Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.55
Liaison Daryl Pierson
Submission Date Feb. 11, 2011
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.0

Portland State University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Crystal Roberts
Investigator
Office of Diversity & Inclusion
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s participation in federal TRIO programs:

The Student Support Services / Educational Opportunity Program is a federally funded TRIO program of the U.S. Department of Education. The mission of TRIO programs is to expand educational opportunity to persons often underrepresented in higher education. The SSS/EOP is available to first generation, low income, and/or disabled students who have a need for academic support. The program provides academic counseling, tutoring and enrichment classes to help students maintain achievement standards and graduate. Professional counselors and peer advisors assess student needs, help students plan schedules, and offer guidance and referrals. PSU has been awarded a $1.85 million grant to continue programs for 2010-2015.
(Source: http://www.pdx.edu/sss-eop/)

Pre-college TRIO programs include Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound.

Objectives met or exceeded by Educational Talent Search were (goals in parenthesis): Participants served – 610 (600); 2/3 of participants are low-come & first generation participant – 418 ( 406), low-income only – 31 or first generation only – 146; 1/3 of participants are Hispanic or Latino (no objective); secondary school promotion – 98.6% (90%); secondary school graduation – 80% (98.8%); application for student financial aid – 93.9% (75%); application for postsecondary education admissions – 96.1% (75%); postsecondary enrollment – 91.6% (80%).

Objectives met or exceeded by Upward Bound were (goals in parenthesis): Students served – 113 (81); Black or African American students – 46, Latino – 17, Asian – 18, White – 23 (no required objective); participants meet State Benchmarks – 52.2% (50%); 9th-11th grade participants are retained 79.4% (75%); participants who enrolled in postsecondary the following fall – 84.4% (75%).


A brief description of the institution’s policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students?:

PSU has many different opportunities for low-income students to minimize the cost of attendance. Together, financial aid and scholarships make it so that 77% of PSU students receive some sort of financial assistance. PSU also does a lot to raise awareness around our various policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance. We have multiple publications that address financial aid and scholarships. We also offer programs to share information about financial aid and scholarships with prospective students, especially during our Bridges programs-- open houses for students of color, first generation college students, and low-income students.

Diversity Scholarship Programs: Fifty-six students comprised the fall 2009 freshmen cohort, supported through a first-term college success skills class and case-managed advising, had a 100% retention rate for Fall Term 2010. Of the 175 students supported through the Diversity Scholarship Programs, 47 graduated during AY 2009-2010. The Diversity Scholars provided over 4,000 hours of community service on campus and in the Metro area.


A brief description of the institution’s programs to equip the institution's faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:

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A brief description of the institution’s programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:

Upward Bound
Upward Bound, a college preparation program for high school students, is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a year-round program designed to improve students' academic and study skills in high school, to develop their career and educational plans, and to help them enter and succeed in higher education. All students receive:
-Academic guidance and counseling on a year-round basis
-Daily tutoring in high school courses
-Semester-long courses for high school credit
-A 6-week summer academic program
-Assistance with career and college planning and financial aid
-Opportunities for summer work-study positions (up to $900 for the summer)
-Opportunities to visit colleges and explore careers
-Technology skill-building: web design, photo editing, movie editing, Internet research skills
(Source: http://www.pdx.edu/ubets/)

McNair Scholars
The McNair Scholars Program introduces juniors and seniors who are first-generation and low-income, and/or members of under-represented groups to academic research and to effective strategies for getting into and graduating from PhD programs. It has academic-year activities and a full-time summer research internship. Scholars take academic and skills-building seminars and workshops during the year, and each scholar works closely with a faculty mentor on original research in the summer. Scholars present their research findings at the McNair Summer Symposium and at other conferences, and are encouraged to publish their papers in the McNair Journal and other scholarly publications.
(Source: http://sites.google.com/site/psumcnairscholars/home/)

PSU has many programs geared toward low-income students to prepare them for higher education, and they take many forms. The admissions area works with high school students on a regular basis to familiarize them with higher education. Beyond our regular interactions, we also have special programs geared toward students of color, first generation students, and low income students, specifically our Bridges programs with workshops specially designed to prepare these students for higher education. We also do work with middle school students, most notably in our Viking 101 program. Viking 101 is a day long program where middle school students, often from low-income backgrounds, visit campus and go through a series of workshops geared toward participation in higher education.


