Northwestern University
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Northwestern has a need-blind admissions policy, meaning that students are only admitted to NU based on their merit, without taking into consideration their financial need. As a result, students of all backgrounds, including low-income, are accepted to Northwestern if they meet academic qualifications. Northwestern has also been drastically increasing the amount of aid it offers to incoming students. Since 2005-2006, NU has more than doubled the amount of financial aid for undergraduate students and "will provide upwards of $160 million in scholarships and grants to undergraduates in 2015-2016." These initiatives allow us to support low-income students and maximize the financial assistance we grant them, including Pell Grants.

Through trainings coordinated by the Office of Campus Inclusion and Community, any faculty or staff member can be trained in inclusion, including how to best support students from low-income backgrounds. The Women's Center also runs the Power and Privilege Change Makers program, which "allows mid-level staff and faculty members to engage in a personal journey to create a more inclusive environment at Northwestern University." The program includes dialogue and self-reflection around racial, social and economic topics. (http://www.northwestern.edu/womenscenter/programs-events/change-makers.html) The Searle Center for Advancing Learning & Teaching also offers many resources to faculty members to enhance their teaching experience, including providing strategies and materials to teachers to help them teach in a diverse environment and create an inclusive space for all their students. (http://www.northwestern.edu/searle/resources/teaching-strategies-materials.html#diversity)

In 2014, Student Enrichment Services was created, which is dedicated solely to enhancing the experience of low-income and first generation students at Northwestern. This division of Student Affairs provides many services to students coming from low-income backgrounds including a laptop loan program and donated winter gear for harsh Chicago area winters. (http://www.northwestern.edu/enrichment/index.html) Northwestern also participates in the QuestBridge program, which connects high-achieving low-income students to some of America's best universities. As part of this program, Northwestern houses a Quest Scholars Network, which is a group of over 300 students at Northwestern that advocates for low-income identities and provides a community for low-income students to connect to each other. The Network offers mentorship programs for new students as well as leadership opportunities for freshmen, with the goal of helping low-income students adjust to life at Northwestern.

There are several scholarships and grants targeted specifically to students from low-income backgrounds. The QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship covers 100% of students' demonstrated need. Scholarships through the Posse Foundation are also available to students, some of whom are low-income, from the Los Angeles area. Northwestern participates in the Federal Pell Grant program, providing scholarships to students from low-income backgrounds, as well as in the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program, which "supplements financial aid beyond the Federal Pell Grant" and is meant for "Pell-eligible students who demonstrate high need." Northwestern also offers a No-Loan Pledge Scholarship, which goes to students eligible for the Pell Grant, and the Debt Cap Scholarship, which caps federal need-based loans. In addition, a donation of $3.6 million recently was allocated to support "Northwestern scholarships for academically talented low-income Chicago Public Schools graduates."

The office of Student Enrichment Services piloted two family programs for the 2015-2016 school year that offered support for parents coming from the Chicagoland area. The programs "will allow parents to connect with each other while receiving important information about financial aid and what it's like to attend an elite institution like Northwestern." New Student and Family Programs also offers a variety of support for families transitioning to college life, including webinars, publications, newsletters and other resources. Some of these are specifically tailored to financial concerns.

Northwestern recruits low-income students through QuestBridge, and has more QuestBridge students than any of the other 29 partner schools in the program. We also work with the Posse Foundation, which "identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential that may have been overlooked by the traditional college selection process." Through this program, Northwestern has recruited and admitted several dozen Posse students from the Los Angeles area. Northwestern students also "volunteer their time to call prospective students to promote Northwestern, as well as answer questions about the student experience" through CLAVE-- the Council of Latino Admission Volunteers for Education. Northwestern conducts outreach pointedly to the Chicago area, through programs like the Senior Overnight experience, through which students from Chicago Public Schools "are brought to campus for a two-day, overnight experience" to give them a taste of college and Northwestern life. Recruitment efforts to the Chicago area are strengthened through programs like "Good Neighbor, Great University," which gives substantial financial aid to students graduating from Chicago and Evanston high schools.

Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy has partnered with the city of Chicago to launch the Northwestern Academy, which helps low-income high school students from Chicago Public Schools prepare for and gain admittance to numerous selective universities, not necessarily just Northwestern. The program is meant for incoming high school students who qualify for, but aren't enrolled in, Chicago Public School's selective enrollment schools.

The Student Enrichment Services Student Advocacy Committee exists within the Student Enrichment Services(SES) division of Student Affairs and is made up of students who identify as first-generation or low-income. The committee advises the SES office on how to make Northwestern a more inclusive community and advocates for low-income and first-generation students on campus. Through serving on this committee, students can shape the services available to them and the rest of the Northwestern student body to make Northwestern as accessible as possible. Once enrolled at Northwestern, low-income student leaders may receive support through funds designed to help them balance extracurricular involvement with work schedules and with their budgets. The Student Activity Scholarship Fund was established in 2012 "as a supplemental grant to assist students in registered student organizations with financial support to participate fully in their student organization's programs and events." Additionally, the Associated Student Government allocates $10,000 annually in their budget to support student leaders through a Student Engagement Stipend, which is meant to allow students to get involved with extracurricular activities without having to worry about reducing their work schedule or being otherwise financially burdened. These resources are targeted only to students with demonstrated financial need.

Northwestern participates in the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP), which is a "state-administered grant program for Illinois residents" who "are enrolled at least half-time at an Illinois postsecondary institution."

The University Children’s Center is located near the Chicago campus and provides programs to children of Northwestern faculty, students, and staff “designed to promote social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.” (http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/work-life/childcare/university-childrens-center.html) Northwestern also offers mothers’ rooms “to help nursing mothers upon their transition back to the University” and a New Mom Support Group, where any mothers can meet to share their experiences. (http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/campus-life/child-and-family-resources/) Several childcare centers also offer priority enrollment for Northwestern faculty, students, and staff. (http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/work-life/documents/StudentParentResources.pdf).

The percentage of low-income students shifts from year to year for a cohort. Looking at the 2009 Cohort, 13.2% is the average percentage of Pell recipients per year, but the number from the 2009 Cohort that received Pell assistance at any time during their experience at our institution is 18.6%. The Graduation/success rate for low income students is based on the 6 year graduation rate for the Pell recipients from the 2009 Cohort (93.4%).