Overall Rating Platinum - expired
Overall Score 86.82
Liaison Richard Demerjian
Submission Date March 28, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of California, Irvine
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.53 / 4.00 Patricia Morales
Associate Vice Chancellor
Enrollment Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have policies and programs to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

A brief description of any policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students:

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 $97.6M 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.


A brief description of any programs to equip the institution’s faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:

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.


A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide and prepare students and families from low-income backgrounds for higher education:

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 17,000 low-income students annually.

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 partner with our Enrollment Management to promote scholarship opportunities and information regarding the process of applying for financial aid.


A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:

Our largest scholarship program for low-income students consisted of 1,500 offers for the current academic year. 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.


A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:

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.

Our Office of Undergraduate Admissions ensures that all prospective students and families receive a robust set of resources outlining the many campus support services that assist low-income and first generation students. For example, we have received national accolades for our Basic Needs Hub and food pantry, "Fresh": https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/us/california-today-uc-irvine-food-pantry.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_ca_20180327&nl=california-today&nlid=62837208edit_ca_20180327&ref=headline&te=1

We have also been consistently recognized by the New York Times' College Access Index as the top institution in the country "doing the most for the American Dream." See: https://news.uci.edu/2017/06/09/doing-the-most-for-the-american-dream/


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

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.
See: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/paying-for-uc/financial-aid/grants/blue-gold/i
ndex.html

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.
See: https://www.admissions.uci.edu/apply/transfer/guarantee.php


Does the institution have policies and programs to support non-traditional students?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s scholarships provided specifically for part-time students:
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A brief description of the institution’s on-site child care facility, partnership with a local facility, and/or subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of students:

UCI operates five on-campus child care facilities serving non-traditional students with families. Subsidized care is available to UCI non-traditional students depending on need.

UCI Child Care Services
https://childcare.uci.edu/

Subsidized Child Care Form
https://childcare.uci.edu/pdf/subsidizedapp.pdf


A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:

UCI offers a comprehensive program of support for non-traditional students, including students with families. This includes child care services, counseling services, health insurance, family housing, lactation stations, and transportation services.

UCI Graduate Division: Students with Families
https://www.grad.uci.edu/about-us/students-with-families.php

UCI Veteran Services supports student veterans with understanding their educational benefits and providing resources and programs to support their transition to student life.

UCI Veteran Services
https://veteran.uci.edu/


Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (tracking accessibility and affordability)? (If data is not available, select 'No'):
Yes

The percentage of entering students that are low-income (0-100):
38

The graduation/success rate for low-income students (0-100):
87

On average, the percentage of need that was met for students who were awarded any need-based aid (e.g. as reported to the U.S. Common Data Set initiative, item H2) (0-100):
83

The percentage of students graduating with no interest-bearing student loan debt or for whom no out-of-pocket tuition is required (i.e. the percentage of graduates who have not taken out interest-bearing loans) (0-100):
45

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 (0-100):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

For more information about access and affordability at UCI, see:

‘Doing the most for the American dream’
UCI again tops New York Times’ College Access Index for its commitment to upward mobility (June 9, 2017)
https://news.uci.edu/2017/06/09/doing-the-most-for-the-american-dream/

UCI meets U.S. Department of Education eligibility as a Hispanic-serving institution
Latino enrollment reaches 2.57 percent, reflecting campus commitment to diversity (May 22, 2017)
https://news.uci.edu/2017/05/22/uci-meets-u-s-department-of-education-eligibility-as-a-hispanic-serving-institution/

UC Irvine’s rare distinction: It’s an elite research university that’s a haven for Latino’s
Los Angeles Times (June 9, 2017)
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-uc-irvine-latino-20170609-story.html

Chancellor Gillman Celebrates $5 Million Award with Santa Ana Partnership (Sept. 10, 2015)
https://chancellor.uci.edu/engagement/in-the-community/2015/150910-gillman-sausd-grant-celebration.php

UCI outreach to Santa Ana schools pays off
By Howard Gillman, Orange County Register (May 27, 2016)
https://www.ocregister.com/2016/05/27/uci-outreach-to-santa-ana-schools-pays-off/

Chancellor Gillman Furthers Commitment to First-Get Students at Anaheim High Schools (Sept. 27, 2017)
https://chancellor.uci.edu/engagement/in-the-community/2017/170927-first-gen-anaheim-high-schools.php


For more information about access and affordability at UCI, see:

‘Doing the most for the American dream’
UCI again tops New York Times’ College Access Index for its commitment to upward mobility (June 9, 2017)
https://news.uci.edu/2017/06/09/doing-the-most-for-the-american-dream/

UCI meets U.S. Department of Education eligibility as a Hispanic-serving institution
Latino enrollment reaches 2.57 percent, reflecting campus commitment to diversity (May 22, 2017)
https://news.uci.edu/2017/05/22/uci-meets-u-s-department-of-education-eligibility-as-a-hispanic-serving-institution/

UC Irvine’s rare distinction: It’s an elite research university that’s a haven for Latino’s
Los Angeles Times (June 9, 2017)
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-uc-irvine-latino-20170609-story.html

Chancellor Gillman Celebrates $5 Million Award with Santa Ana Partnership (Sept. 10, 2015)
https://chancellor.uci.edu/engagement/in-the-community/2015/150910-gillman-sausd-grant-celebration.php

UCI outreach to Santa Ana schools pays off
By Howard Gillman, Orange County Register (May 27, 2016)
https://www.ocregister.com/2016/05/27/uci-outreach-to-santa-ana-schools-pays-off/

Chancellor Gillman Furthers Commitment to First-Get Students at Anaheim High Schools (Sept. 27, 2017)
https://chancellor.uci.edu/engagement/in-the-community/2017/170927-first-gen-anaheim-high-schools.php

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.