A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:

Portland State has a number of scholarships for low-income students. Beyond our general scholarships that are available for all eligible students, we have some specifically geared toward high need and first generation college students. We currently have seven scholarships for student with high financial need with awards from $1,500 to $3,000. In addition we have ten scholarships for first generation college students that award $2000 to $5000.

Portland State offers a wide variety of scholarships to meet the needs of our diverse student body. Some scholarships are based on:
-Financial need
-Diverse and unique backgrounds
-First generation status
(Source: http://www.pdx.edu/finaid/scholarship)

McNair Scholars
The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program at Portland State University (PSU) works with motivated and talented undergraduates who want to pursue PhDs. It introduces juniors and seniors who are first-generation and low-income, and/or members of under-represented groups to academic research and to effective strategies for getting into and graduating from PhD programs.
(Source: http://sites.google.com/site/psumcnairscholars/home/)


A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:

Through admissions, we have a number of opportunities for parents to learn more about the process of admission and the student's first year at PSU. Most notable among them, we have our fall and spring visit programs (including the Bridges programs) and our regular Orientation programs. All of these programs have workshops, panels, and receptions specifically geared toward parents of prospective and incoming students.

Upward Bound involves parents:
a. Inform parents about Upward Bound events.
b. Communicate with parents about student participation in Upward Bound activities, especially the tutorial program.
c. Invite parents to participate in and assist with events and activities.
d. Encourage parents to continue their education by taking classes.
e. Ask parents for suggestions for improving Upward Bound curriculum and activities.
(Source: handbook for Upward Bound http://www.pdx.edu/ubets/node/30)


A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:

The Bridges programs would be the most obvious example of targeted outreach. Bridges is Portland State University's annual open house for high school students, who are low income, first generation, or from ethnically diverse backgrounds, who are exploring college opportunities. Bridges II PSU is a spring program for the same populations designed to woo admitted students to choose to attend PSU. Students who attend a Bridges program will learn more about the admissions process, Financial Aid, Scholarships and how to be a successful student at PSU. A series of workshops and tours assists students in gathering essential information needing to make informed decisions about attending college.
PSU also makes a concerted effort to participate in community events where low-income students will be present, such as college fairs and college nights. We also visit high schools around the country. Our counselors are equipped to answer the questions of low income students and their families when they meet them during recruitment.

Upward Bound
Upward Bound serves 81 low income, first generation high school students from the following schools or campuses: Franklin High School, Grant High School, Jefferson Campus, Madison High School, Marshall Campus, and Benson High School.
(Source: http://www.pdx.edu/ubets/)

Gaining Awareness and Networking for Academic Success (GANAS)
Implemented a year-long support/mentor program designed to help new Latina/o students transition to PSU from high school. The program has recruited and enrolled 20 new students from various schools in Oregon. The program also has 4 continuing Latino students who will help mentor the 20 new freshmen.

Bilingual Family Orientation
Alongside New student Orientation I co-planned the first Bilingual Spanish Orientation for Latino Families on July 17, 2010. Approximately 20 family members participated.


A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:

Advising Programs have recently been improved so that all students receive mandatory advising during their first year. http://www.pdx.edu/advising/

PSU's admission policies and programs try to balance the priorities of access and excellence. We strive to recruit and admit students who will thrive in the PSU environment. Initial evaluations of students take into account their GPA and possibly their standardized test scores. While grades tend to be the best indicators of success, we also acknowledge that there are other factors in students lives. Because of these other factors, when students do not meet our general admission requirements, we offer them opportunities to explain why and prove they would be successful candidates for admission through a more holistic admission process. We also have a rolling admission process which is another example of our commitment to access.


A brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:
A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:

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The website URL where information about programs in each of the areas listed above is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Source: Diversity and Multicultural Student Services
ANNUAL REPORT 2009-2010
Paulette Watanabe, Executive Director


Source: Diversity and Multicultural Student Services
ANNUAL REPORT 2009-2010
Paulette Watanabe, Executive Director

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