Stanford University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

Stanford does not currently participate in the federal TRIO programs. While Stanford formerly supported an Upward Bound program on campus through the Haas Center for Public Service, in 2008, Stanford Upward Bound became Stanford College Prep, relying on grants and donations through the Haas Center for Public Service instead of federal funding.

Stanford’s admission program is need-blind and all undergraduate aid is need-based, with the exception of athletic scholarships. Through the financial aid program Stanford meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need of all eligible students. Parents whose total annual income is less than $60,000 and who have assets typical for their income level are not expected to contribute toward educational costs. Parents with income between $60,000 and $100,000 are expected to contribute somewhere between $0 and the cost of room and board, ensuring enough scholarship funds to cover the cost of tuition at a minimum. Students are not expected to borrow to cover their educational costs.

Early in 2011 Stanford created a new position for a director of diversity and first-gen programs. In addition to serving as a resource for students, the director’s role includes outreach and coordination among other campus resources to meet the needs of first generation and low income students. Student Affairs staff and academic advising staff coordinate regularly with the Financial Aid Office to ensure availability of resources for students from low-income backgrounds.

A plethora of summer programs are offered on campus to prepare students to attend either Stanford University or the college/university of their choice. Through programs like the Stanford Summer Engineering Academy, first offered in 1998 to provide a rigorous introduction to engineering, math and physical sciences programs for incoming Stanford freshmen and the Stanford College Prep program that partners with the charter East Palo Alto Academy High School to provide resources and support to first-generation and low-income minority students to succeed academically in high school and college, the university is reaching out to both potential Stanford students as well as members of the public in the local area. Through the Haas Center for Public Service Stanford students participate in programs that support students in local low income neighborhoods. Some examples are the East Palo Alto Stanford Academy, Jumpstart, Stanford College Prep, Science in Service and Ravenswood Reads.

For the current 2011-2012 academic year, Stanford has committed more than $122 Million in institutional funds to support scholarships for students who would not otherwise be able to attend. There are two basic criteria to establish eligibility for these funds: students must be admitted to Stanford and demonstrate financial need. Scholarships are used to meet students’ full need, giving all admitted students the opportunity to attend Stanford.

A collection of resources for parents can be found with just one click from Stanford’s home page. A Parents’ Guide is published annually and distributed to all new parents. A parents’ helpline phone number and email address are available for all questions, big and small, year round.

Stanford University engages with Community Based Organizations every time the Office of Undergraduate Admission travels. The Office has partnered with the Center for Student Opportunity for a list of all CBO organizations in each travel area. During the fall of 2011, Admission Officers from Stanford engaged with over 50 different CBOs across the country. In addition, the Office hosted training sessions for CBO leaders to review case studies and gain professional development in writing letters of recommendation. The Office also includes CBOs and under-resourced high schools throughout the country in quarterly newsletters and admission posts.

As part of the University’s commitment to a comprehensive holistic review process, each admission officer takes into account the context of the student’s background. This includes but is not limited to, socioeconomic status, parent/guardian degree attainment, high school graduation rates and college placement rates, fee waivers, free and reduced lunch programs, emergency credentialing and EOP programs. The Office of Undergraduate Admission also participates in the Quest Bridge Scholarship matching program. This year Stanford has selected 28 students as Quest Bridge finalists.

All financial aid for undergraduates offered by the University is awarded by the Financial Aid Office based on financial need. The only exception is Athletic Aid. In addition, through Undergraduate Advising and Research, the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education partners with faculty, departments, research centers, and interdisciplinary programs to facilitate and promote research opportunities for undergraduates.

In recent years Stanford students have been increasingly interested in issues surrounding access and affordability. One student group that has focused specifically on first generation and low income students is FLIP, the First Gen and Low Income Partnership (http://www.stanford.edu/group/flip/FLIP/Home.html). Students from FLIP have organized welcome events for students and parents during orientation, regular study-breaks for students, speakers and resources for students both at Stanford and in their home communities. Stanford students have formed organizations like The Phoenix Scholars (http://phoenixscholars.org/) to support aspiring students from first generation and low income backgrounds. These are just 2 examples of the types of programs Stanford students have created.

The websites below support the information provided for this credit:

http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/haas/students
http://parents.stanford.edu/
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/cgi-bin/drupal/research#Overview
http://www.stanford.edu/group/flip/FLIP/Home.html
http://phoenixscholars.org/
http://financialaid.stanford.edu
http://admission.stanford.edu