Florida State University
PA-7: Affordability and Access

CARE, the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement, provides students with financial support to ensure their academic success, which includes a first-generation grant and institutional grant aid to help minimize reliance on loans. Students admitted through the CARE Summer Bridge Program who are first generation and Pell Grant eligible will qualify to receive the State sponsored first Generation Matching Grant. At FSU, this grant exclusive to CARE participants. The grant is $1,500 per fall and spring semester; is based upon financial need; and, is designed to help students avoid loan obligations.

Human Resources at FSU maintain a robust course catalog for free classes for all employees to further their professional development. One section of classes is specific to Diversity and Inclusion Training which includes courses such as: Prejudice Reduction Workshop, Embracing Diversity, and Cultural Competencies and Higher Education. The Diversity & Inclusion Council introduced the Florida State University Diversity & Inclusion Certificate. The certificate creates an opportunity for faculty and staff to explore strategic areas around diversity and to learn more about the ways in which they can assist in creating a welcoming and inclusive campus for all. The Diversity & Inclusion Certificate is a partnership between the Center for Leadership & Social Change, Human Resources, and other diversity-related offices and programs across the university. The course includes three core sessions and 3 elective sessions based on the interest of those involved. Participants then create a theory to action project where they develop and implement a diversity and/or inclusion plan or initiative in their office.

FSU operates multiple pre-college programs to prepare low-income students and families for higher education. The College Reach-Out Program (CROP) operates in Leon, Gadsden, and Wakulla counties as an educational and motivational program to help students prepare for a successful college education through educational and enrichment activities. CROP serves students in grades 6-12 who meet the State of Florida’s educational and economic criteria. The University Experience Program (UEP) is a free summer residential program that exposes high school students who participated in CROP to college life. Students live on campus and attend various workshops about higher education, participate in cultural activities, tour the campus, and participate in a community service project. The Upward Bound Program operates in Gadsden county to enhance the academic and personal skills of high school students while preparing them for college admission, retention, and graduation. Upward Bound supplements students’ high school curriculum and exposes students to cultural and career activities in effort to prepare students for the academic rigor on higher education. Through the Office of New Student & Family Program, CARE Family Orientation provides students and families from low-income backgrounds with information on how to navigate higher education at FSU including housing, financial aid, transition activities, and how to best support their student through their college experience. This orientation is an alternative to the longer sessions for general students, while providing the same information is a shorter, free session. Science Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity and Excellence (SSTRIDE) is an outreach effort of FSU’s College of Medicine with support from Florida’s Area Health Education Centers. SSTRIDE's Mission is to identify students who have a genuine interest in pursuing a career in science, engineering, mathematics, health, or medicine and to give those students the support services important for them to develop the sense of responsibility, focus and motivation necessary for success in their chosen fields. SSTRIDE is open to students from designated Florida middle and high schools in Collier, Gadsden, Leon, Madison, Okaloosa, Orange, and Walton counties.

CARE, the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement, operates to provide equity and access to traditionally underrepresented students disadvantaged by virtue of educational and socioeconomic reasons. CARE provides students with financial support to ensure their academic success, which includes a first-generation grant and institutional grant aid to help minimize reliance on loans. CARE students are provided a full-time Financial Aid Specialist dedicated to assisting students and parents with financial aid matters. The CARE Financial Aid Specialist is responsible for researching, evaluating, and verifying the amount of financial aid awarded to each student, as well as assisting students with location of financial resources that can aid them in their college education. FSU participates in the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant which are awarded to low-income, undergraduate, degree seeking students who have not obtained a bachelor’s or professional degree. FSU also provides a Differential Florida State University Grant which is awarded to low-income students each academic year.

FSU has a Program Coordinator for Diversity & Outreach in the Office of Admissions as well as multicultural recruiters. The Office of Admissions developed the High School Partners Program, which targets schools with free/reduced lunch rates above 95% to provide intentional admissions recruiting and financial aid application assistance. The CARE Guides system provides on-campus tours and admissions presentations to students from traditionally underrepresented populations and organizations that serve this population. Through CARE Delegates, the university provides off-campus and community-based recruitment and information sessions to schools and community organizations that serve traditionally underrepresented populations. The CARE Summer Bridge Program (SBP) provides a comprehensive program designed to ease the transition from high school to college while building a strong academic foundation. Applicants selected to participate in SBP are first-generation college students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds who have demonstrated a strong desire to succeed. The CARE Summer Bridge Program is open to Florida residents who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

FSU's Student Support Services (SSS) program is one of the eight federally funded TRIO programs designed to improve student retention, graduation, financial literacy, and overall academic success rates. FSU SSS helps meet these goals by providing academic and engagement activities for qualified students throughout their enrollment at FSU. SSS is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education. SSS offers free academic services to program participants to help them remain at FSU, graduate on-time, and prepare for post-graduation life. To qualify for TRIO services, students must meet Federal Income Guidelines to qualify as low income.

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The FSU Childcare and Early Learning Program is an onsite childcare facility for students and employees. The facility cares for and nurtures young children of student parents so they may pursue their studies knowing their children are in a safe environment that promotes life-long learning. The Childcare Means Parents in School grant is a federal grant that supports the participation of low-income parents in post-secondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services. This grant has allows campus-based childcare program to offer reduced and sliding scale rates for Pell Grant eligible/recipient students and military-connected student parents, as well as additional childcare tuition discounts to low-income graduate student parents. https://www2.ed.gov/programs/campisp/index.html

Submission Note: Information for part 2 is for the fall 2011 FTIC cohort, which is the most recent cohort with numbers available, as the cohort has to be tracked through to graduation, which is typically reported at 6 years after initial enrollment.