Pomona College
PA-8: Affordability and Access

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. There are no loans in the financial aid packages. These policies enable Pomona to choose its students 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.

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.

Pomona College offers no merit-based scholarships at all. All financial aid is based on family need. 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.

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.

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 reaches out to community-based organizations across the country and by targeting outreach to economically disadvantaged students.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.

Since 2008, financial aid awards do not include loans or other debt-related offers.

The college enrolls very few students, if any, who meet this definition.

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