Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 76.34
Liaison Elida Erickson
Submission Date March 1, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of California, Santa Cruz
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.22 / 4.00 Teresa Scholz
Campus Diversity Officer for Staff and Students
Chancellor's Office/EVC
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

Support for Low-Income Students

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

None
A brief description of any policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students:
All students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) requirements. Low-income students are likely to receive larger amounts of grants and aid.

None
A brief description of any programs to equip the institution’s faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
We have the First Generation Initiative, which seeks to collaboratively build a network of faculty, staff, students, and alumni who identify as first-generation or as supporters of our first-generation student population. While not all of our first gen students are low-income, many are. So this initiative provides intersectional support. We also have Slug Support food pantry. Additionally, through Slug Support students can seek assistance with housing and emotional support.

A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide and prepare students and families from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
Educational Opportunities Program(EOP): Provides a variety of academic and personal support programs designed to improve the retention and academic success of first-generation, low-income, or educationally disadvantaged college students. EOP serves to enhance undergraduate experiences by helping students acquire the skills to prepare for graduate programs, professional school, and future leadership roles. http://eop.ucsc.edu/

None
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
UCSC Undergraduate Scholarships All students, both entering and continuing, will be automatically considered for UCSC Scholarships based on their admissions application and/or academic record. Scholarships do not have to be repaid! Campus Merit Scholarships are awarded to students in recognition of both academic achievement and demonstrated financial need. These scholarships are renewable and pay from $500 to $1,500 per year. Renewal is dependent on full-time enrollment and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Restricted Scholarships are awarded from funds donated to the campus by benefactors of the university. A variety of restricted scholarships are available which recognize special attributes such as county of residence, academic majors, special interests, and family background.

A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
The Educational Partnership Center coordinates the student academic preparation efforts of UC, Santa Cruz with the goal of increasing access and opportunity to postsecondary education for students across the Monterey Bay and Silicon Valley/San Jose regions. Our focus is on helping underserved students in our region reach and succeed in college. Through six vital programs and with support from federal and state funding, we provide an array of direct services which support students on the college-going pathway through tutoring, mentoring, academic planning and counseling, leadership training, test preparation, college awareness and enrichment, and teacher professional development. Engaging Education (e²) is a Student-Initiated Outreach and Retention Center for student engagement and academic excellence. It is a supportive and dynamic space for programming that addresses the low rates of recruitment, retention and graduation that historically under resourced communities face within higher education. To build a foundation for students to grow and engage in grassroots organizing, student activism, community building both inside and outside the university and understanding of legacies of social justice struggles. e² partners with the University of California community to provide a purposeful, transformative and relevant educational experience for all students.

A brief description of the institution’s other policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
Some specific departments and colleges have additional support in place for low-income students.

Support for Non-Traditional Students 

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:
---

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:
The campus operates an Early Education Services (child care) program serving the children of student parents. The program is subsidized by state grant funding to eligible students, by campus housing, and also by campus referendum and registration fees paid by all students.

A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:
The UCSC STARS program offers support to diverse populations of non-traditional students, including part-time, veteran and transfer students. This includes an Orientation program in which all students participate. See website at http://stars.ucsc.edu

Part 2 

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):
46

The graduation/success rate for low-income students (0-100):
77.30

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):
77.65

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):
20.70

Optional Fields 

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):
100

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Student statistics, demographic data, and retention rates can be found at this website: https://iraps.ucsc.edu/student-statistics/index.html

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.