Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.72
Liaison Christie-Joy Hartman
Submission Date May 12, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

James Madison University
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.69 / 4.00 Arthur Dean
Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Office of Inclusive Excellence & Engagement
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

Support for Low-Income Students

Does the institution have policies and programs to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

None
A brief description of any policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students:
JMU has multiple programs which provide comprehensive support to low-income students. These programs include financial support, academic assistance, social integration, community service opportunities, resources for families, and support and encouragement throughout the application and admissions process. Outreach begins in the middle school and high school years (with PIR and Valley Scholars) and continues throughout students' tenure on campus. Examples of programs that serve low-income students: -Centennial Scholars Program. The Centennial Scholars Program provides financial assistance and a multi-level academic support network to retain eligible under-represented students. https://www.jmu.edu/centscholars/ -Valley Scholars Program. The Valley Scholars program serves first-generation, financially eligible students, who are motivated and show academic promise in middle school and throughout high school. Current partner school districts include Augusta County, Harrisonburg City, Page County, Rockingham County, Shenandoah County, Staunton City, and Waynesboro City Schools. After completing the application and interview process, students are selected in the spring of the 7th grade year, with program participation beginning in the 8th grade. http://www.jmu.edu/valleyscholars/ Professors in Residence (PIR) program. Faculty members serve as PIRs in schools across Virginia, acting as ambassadors for the university and the academic division and providing support for underrepresented and underserved Virginia students to access opportunities to pursue higher education. http://www.jmu.edu/pir/ - First Generation Scholarship Program. First-generation college students are those with custodial parents who have never attended college. A custodial parent can include biological and stepparents at the student’s primary residence. Students must also be Pell Grant eligible. Nominations for recipients are accepted only from the PIR Professors, as this a financial aid program for students attending from PIR high schools.

None
A brief description of any programs to equip the institution’s faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
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A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide and prepare students and families from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
Valley Scholars, Centennial Scholars, PIR and the First Generation Scholarship program serve both students and families.

None
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
Valley Scholars, Centennial Scholars and the First Generation Scholarship programs all provide financial support and scholarships for low-income students.

A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
Valley Scholars, Centennial Scholars, PIR and the First Generation Scholarship programs all target outreach to low-income students.

A brief description of the institution’s other policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
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Support for Non-Traditional 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:
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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:
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A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:
JMU participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program to support veterans' access to higher education. https://www.jmu.edu/registrar/veterans/yellowribbon.shtml

Part 2 

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):
15.30

The graduation/success rate for low-income students (0-100):
83.80

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):
43

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):
27.10

Optional Fields 

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):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Responsible Party for Part 1: Arthur Dean, Executive Director, Campus and Community Programs, Office of Access and Inclusion. Responsible Party for Part 2: Brad Barnett, Senior Associate Director, Financial Aid and Scholarships Entered by Melissa Altman

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.