academic merit is awarded in the admission process to students with strong high school GPA's and strong standardized test scores.


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

Eastern makes an effort to visit high schools and be present at many college fairs open to high school students. Eastern also hosts two programs where middle and high school students are exposed to college life and education. The first program is called Project Awareness where high school students are invited to take a tour of Eastern's campus. Eastern also provides a program called College Knowledge where fifth and ninth graders are educated about college preparation and financial aid.


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

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:
---

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:

Eastern has an on campus center, the Child and Family Development Resource Center. The mission of the Margaret S. Wilson Child and Family Development Resource Center of Eastern Connecticut State University is to promote the social, emotional, cognitive, aesthetic, and physical development of young children of diverse backgrounds, to inspire, support, and educate their families, to provide a model program for future teachers and early childhood professionals, and to serve as a hub of innovative research and professional development.

The Child and Family Development Resource Center is also a childcare facility. The cost to enroll a child is based on income. Children of faculty and staff, as well as those in the local community are able to register their child to attend.

http://www1.easternct.edu/cfdrc/


A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support 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'):
Yes

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

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

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):
70

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):
18

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):
---

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
---

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Notes for this credit were collected from Rick Hornung in the Academic Advising Center, Indira Petoskey from Continuing Education, and Arielle Rose and June Dunn from Advising.


Notes for this credit were collected from Rick Hornung in the Academic Advising Center, Indira Petoskey from Continuing Education, and Arielle Rose and June Dunn from Advising.

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.