Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 75.77
Liaison Daryl Pierson
Submission Date March 1, 2022

STARS v2.2

Portland State University
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.75 / 4.00 Amanda Wolf
Program + Assessment Coordinator
Campus Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Percentage of need met, on average, for students who were awarded any need-based aid :
55.30

Percentage of students graduating without student loan debt:
40.20

Percentage of entering students that are low-income:
60.50

Graduation/success rate for low-income students:
51.10

A brief description of notable policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to 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 70% 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.

Jim Sells Childcare Assistance Program: This program, funded by the Student Incidental Fee, provides subsidies to cover up to 50% of the out-of-pocket cost of childcare for financially eligible students.

Diversity Scholarship Programs: The program promotes diversity and student participation in campus life through volunteerism and academic excellence. Scholarship recipients will share their unique strengths and diverse perspectives through their involvement in on-campus activities, in the classroom and through their participation in community service. The Diversity Enrichment Scholarship is a renewable tuition-remission credit in the amount of 12 undergraduate credits at the resident tuition rate excluding fees (actual amount varies).

This scholarship attracts outstanding students from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in higher education and pursuing their first bachelors degree. The Diversity Enrichment Scholarship gives preferences to those who are/have:
-Oregon residents
-Financial need (federally defined)
-First-generation* college students
* First-generation is defined as neither parent has a 4-year college degree from a U.S. university.

The Access Program is designed to help support students during their first year at Portland State University by providing academic advising, help with identifying and setting academic goals, and referrals to campus and community resources. In addition to these support services, students participated in a college success class. In an attempt to alleviate financial deficiencies Access students receive $1000 in tuition remission per quarter during their first year at Portland State University.

The GANAS program is a year-long support/mentor program designed to help new Latino/a students transition to PSU from high school. Students enrolled in this program will become active members of the campus community and will acquire skills and tools that will lead to continuing success beyond the first year at PSU. Students receive a partial tuition remission per term.

This program accepts 20 new students every year and provides some financial assistance for the first year. All enrolled students receive assistance to actively identify additional financial resources to support their education. Overall the GANAS program provides a variety of services intended to help students adjust to the college environment and achieve their academic goals.

TRiO-SSS Mission
The mission of TRIO programs is to expand educational opportunity to persons often underrepresented in higher education; increase the retention and graduation rates of eligible low income, first generation and disabled students, and to foster an institutional climate supportive of the success for those students through comprehensive services and advocacy.

TRiO-SSS assists students to:
Strengthen academic skills necessary for college level course work through classes and workshops
Connect with cultural and social enrichment activities to find a sense of community
Improve and maintain the GPA necessary to achieve academic goals
Graduate with a Bachelor’s degree
TRiO-SSS can provide you the following services:
-Academic and career advising
-Priority class registration for the following term
-Graduate and professional school counseling
-Financial Literacy (such as loan forgiveness, financial aid application, managing personal budgets)
-Access to our Student Lounge and Quiet Study areas
-FREE printing in our computer lab
-Laptop and calculator loaner programs
-Additional tutoring services including individual writing support
-For credit classes to SSS students at no charge. (Ex. writing, Summer Bridge)
-Scholarship resources and assistance
-Make appropriate referrals to campus and community resources

This past year PSU initiated the outreach program, "Four Years Free" where the university covers the base tuition and fees for all new, full time, Pell Eligible freshman students who have earned a 3.4 high school GPA. The program was applied for the first time in Fall 2017 and over 500 students were enrolled under the program. A similar program for resident transfers was created in 2018, "Transfers Finish Free," which guarantees the university will cover the base tuition and fees of all first time, resident, Pell Eligible students who have a 3.0+ GPA.


A brief description of notable policies or programs to support non-traditional students:
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Estimated percentage of students that participate in or directly benefit from the institution’s policies and programs to support low-income and non-traditional students:
57.70

Website URL where information about the institution’s accessibility and affordability initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Information provided by OIRP


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.