Cal Poly Humboldt
PA-8: Affordability and Access

As part of the California State University system, low-income students are eligible for an application fee waiver, the State University Grant (SUG) and Cal Grant programs. The SUG and Cal Grant programs offer state-based financial aid which are targeted specifically to low-income students for the purpose of offsetting the cost of tuition. Additionally, students enrolled in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Student Support Services programs (SSS) are eligible to receive an EOP Grant and Student Support Services grant.

The Educational Opportunity Program works with low-income and first-generation students beginning at the point of their admission to Cal Poly Humboldt, prior to their enrollment at the institution. Outreach activities help prepare them for their transition from High School to College. Financial aid advising, assistance with securing on-campus housing, and assistance in navigating institutional requirements such as orientation, course registration, vaccinations, final transcripts, and transportation. The EOP Summer Bridge program also provides an extended orientation helping to increase financial literacy, knowledge of institution and graduation requirements, familiarity with academic and cultural support services and programs, and social networking and integration with peers who share similar socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. The STEM Summer Bridge program provides the foundation to STEM EOP students on how to effectively navigate and use Google, Excel, and Canvas for their academic journey ahead. In addition, they learn how to write for the STEM disciplines and engage in reflective writing exercises related to being a scientist – very important for being able to communicate data, progress, concepts, critical thinking, and problem solving.

The SSS program at Cal Poly Humboldt is funded to serve 500 low-income and first-generation students, and the program provides academic, financial aid, advising, mentoring, and career support services to program students. Students receive on-going support and advice specific to their academic readiness, course selection, tutoring, mentoring, and monitoring of their progress to degree. As they approach graduation, they also receive coaching and advice on post-graduation readiness for career and graduate school.

Each year, the housing office engages in numerous collaborations with EOP for the benefit of low-income students. For continuing EOP students, housing offers priority consideration for the limited housing spaces that are available for continuing students. As an institutional affordability initiative, continuing students who have remained in the residence hall continually at Humboldt since 2020 and choose to continue to live in university residence halls receive a $1,000 scholarship, which is applied against their housing charges. Other incidental fees have been eliminated, where the fee represented a potential barrier to low-income students and their families, which includes the elimination of the Open House Fee, the Preview Day Fee, the Parent Orientation Fee, and the Enrollment Deposit.

Furthermore, the university has multiple TRIO programs that are dedicated specifically to low-income students, which include both Pre-College Access Programs (TRIO Upward Bound, Talent Search) and direct support for enrolled, eligible students through the TRIO Student Support Services program. TRiO Upward Bound is a federally funded college preparatory program ($250,000 annual grant award), designed to generate the skills and motivation necessary for postsecondary educational success among limited income high school students whose parents do not hold a four year college degree. Talent Search TRiO is a pre-college program that provides services to help improve the academic strengths and college readiness for students in the 6th through 12th grades within the local service area. Talent Search is currently (AY 22-23) funded to serve 1471 participants. The free services our Academic Advisors provide to eligible students include assessment, monitoring, and coaching students on their path to college eligibility and admissions. Services are delivered through individual appointments, workshops, campus tours, and information for parents. All services are brought to the students' school site.

A unique program sponsored by the university is our Preview Plus Bus program. Low-Income students from distant areas (Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Central Valley) who have been offered admissions to Cal Poly Humboldt have the opportunity to attend our new-student preview program free of charge. Because of Humboldt's remote location, this pre-admissions program is often not an affordable option for low income students. Transportation, room and board are provided to approximately 150 prospective students each year. The Preview Plus programming, as outlined above, associated with Preview weekends, is but one example of the programs Admissions does in support of low-income students and their families.

The Oh SNAP! Program provides free food and services which link students who experience food insecurity with campus and local resources. These include assistance to low-income students for applying for CalFresh benefits, free food pantry, the Cal Poly Humboldt Farm Stand, Swipes Program, and the Pop Up Thrift Shop. Students who have on campus employment, who receive a Cal A or B grant, have children under the age of 12, or are enrolled in a program with a required internship are able to receive Calfresh without meeting the 20 hour work week requirement.

The EOP program provides priority consideration to upper division transfer student applicants who are from non-traditional backgrounds, in recognition of the additional support and guidance these students typically need. These students are offered the full range of EOP/SSS advising support, which includes a Transfer Student Seminar for newly enrolled transfer students.

Veterans Enrollment and Transition Services. Cal Poly Humboldt has an office of Veterans Enrollment and Transition Services, which serves student Veterans and their families. Cal Poly Humboldt VETS provides a primary point of contact on campus, programming, and provides space to support and build community. The Veterans Program is staffed with Veterans and family members who share experiences and career goals. Currently, they serve approximately 500 military-connected students. https://veterans.humboldt.edu/

The Cal Poly Humboldt Children's Center provides affordable high quality child care and early education programs in support of Cal Poly Humboldt students, staff & faculty families. For student families, child enrollment is based upon family income. Sliding fee scale is based on family size and gross monthly income. Fee subsidy is provided by Department of Education grants and Federal grants. Student families not eligible for grant funding pay a reduced fee for services. https://childrencenter.humboldt.edu/

Cal Poly Humboldt’s ELITE Scholars Program is committed to supporting current and former foster youth and independent students with special circumstances to succeed in realizing the goal of attaining a quality college education. We also recognize that ELITE eligible students may face unique challenges and obstacles in pursuit of their educational goals. We are committed to providing staff that understand and who are professionally trained to assist. https://elite.humboldt.edu/

Extended Education provides educational access to non-matriculated, non-traditional members of the community. https://extended.humboldt.edu/extended-education/programs-and-courses

Numeric percentages in the first four fields of this credit were provided by Gay Hylton in the Office of Institutional Research, Analytics, & Reporting (IRAR).

The last numeric figure for "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" is the percent of students that received Pell Grants (2,384 students or 41%). This figure is used because all of the described programs are targeting low income students with their services and the way we quantify what that target audience is by Pell receipt. For additional context, the percent of students estimated to to work with the EOP and Student Support Services program who also receive Pell grants is 551 students, and the program serves a total of 560 students in AY 22-23, all of which are considered low income based on California State EOP Income Guidelines or the Federal Income guidelines. (Institutional Research, Analytics, & Reporting data shows that Pell grant recipients are 41% of the total student body, Fall 2022 https://ie.humboldt.edu/node/472 . The EOP & Student Support Services program provides intrusive service to approximately 560 low-income students per year, representing nearly 8% of the total student population as reported by Elizabeth Silver in EOP.)

Dan Saveliff, Director of EOP and SSS, originally provided the qualitative program descriptions for this credit in 2020; current response has been updated to current with input from Rama Rawal and Elizabeth Silver in EOP and the following partners on specific programs:
Donyet King (Housing)
Rose Sita Francia (TRIO)
Kip Darcy (Admissions)
Sandy Wieckowski (Student Financial Aid Services)
Clifford LaMastus (Veterans Affairs)

Additional supporting websites are:
https://eop.humboldt.edu/
https://sss.humboldt.edu/
https://trioupwardbound.humboldt.edu/
https://talentsearch.humboldt.edu/
http://hsuohsnap.org/
https://veterans.humboldt.edu/
https://childrencenter.humboldt.edu/