| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 30.68 |
| Liaison | Adam Ryburn |
| Submission Date | Aug. 1, 2011 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Oklahoma City University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Audrey
Wagner Student Oikos Scholars |
Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
A brief description of the institution’s participation in federal TRIO programs:
OCU is not involved in TRIO programming.
A brief description of the institution’s policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students?:
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.
A brief description of the institution’s programs to equip the institution's faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
None exist
A brief description of the institution’s programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
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.
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income 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.
A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:
None exist.
A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
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.
A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:
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 brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:
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.
A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:
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.
The website URL where information about programs in each of the areas listed above is available:
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.