University of Kansas
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

TRIO is a fully comprehensive academic support program including professional mentoring, academic advising, tutoring, and cultural events that works with first-generation, limited-income students, and students with disabilities to enable them to be retained and to graduate. More information is available at http://www2.ku.edu/~eop/trio.shtml.

KU works to provide an affordable postsecondary education for all Kansans, including low-income students. The University has implemented a new KU Pell Advantage Program, beginning with Fall 2012 newly admitted freshmen. The Pell Advantage will cover tuition and campus fees,excluding course fees, for 15 credit hours per semester for four years through a combination of federal, state and institutional aid sources (approximately $9222/yr based on 30 credit hours for the 2011-12 academic year). More information about the KU Pell Advantage is available at: http://affordability.ku.edu/financialaid/grants/pelladvantage.shtml KU also offers a four-year tuition compact. This compact offers first-time freshmen a fixed rate of tuition for four full years. There are no tuition rate increases for the time it takes a complete a bachelor's degree. As mentioned on our website, “match that four-year promise with KU's four-year renewable scholarship program offering $13 million a year in scholarships for undergraduate students and you have a plan for making college affordable. Enjoy the peace of mind these programs offer so you can focus on your studies and your future career. This is another reason KU is a great place to be.” Additional information about the four-year tuition compact may be found on our website at: http://affordability.ku.edu/cs/compact.shtml The KU Department of Student Housing offers low-cost Scholarship Halls to academically eligible students with financial need. The “scholarship” is a lower housing rate because everyone helps with four to six hours of household duties each week, such as cooking or cleaning for the community. More information about the KU Scholarship Halls is available at: http://housing.ku.edu/you-belong-here/scholarship-halls/ TRIO Supportive Educational Services provides grant aid to current low-income participants in the project, who are in their first two years of post-secondary education, and are receiving Federal Pell Grants. Participants must be making satisfactory progress toward graduation as determined by the Financial Aid and Scholarship office. Students receive amounts depending on Federal Pell appropriations for the year. For the 2011-2012 academic year, students received $555.00 each.

In addition to the TRIO program outlined above, KU has developed and implemented a Hawk Link Program, which is an academic retention-based program that primarily serves students of color and/ or first generation college students. Resources include Hawk Link tutoring, academic advising, academic based success seminars, and access to writing center consultants. KU administers a $5 million endowed scholarship from Ms. C. Hixson to fund 10 entering freshmen each year at $5,000 per year, for up to four years, a total award of $20,000 over four years. Recipients are selected based on extenuating circumstances, including low-income students who, without this funding, could not attend KU. Along with the funding, Hixson Scholars participate in a variety of academic support services each year to enhance success and a Hixson Advisory Council provides multiple support services to our Hixson Scholars. The goal of the Hixson Opportunity Award is to engage students in existing programs on campus which will help them navigate their college experience, including: Student support programs such as HAWK Link and Supportive Educational Services (SES) Hixson Scholars Seminar Hixson Scholars Mentors Community Service KU also works collaboratively with the Kauffman Foundation to provide academic and financial support to Kauffman Scholars. Additional information about Kauffman Scholars can be found at: http://www.kauffmanscholars.org/ Finally, "GEAR UP - Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs" is a federally funded program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education.

See Pell Advantage information above and online at: http://affordability.ku.edu/financialaid/grants/pelladvantage.shtml Additional information about KU scholarships is available at: http://affordability.ku.edu/cs/

Information for parents about how affordable KU is and how to help their students fund their educational dreams is available at: http://affordability.ku.edu/steps/

Financial Aid and Scholarship staff members participate in a variety of outreach events each year to provide affordability and access messages to prospective students and families. Among these programs include College Goal Sunday, a volunteer event hosted by KASFAA (the state financial aid association) and KU staff members, where we provide hands-on assistance filing the FAFSA. We also participate in multiple recruiting events in low-income areas of the state, advising students and families of the funding opportunities available to help students fund their higher education. Many of these outreach programs are in collaboration with TRIO colleagues throughout the state.

http://www.ku.edu/admissions/

KU Endowment, an independent, nonprofit corporation serving as the official fund-raising and fund-management organization for the University of Kansas administers loan funds that were gifts to KU Endowment for the purpose of providing low-interest loans to ensure maximum financial assistance at a minimum cost. More information is available at http://www.kuendowment.org/s/1312/endowment/clean.aspx?sid=1312&gid=1&pgid=687