University of Louisville
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

The University of Louisville Upward Bound Program is a federally funded project that has existed on the University of Louisville Belknap Campus for more than 40 years. The program affords the opportunity for its student participants to excel in the standard pre-college curriculum and ultimately during post-secondary educational endeavors. Upward Bound serves high school students from first generation and/or low income families; first generation families are described as those in which neither parent holds a collegiate bachelor degree; low-income families are those that meet the pre-established guidelines as required by the federal government. The goal of the Upward Bound Program is to increase the rate at which its student participants enroll in and graduate from institutions of post-secondary education. http://louisville.edu/communityengagement/upwardbound

In 2007, the University of Louisville initiated a special program called the Cardinal Covenant in response to college costs and the challenge for students from low-income families to fund their education. The University of Louisville's Cardinal Covenant is the first program of its kind in the state of Kentucky. This program will make college attainable for the 22.6% of Kentucky families living at or below 150% of the federal poverty level as published by the U.S. Census Bureau (Data obtain from the U.S. Census Bureau). http://louisville.edu/financialaid/cardinal-covenant

Inclusive Teaching Circles are small cohorts of faculty who meet monthly to discuss how teaching can be made more inclusive of students of all social identities. Typically, such meetings focus on a reading concerning research on oppression, pedagogy, or best practices. The outcomes include more effective and inclusive teaching practices and the development of a community of practitioners who come together to share their experiences and knowledge.

The University of Louisville provides a variety of programs and services that, while not specifically targeted to low-income students, are available and attended by students and parents from low-income backgrounds. Examples include: • Up Close & Personal – an interactive and personal shadowing program for individual scholars & parents that gives each participant a "closer look" at the University of Louisville campus and academic programs. Prospective African American students are invited to campus to shadow a pre-selected mentor to class, lunch, and his/her club and/or organization meetings. Students also have the opportunity to meet with an Admissions Counselor for one-on-one consultation. • Think College Now! – a half-day college awareness program for freshmen and sophomore African American high school students consisting of financial aid and student life workshops, campus torus and an information fair featuring academic and student service departments. • O’YES! (Order Your Educational Steps) – a campus visit program designed for high school, community, and church groups. The O’YES group visit program allows teachers, counselors, youth program coordinators, and other group chaperones and mentors to bring students to campus for an interactive day of events. Group participants engage in conversation with USHR (Undergraduate Students Helping to Recruit) mentors through a student panel, enjoy a complimentary lunch on campus, and meet with Diversity Recruitment representatives for instant admissions and scholarship decisions. • Making the Connection – pre-orientation program designed to help beginning African American freshmen connect to each other, as well African American faculty, staff, and administrators. Students are given a special tour of the campus with emphasis placed on student service and multicultural "hot spots." Ice-breakers, food, and cultural entertainment are provided to help students to make the transition to college prior to the beginning of fall classes. • USHR (Undergraduate Students Helping to Recruit) – The USHR Mentoring Program is a two-part program that focuses on the retention of current students while serving as a mentoring organization for prospective African American students. Through USHR, current UofL students are paired with prospective senior high school students in order to assist them in their exploration of educational and leadership opportunities at UofL. • Undergraduate Summer Program in Cardiovascular Research for students from Under-Represented or Under-Served Populations - The primary objective of this program is to expose undergraduate students from under-represented and under-served populations to cardiovascular research at the University of Louisville. The program is supported by a NIH Short-Term Training Grant from the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute. • REACH (Resources for Academic Exchange) – provides academic services and specific support programs to enable students to better prepare and adapt to college life and to enhance their academic skills and performance in college courses. • Signature Partnership Initiative - a university effort to enhance the quality of life and economic opportunity for under-served residents of West Louisville. By working with various community partners, the goal is to improve the educational, health, economic and social status of individuals and families who live in our urban core. With regard to education, the program objectives are to: o Raise reading, math, and science skills to grade level; o Raise percentage of residents with a high school diploma to that of the community average; o Raise percentage of residents with a bachelor's degree to that of the community average. UofL faculty, staff, and students team up with other community partners to work with teachers and parents of students in the target area schools. As a result of these and other community engagement initiatives, the Corporation for National and Community Service named UofL to the honor roll for its volunteerism, community-based learning and community engagement programs.

In 2007, the University of Louisville initiated a special program called the Cardinal Covenant in response to college costs and the challenge for students from low-income families to fund their education. The University of Louisville's Cardinal Covenant is the first program of its kind in the state of Kentucky. This program will make college attainable for the 22.6% of Kentucky families living at or below 150% of the federal poverty level as published by the U.S. Census Bureau (Data obtain from the U.S. Census Bureau). http://louisville.edu/financialaid/cardinal-covenant