Smith College
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Part 1

Institution has policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students and/or to support non-traditional students. Such policies and programs may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students
• Programs to equip the institution’s faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds
• Programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education (e.g. U.S. federal TRIO programs)
• Scholarships provided specifically for low-income students
• Programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience
• Targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds
• Scholarships provided specifically for part-time students
• An on-site child care facility, a partnership with a local facility, and/or subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of students

Part 2

Institution is accessible and affordable to low-income students as demonstrated by one or more of the following indicators:

A. The percentage of entering students that are low-income

B. The graduation/success rate for low-income students

C. The percentage of student financial need met, on average

D. The percentage of students graduating with no interest-bearing student loan debt

This credit applies to all institutions.

Each part is scored independently.

Part 1

An institution earns the maximum of 1 point available for Part 1 of this credit by having policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students and to support non-traditional students. Partial points are available. For example, an institution that has policies and programs in place to support non-traditional students but not low-income students, would earn 0.5 points (half of the points available for Part 1).

Part 2

Institutions earn up to the maximum of 3 points available for Part 2 of this credit based on performance measured by one or more of the indicators listed. For example, an institution that reports 100 percent for three of the four indicators would earn 3 points for this credit. Likewise, an institution that reports 75 percent or more for all four indicators would earn 3 points. Incremental points are available; for example, an institution that reports 50 percent for 3 of the four indicators would earn 1.5 points (half of the points available for Part 2 of this credit).

See the STARS Technical Manual for a scoring table and example.

Timeframe

Part 1
Report on current programs, policies, and practices.

Part 2
Report the most recent data available.

Sampling and Data Standards

Part 1
In addition to institution-wide policies or programs, report on policies and programs pertaining to the institution’s largest admissions group or student cohort (e.g. undergraduate students). Institutions may choose to include or omit programs and policies offered by smaller schools or departments within the institution.

Part 2
Report on the institution’s largest admissions group or student cohort (e.g. undergraduate students). Institutions may choose to include or omit smaller schools or departments within the institution.

For guidance in identifying low-income students, see Standards and Terms. Institutions may report graduation rates, success rates and/or combined graduation/success rates as appropriate to their particular context and types of programs offered.

Institutions may meet student financial need in a variety of ways, for example:

• Scholarships and grants
• Self-help (e.g. work study, employment)
• Tuition waivers or not requiring tuition
• Subsidized or no-interest loans
• Athletic awards

Exclude non-need-based aid, any aid awarded in excess of need, and unsubsidized or interest-bearing loans. Institutions that do not assess student need as a matter of standard practice may report the percentage of cost met, on average, for low-income students.