| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.14 |
| Liaison | Alexis Reyes |
| Submission Date | June 3, 2011 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Pomona College
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Ginny
Routhe Director Sustainability Integration Office |
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:
Pomona College does not have a formal relationship with the federal TRIO programs, although the College has received many students who have passed through them.
A brief description of the institution’s policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students?:
In Pomona College's admission policy statement, approved by the Board of Trustees, the College articulates its commitment to "to review admissions candidates who are US citizens and permanent residents without regard to financial circumstances and to provide financial assistance to those who enroll to the extent of their demonstrated need." Pomona College is one of only a handful of institutions in the US committed to both need-blind admissions and to meeting 100 percent of the demonstrated need of every admitted enrolling student with scholarships. Their are no lonas in the financial aid packages. These policies enable Pomona to choose its student solely on the basis of educational considerations such as talent, promise, and ability to contribute to the campus community while removing cost as a barrier to a first class educational opportunity.
A brief description of the institution’s programs to equip the institution's faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
A brief description of the institution’s programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS) is an intensive 4-week academic summer program that serves high school students from groups traditionally under-represented in higher education – students who are first in their family to attend college, those from low income families, and those who are African American or Latino/a. The program enrolls up to 90 participants from Los Angeles and the Inland Valley. The program includes room and board M-F, and there is no cost to participants. Program participants attend small classes of approximately 15 students taught by Pomona College faculty.
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
Since 2008, all financial aid awards made by Pomona College have been a combination of gift aid (scholarships and grants) and student employment, without loans or accrued debt of any kind. Pomona College also has over 400 named, endowed scholarships that contribute to the College's ability to maintain a need-blind admissions policy.
A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:
Pomona College has a Parents Council which calls the parents of every accepted student to answer any questions they may have and talk about their own experience as well as their child's. Iin recent year, the program has had enough Spanish speaking parent volunteers to call families who prefer that conversation in Spanish. There is also an annual Family Weekend. Both of these programs are aimed at all Pomona parents. As part of the Pomona Academy for Youth Success, whose participants are often low income, College officials in admissions and financial aid meet with parents each year to discuss the processes of admissions and applying for financial aid. Pomona College financial aid staff also meet with participants of the local College Bound program to explain the process to those prospective college students and their families.
A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
Pomona College's commitment to a diverse student body is reflected in the Admissions Policy statement: "the College should select students for its entering classes who represent a rich cross-section of backgrounds, talents, experiences, and perspectives." The Admissions Office seeks to respond to this call; the College is a participant in Chicago site of the Posse Foundation and is a partner of the QuestBridge program. The College has also enrolled many students from other programs such as Prep for Prep, Bright Prospect, College Match (Los Angeles), One Voice (Santa Monica), the Fulfillment Fund and other similar programs. Pomona also has the MSAP (formerly Minority Student Admissions Program) for under-represented students (low-income, minority or first generation) who have the potentail for being admitted. This program includes a fly-out program on two weekends in the fall to visit the campus. For those with lower incomes, as reported on the application, the College will pay for their travel. For program participants who are admitted, the College will pay for low-income students to visit the campus for admitted student receptions in the spring. All admitted students receive information on admitted student receptions on campus that include the information that there are travel grants to attend these events available for low-income students.
A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:
A brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:
Since 2008, financial aid awards do not include loans or other debt-related offers.
A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:
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.