James Madison University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

JMU has applied for various TRIO grants but has been unsuccessful in securing federal funding since 2008. JMU has created and maintained a commitment to recruit and retain students from a lower socio-economic background.

There are a variety of scholarships for low-income students. www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/scholarships-stem.shtml The Centennial Scholars Program was established in March 2004 to lower the financial barrier that bars qualified and/or under-represented students who would not be able to enroll at a four-year institution for financial reasons. Over 400 students have been accepted into the Centennial Scholars Program. Students in this program have maintained a higher GPA and higher graduation rate than their overall JMU cohort. www.jmu.edu/centscholars/index.html

Intergroup Dialogue Program (offered through JMU's Center for Faculty Innovation): JMU implemented this program with a component to serve faculty and staff. The discussion and listening-based curriculum provides faculty with insight into a variety of social identities. Faculty learn strategies for the classroom and build co-curricular support. Building Multicultural Competency Program: This program is for JMU faculty who want to increase their own multicultural competency, integrate multicultural competency into courses, or develop training skills to enhance multicultural competency in students & faculty. http://www.jmu.edu/cfi/resources/ITR/BMCP/index.html Integrating Diversity in Curriculum and Courses: JMU embeds diversity-related content and outcomes throughout the entire General Education program. http://www.jmu.edu/gened/diversity.shtml Inclusive Teaching Resources: Created through a partnership between the General Education Diversity Board and the Center for Faculty Innovation, this site offers examples of pedagogical strategies used by faculty at JMU. For easy reference, the strategies are grouped by the diversity topic that the instructor targeted (such as race/ethnicity, age, or socioeconomics). Many of them, however, can be modified to fit other topics. http://www.jmu.edu/cfi/resources/ITR/index.html

The Professor-In-Residence Program is an outreach endeavor to promote the educational attainment and college aspirations of Virginia high school and middle school students. www.jmu.edu/pir/ Cyber City: CyberCity-http://www.jmu.edu/cob/CoB2/CyberCity.shtml Male Academy and Female Institute: http://www.jmu.edu/multicultural/programs/summer-programs.shtml Middle School Leadership Academy: http://www.jmu.edu/diversity/CommunityOutreach.html Middle School Visit Program: http://www.jmu.edu/osap/MSVP.shtml

JMU offers scholarships targeting low-income students. www.jmu.edu/scholarships/prospectstudents.shtml www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/scholarships-stem.shtml

A part of the Professor in Residence Program (PIR) is educating students and parents about post-secondary educational opportunities, e.g., PIR hosts programs to assist with completing college applications and financial aid applications. For a one-year, renewable period, a JMU faculty member is assigned to a specific Virginia high school and meets weekly with high school students, administrators, counselors, and/or teachers. The major intent of the program is twofold. 1. To academically empower Virginia high schools, through the sharing of university technologies, research-based information, and personnel resources to address the educational and social challenges facing underserved/underrepresented high school students, their families, and communities and 2. To increase the number of underrepresented Virginia high school students who enroll in college and universities. http://www.jmu.edu/pir/about.html

JMU intentionally reaches out through the Admissions Office, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, and Professor in Residence Program to create partnerships. The departments reach out to High School students and their families to provide financial and academic information on how to make college affordable. A part of PIR is educating students and parents about post-secondary educational opportunities, e.g., host programs to assist with completing college applications and financial aid applications. For a one-year, renewable period, a JMU faculty member is assigned to a specific Virginia high school, and meets weekly with high school students, administrators, counselors, and/or teachers. The major intent of the program is twofold. 1. To academically empower Virginia high schools, through the sharing of university technologies, research-based information, and personnel resources to address the educational and social challenges facing underserved/underrepresented high school students, their families, and communities and 2. To increase the number of underrepresented Virginia high school students who enroll in college and universities. http://www.jmu.edu/pir/about.html

Admissions-related diversity programs: a. Prospective Students Weekend: http://www.jmu.edu/admissions/weekend/ b. Students for Minority Outreach: http://students4minorityjmu.weebly.com The organization seeks to promote JMU as a progressive and ethnically diverse university; to foster a balance between leadership, social and academic development; and, to help coordinate programs that encourage students of color to attend JMU and to increase the awareness of minority life at JMU. c. Admissions has two director-level staff members who focus on underrepresented populations. Due in particular to the efforts of one of them, Monyette Martin, in 2008 JMU received the Helping Hand Award from the Partnership for the Future for efforts encouraging college attendance among high-school students in Richmond.

This information was entered by Melissa Altman.