University of Kansas
PA-8: Affordability and Access

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. 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 to 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.

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.

The Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP) at KU is a special and unique opportunity for academically well-prepared undergraduate students. As an MSP scholar, you join a community of students and academic professionals, including administrators and professors whose goal it is to ensure your academic and career success. As an MSP scholar you may also be eligible to receive a scholarship. Each academic program within KU-MSP addresses academic, social, personal, and career aspects of your university experience and assists and prepares you to receive the maximum benefit of your education during your undergraduate program of study. Each academic program with MSP has a Program Director(s) who serves as your primary contact throughout your experience in the program.

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

A national network of open-enrollment, college-preparatory public charter schools, known as the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), will partner with the University of Kansas to increase college completion rates for underserved students from KIPP schools nationwide. In partnering with KIPP, KU hopes to recruit and enroll three qualified KIPP alumni in the School of Engineering each year, starting in fall 2014. - See more at: http://www.news.ku.edu/2013/03/06/ku-partnering-kipp-schools-increase-college-completion#sthash.ry00ZSth.dpuf

The Hilltop Child Development Center is located on the KU campus and strives to provide convenient, high quality care and education for the children of University families. One of their primary goals is to help student parents complete their education at KU successfully. Children of University of Kansas students receive highest priority on our waiting lists. KU staff and faculty families receive the next highest priority because of the important role they play in making it possible for KU students to succeed in attaining their education and career goals.