| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 85.50 |
| Liaison | Breeana Sylvas |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2022 |
University of California, Merced
PA-8: Affordability and Access
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.29 / 4.00 |
Percentage of need met, on average, for students who were awarded any need-based aid :
Percentage of students graduating without student loan debt:
Percentage of entering students that are low-income:
Graduation/success rate for low-income students:
A brief description of notable policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
The UC Student Tuition Stability Plan is multiyear tuition model that stabilizes the cost of tuition for undergraduates by cohort for up to 6-years and makes it easier for students and their families to plan for the cost of achieving a UC degree.
The UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan covers tuition and student services fees for California residents whose family earns less than $80,000 a year and who qualify for financial aid.
Golden Bobcat Grants and Scholarships are available for eligible undergraduate students with funding provided by the Regents of the University of California and the State of California. Award amounts are determined based on family income and financial need.
Our Fiat Lux Scholars Program is a residential living learning community for a select cohort of low-income, first-generation college students that provides comprehensive academic support services, advising, co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities, and a 4-year minimum $80,000 gift-aid guarantee.
Our Transfer Scholars Program is for a select cohort of low-income transfer students that provides comprehensive academic support, advising, co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities, and a 2-year minimum $40,000 gift-aid guarantee.
Middle Class Scholarship is a state aid program for students with family income and household assets of no more than $191,000: MCS will cover between 10 percent and 40 percent of systemwide tuition and fees.
Federal Pell Grants are available for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need who are eligible to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
A brief description of notable policies or programs to support non-traditional students:
Transfer, Returning and Veteran Scholars (TRV) comprises four main activities, for populations among University of California-Merced that show low rates of campus engagement, retention, and degree completion in a timely manner:
· The TRV Program provides year-round, intrusive interventions for non-traditional students, including audience-specific academic, professional, research, and career workshops based on student-generated needs assessments. Additionally, through a team of peer leaders, program participants are able to receive one-on-one peer mentorship and receive referrals to campus and community resources to ensure their basic and holistic needs are met.
· Exclusive TRV sections of Undergraduate Studies 010 College Success Course, previously restricted to freshmen only. This creates an experience of being a majority population, for individuals who are of an extreme minority campus-wide.
· On-demand tutoring, to facilitate scheduling for non-traditional students with complicated schedules.
· Community-building opportunities toward benefiting from a network of peer support.
Use of software for the tracking of student activity within the program, and for dissemination of student issues or needs to the proper constituencies, also is central to this program.
The key outcomes of the TRV program include incrementally increased rates of three-year retention for the target populations, improved rates of returning (formerly dismissed) students completing their first term back in Good Academic Standing, heightened campus engagement compared to historical rates of transfer student involvement on campus, particularly with support services. This program is founded upon theories of student engagement, that correlate level of involvement with level of success.
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:
Website URL where information about the institution’s accessibility and affordability initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.