San Jose State University
PA-8: Affordability and Access

It is the policy of the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office to first award all federal and state grant or scholarship aid for which a student may be eligible. A number of federal and state grant programs are available for low-incomdestudents. If a student still has an unmet need or the student is not eligible for any grants or scholarships, either loans or Work-Study (if the student is eligible), or a combination thereof, will be awarded according to the student's preference as indicated on the FAFSA or the CA Dream Act application.

The Center for Faculty Development coordinates educational workshops for faculty about how to work with today's students along many diverse dimensions. The Education Opportunity Program (EOP) is designed to improve student academic support of first-generation, low-income and educationally disadvantaged students. ASPIRE (Academic Support Program for Increased Retention in Education) is a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of ASPIRE is to increase retention and graduation rates of low income, first generation in college (neither parent has a degree from an accredited four-year U.S. college or university), or registered with a disability hindering academic performance.

The EOP Summer Program includes 5 weeks of intensive academic studies designed to fulfill remedial requirements and to develop needed writing, math, and study skills. EOP Summer Bridge is a residential, live on-campus program. Students required to live on campus for 5 weeks to experience the full impact of the program. There is no fee to attend other than personal travel expenses to and from the campus Food, on campus housing, and academic materials will be provided by EOP EOP Summer Bridge meets CSU Early Start requirement(s). The Spartan Scholars programs is a 5-week residential program starting in summer 2016 that provides incoming freshman with tools and resources to jumpstart their first year in college. The program provide fully funded academic experience on the SJSU campus that prepares students with an overview of campus resources, professors and other students.

Scholarships come from a number of different sources, including SJSU, private donors, alumni, and private industry. Awards are generally based on scholastic achievement and financial need. All students are encouraged to apply for as many scholarships as possible, to lessen their need for loans or part-time work to attend school. Students who want to apply for SJSU scholarships can do so online through the Spartan Scholarship Application. In Spring 2016 there were 106 active scholarships available, many with multiple awards, offering financial assistance from $250-$15,000, with more than 57 scholarships offering $1000 or more to recipients. For 15-16, a total of 2562 scholarships were awarded to SJSU students. https://sjsu.academicworks.com/opportunities

SJSU hired a parent and family coordinator in February 2016 with the intent of launching a campus-wide family and parent program for Fall 2016. The coordinator will be involved in outreach efforts and is now available to parents of low-income students to answer questions and respond to inquiries. In April 2016, SJSU entered into a formal partnership with the East Side Union High School District to create the "Spartan East Side Promise." The goal of the promise is to create a clear pathway to SJSU for East Side high school graduates who meet program eligibility as well as expand outreach opportunities to parents and students within the district. Our admission counselors will work directly with parents to help them better understand the higher education experience. Most schools in this district have over 50% of students eligible for free and reduced lunch with one school at 70%.

SJSU has identified Santa Clara County as our local service area which includes a number of students from low-income backgrounds. We focus our outreach efforts on our local service area including onsite visits from admission counselors, participation in college fairs, on-campus tours, and admission workshops. SJSU hosts College Day each year which is an opportunity for students and their families to visit and learn more about the university. Students from the East Side schools are targeted. Our Advancing Latino/a Achievement & Success conference will be combined with College Day in 2016 to target middle and high school Latino students, including low-income Latino students, to learn more about SJSU and college admissions as well as financial aid. The African American College Readiness Summit welcomes African American middle and high school students to SJSU for a one day conference to learn more about higher education. Some of the students attending are low-income. And our Spartan East Side Promise provides a clear pathway for East Side Union High School District students to attend SJSU with increased outreach. Most high schools in the district have over 50% participation in free and reduced lunch.

Beginning for the Fall 2017 class, students from our local service area will receive an automatic .2 GPA bump when calculating their GPA for admission. This will allow our local students, some of whom are low income, to be admitted at higher rates than in years past.

SJSU offers a number of grant and loan programs to students who are low-income. These programs include Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Cal Grants, State University Grants, Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work-Study, Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, and California DREAM Loans. Some scholarships are awarded based on financial need.

SJSU has developed an Economic Crisis Response Team to provide a coordinated response to students experiencing an economic crisis. SJSU also coordinates financial literacy workshops to assist students with understanding how to develop budgets, manage their credit and not default on student loans.

SJSU does not offer any scholarships specifically for part-time students. However, part-time students are eligible for most SJSU scholarships.

The A.S. Child Development Center offers child care for children aged four months through six years and prioritizes low-income family enrollment. Approximately one half of the spaces are subsidized by the California Department of Education for low income student families. These families pay fees determined by the CDE based on monthly income and family size. Student parents who are not subsidized by the CDE still pay less than the full cost of care due to the Associated Student support of the child care program. http://as.sjsu.edu/ascdc/

SJSU has developed an Economic Crisis Response Team to provide a coordinated response to provide a coordinated response to students experiencing an economic crisis. This could take the form of additional financial resources, referrals to on and off campus resources, and employment opportunities. SJSU also has a student organization, "Connections" which strives to connect students with the right resources to meet their needs, which could include financial needs.