Oklahoma City University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

OCU is not involved in TRIO programming.

Part-time campus employment or work study opportunities (which are determined by the student's FAFSA) are available to help cover expenses through the Human Resources Office. The Distinguished Scholarships and Internship Office at OCU can provide information about national scholarships and internships as well as Oklahoma scholarship opportunities. Their webpage is found at http://www.okcu.edu/dist_scholar/default.aspx Oklahoma City University Scholarships are awarded by the University and do not have to be repaid. Application for admission serves as the application for merit-based aid. The institution uses students' FAFSA to determine eligibility for scholarships that are awarded on the basis of financial need. Endowed Scholarships are available from a variety of private sources and awarded based on many factors such as membership in the United Methodist Church, athletics, academics, leadership skills, career goals, financial need, and ethnicity. They do not have to be repaid. For awards based on financial need, the financial aid department uses the student's FAFSA to determine scholarship eligibility. Graduate assistantships and graduate scholarships are available for graduate students who are enrolled in at least nine credit hours at Oklahoma City University, or six credit hours in the accelerated M.B.A. program.

None exist

No programs specifically exist for this purpose, but the university sponsors a freshman orientation, which prepares new students for the college experience. There are also various campus activities and workshops during the school year that support students who may not have a highly educational background. The Learning Enhancement Center on campus offers free tutoring in all subjects to OCU students.

There are no scholarships specifically named for "low-income students," but the university does give out many different scholarships based on each student's financial needs according to their FAFSA, academic talents, personal qualities, and/or financial need. Every year, nearly 85 percent of Oklahoma City University students receive financial assistance in many different forms. The Oklahoma City University Office of Financial Aid assists students in financing their education through an individual award package, which is a variety of scholarships, grants, loans and student employment. They offer Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grants (OTAG), student and parent loans, university scholarships, and endowed scholarships. Endowed Scholarships are available from a variety of private sources and awarded based on many factors such as membership in the United Methodist Church, athletics, academics, leadership skills, career goals, financial need, and ethnicity. They do not have to be repaid. For awards based on financial need, the financial aid department uses the student's FAFSA to determine scholarship eligibility. Application for admission serves as the application for merit-based aid.

None exist.

The OCU Outreach Program is a comprehensive recruitment program that identifies students from under-served populations in order to provide access and opportunity for a debt-free college education. Most of these students would not otherwise hope to reach their goals by attending a private university. This program is accompanied by collateral programmatic retention efforts, thus identifying, recruiting and retaining excellent students for our university. Peer Mentors travel to elementary and high schools, organizational meetings, and cultural events to recruit qualified students and provide information regarding the Clara Luper and American Indian Scholarship Programs which are specifically designed to support and retain students from under-served populations.

Oklahoma City University provides equality of opportunity in higher education for all persons, including faculty and employees, with respect to hiring, continuation, promotion and tenure, applicants for admission, enrolled students, and graduates, without discrimination or segregation on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The Assistant Vice President for Human Resources coordinates the university’s compliance with titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

A complete description of financial aid issues is available in the "Financial Aid Coursebook for STARS," available at http://www.okcu.edu/financialaid/coursebook3.pdf.

The Cultural Compass Conference is a one day event designed to engage students, faculty and staff along with industry personnel for the betterment of our society by discussing the poignant issue of cultural differences. This conference is centered on culture and the varied elements of difference, which create barriers to better understanding and more civil discourse in the wake of disagreements. The overall goal of this conference is to acknowledge the differences that we all have and value the difference that these differences make.