Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 59.82
Liaison Joanne Wong
Submission Date Feb. 10, 2021

STARS v2.2

Mills College
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.58 / 4.00 Michael Fleming
Director of Planning, Analytics & Effectiveness
PAE, Institutional Research
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Percentage of need met, on average, for students who were awarded any need-based aid :
70

Percentage of students graduating without student loan debt:
28

Percentage of entering students that are low-income:
43

Graduation/success rate for low-income students:
53

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

Mills maintains a strong financial aid program. Currently, more than 90% of entering undergraduates receive some type of financial assistance. Mills applicants are selected on a need-blind basis.

Financial assistance for attending Mills can come from the following sources:
Federal government grants
State of California grants (for state residents)
Mills College merit and need-based scholarships
Federal government sponsored student loan programs
Other student loans
Student employment
Community/employer scholarships


A brief description of notable policies or programs to support non-traditional students:

Summer Academic Workshop:

This four-week residential program, tailored for first-generation college students and students of color, provides selected students with a rigorous academic transition to college and a lasting support community. Over the four weeks, SAW students participate in approximately 68 hours of class time across four course modules (English, social justice, sociological inquiry, and mathematics), and three workshops (sociology, study skills, and writing). This is complemented by 48 hours of structured study time, interspersed with leadership development and team-building activities, introductions to key areas and resources on campus, weekly educational and social outings, athletic programs, and introductions to library and computing services available at Mills. SAW students consistently cite their participation in this program as one of the most meaningful, useful, and memorable aspects of their entire college experience.

Two lounges provide support specific to non-traditional students:

The Mary Atkins Lounge, located in Rothwell Center, provides a space for undergraduate resuming students to find community at Mills. The lounge, with comfy chairs and sofas and a full kitchen, makes a great place to study, take a break, and connect with other resuming students. Resumers also have access to an adjacent locker room with bathrooms and a shower. The lounge is staffed by the Mary Atkins Peer Advisor who oversees the space, updates resource information, and organizes social activities including Community Meetings and the Mary Atkins Toast.

The Parenting Lounge, located in Rothwell Center, is a great place to connect with other Mills student parents, share resources and spend time with their children on campus. Equipped with couches, a computer, a play area with children’s books and games, as well as a microwave, refrigerator, and study tables, the parenting lounge is a vital resource to the Mills parenting community. Parenting students also have access to the Mary Atkins Lounge kitchen and computer lab. The lounge is staffed by the Parenting Peer Advisor, who updates resource information, and organizes social activities including the Trick-or-Treat event and Pre-Mother’s Day Brunch.


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:
---

Website URL where information about the institution’s accessibility and affordability initiatives is available:
---

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.