Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 49.64
Liaison Adam Maurer
Submission Date March 31, 2021

STARS v2.2

Seattle Central College
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.36 / 4.00 Adam Maurer
District Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Percentage of need met, on average, for students who were awarded any need-based aid :
40

Percentage of students graduating without student loan debt:
12

Percentage of entering students that are low-income:
17

Graduation/success rate for low-income students:
33

A brief description of notable policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:

Seattle Promise launched in 2018 to create more equitable higher education opportunities for Seattle public school graduates.

The program is a promise to:
- guide students onto a direct path from high school to college to graduation with a degree, certificate, or transfer to a four-year college or university;
- boost career opportunities for all students, especially first-generation and historically under-served populations; and,
- prepare students to participate in our region's vibrant workforce and economy without taking on overwhelming debt.

The program provides the first two years (or up to 90 credits) of tuition, additional financial support for books, transportation, housing, etc. to those with financial need, and personal guidance to succeed in college. All Seattle public high school graduates are eligible regardless of grade point average (GPA), income or country of birth. The program provides financial support as well as ongoing college and career guidance for students to attend one of three Seattle Colleges (North, Central, and South).

Seattle Promise scholars receive the following services:

- Support applying to Seattle Promise and Seattle Colleges (North, Central or South)
- Support applying for and completing financial aid requirements
- Full coverage of any tuition expenses remaining after other scholarships and financial aid
- Assistance with choosing and registering for classes
- Preparation for the transition from high school to college
- Guidance and mentorship through the first two years of college

TRiO program- The primary purpose of the TRiO programs is to prepare students from disadvantaged backgrounds to successfully enter, persist, and complete a postsecondary education. In general, these programs identify low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities and provides them the assistance, support, and encouragement necessary to enter and complete a college education.

Seattle Central makes a bold commitment to provide full tuition to every student who demonstrates financial need, enrolls full time, and maintains a 3.0 GPA. The Commitment Scholarship makes funding accessible, transparent, predictable and reliable, while incentivizing academic success.

In 2016, we expanded our financial-need criteria to support more low to moderate income students, as well as provide completion scholarships to students who are close to graduation. As a result, we increased the number of students we support by over 250%. We will need greater financial support to keep an even bolder promise to students at this level of financial need.

Since its inception in 2013, Seattle Central has awarded over $1.5 million to nearly 1000 students.


A brief description of notable policies or programs to support non-traditional students:

Student Support Programs include; 1) the Childcare Assistance Program offers funding, information, and referral resources to students desiring childcare assistance while attending school, 2) the Emergency Fund Program provides a funding avenue for students requiring emergency assistance in special circumstances, 3) Women's Programs provides information about a variety of community financial and other resource assistance to all students (male and female).

Seattle Promise has notably invested in increasing postsecondary access and success rates for Seattle Public High School graduates. In addition to funding up to 2 years or 90 credits of college tuition, Seattle Promise provides teams of college success specialists to help students successfully navigate every step transitioning to college through college graduation. In addition, Seattle Promise offers complimentary opportunities for students, including exclusive paid internships at top local organizations and connections to industry mentors.


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:
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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:

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.