University of California, Irvine
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

UCI has operated the Upward Bound program since 1999. The project works with approximately 50 students each year across 3 high schools in the Anaheim Union High School district (AUHSD). The purpose of the program is to identify and recruit students who are from low-income and first-generation college-going families to prepare them for successful completion of a higher education degree. http://www.cfep.uci.edu/ub/

We have a robust university grant program that sets aside 33% of tuition and fees paid to offer grants to low/middle income students to minimize their cost of attendance, reduce the need for borrowing and promote access and affordability. In the current academic year, we made over $70M available for need-based grants through this program. The campus also offers low-interest fixed rate loans to very low-income students to reduce the need for these families to borrow a parent loan.

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships works closely with academic advisors to ensure they understand the requirements for students to receive financial aid and the struggles first-generation and low-income students might encounter in meeting the requirements. We regularly refer students to their academic advisors to seek assistance in developing academic plans and accessing support services. We also work closely with the Student Support Services office to assist low-income students in accessing specialized academic advising and tutorial assistance.

The Center for Educational Partnerships serves as the campus hub for outreach and academic preparation. The Center administers a range of programming directed at K-12 and Community College students from low-income and underrepresented communities including the Early Academic Outreach Program, Upward Bound, Gear-Up and the Saturday Academy of Mathematics. These programs provide college-going information, academic preparation and work with community stakeholders to create a college-going culture in underserved schools and communities. These programs serve over 15,000 low-income students annually.

Our largest scholarship program for low-income students consisted of 1,950 offers for the current academic year. This program is expanding in the new year by 250 offers. This scholarship program specifically targets first-generation low-income students. The campus also offers numerous other scholarships for low-income students through our endowment and in conjunction with community partnerships.

We participate in numerous outreach events involving parents of low-income students. Many of these are in conjunction with high schools, school districts and community organizations that serve primarily low-income students. We also utilize our parent newsletter to promote scholarship opportunities and information regarding the process of applying for financial aid.

Outreach activities from the Center for Educational Partnerships include the designation of 35 partner schools in Orange County that have 50% or more students who are designated as low income. In addition to academic tutoring and course-taking guidance, the schools receive one-on-one student assistance as well as bilingual workshops for students and parents to assist in completion of the admissions application for the University of California as well as the FAFSA. http://www.cfep.uci.edu/

UC Irvine's Transfer Admission Guarantee Program (TAG) guarantees admission to highly qualified students from all California community colleges. Admission to most majors at UC Irvine can be guaranteed through TAG for transfer students who meet the eligibility requirements and complete the online TAG application. http://www.admissions.uci.edu/admissions/tag.html

We offer the Blue & Gold Opportunity Plan that guarantees financially needy families with incomes under $80,000 that their system-wide fees will be covered through scholarship and/or grant support. http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/paying-for-uc/financial-aid/grants/blue-gold/index.html

The UC Irvine Student Support Services Summer Bridge Programs are open to qualified first-generation, low-income and disabled students. As incoming students at the University of California, Irvine, students are invited to take part in the freshman or Transfer Student Summer Bridge Program, an innovative opportunity that provides them with a rich academic, social, and personal foundation for the next four years. Most students eligible for Summer Bridge will have all of their expenses covered by the Summer Bridge scholarship. Some students who do not meet the Financial Aid requirements for full aid may be offered partial scholarships. http://www.summer.uci.edu/fssp/advantages.asp