University of Massachusetts Amherst
PA-8: Affordability and Access

The cost of attendance is based on enrollment, residency and housing, however, the campus has institutionally funded need based aid programs to assist students in covering educationally related costs.

As mentioned in previous entry all faculty and staff are given the opportunity to take part in Workplace Learning and Development programs that provide employees with the opportunity to improve their cultural competence and awareness of issues related to equity, diversity, and inclusion (including issues of socio-economic difference among students, faculty, and staff within departments and throughout the university).

To assist first generation and low-income students with transitioning from high school to the UMass Amherst campus, all Community Scholarship** students are given the opportunity to participate in the school's Power Up For Success program, which provides a three-day orientation on navigating the university, study skills, resources the university provides for academic success and co-curricular and experiential programs. Students are also given the option to live in EPOCH, the all-freshmen residence hall.

In addition, UMass Amherst provides an academic support program specifically geared toward first generation college students through the Committee for the Collegiate Education of Black and Other Minority Students (CCEBMS, pronounced “SEBBS”).

CCEBMS was designed and developed in 1967 by a group of concerned Black faculty and staff members from the Five College area. The first CCEBMS class, in 1968, consisted of 125 black students. Over the years, thousands of 1st generation students from various ethnic and economic backgrounds, including white and nontraditional students, have completed their college education with the support of the CCEBMS program.

The program enhances the quality of student life in and outside the classroom, through planning, implementing, new innovative academic enrichment programs for students who are largely under-represented at the university. The program provides students with a welcoming and supportive environment that enables them to excel in their academics and complete their studies.

The campus has institutionally funded need based aid to assist low income student in paying for educational expenses. In addition, the campus participates in Federal Title IV and State financial aid programs.

**The Amherst campus provides Community Scholarships to first generation and low-income students. This is an annual $5000 award renewable for four years. The flagship campus budgeted $1,140,000 dollars to support this program annually.

The admissions office regularly visits high schools in major urban areas throughout New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, California, Texas and select cities across the country. Admissions staff provide helpful informational resource materials at each location and these resources are also made available online. Each visit includes meetings with students, parents, and school counselors at individual high schools and college fairs. See parent resources here: http://www.umass.edu/umfa/parents/

We visit most high schools in the state of Massachusetts, specifically in the cities of Boston, Lowell, Worcester, Springfield, Lawrence, and Holyoke, where many low-income students attend high school. Additionally, the Visitor’s Center hosts over 2,000 students each year that are participants in college preparatory programs such as Talent Search, Upward Bound, and Gear Up. These programs are typically for students from low-income families.

The Admissions Office also has extensive contacts with the Community Colleges in the Commonwealth. The Community College Compact (CCC) was introduced to expand and reinforce access to university through the existing Joint Admissions Program and the Mass Transfer Program. Community college graduates are guaranteed admission if they meet certain criteria. The CCC also provide priority review of their application, transfer credit, financial aid consideration and access to certain housing and registration options.

Throughout the admissions process, the university seeks to recruit and enroll students that will support the University’s mission: “The University's mission is to provide an affordable and accessible education of high quality and to conduct programs of research and public service that advance knowledge and improve the lives of the people of the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world”.

Community College students accepted as a Joint Admissions or MassTransfer graduate with a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA, are eligible for the Tuition Advantage Program. This provides a 33% tuition waiver from the state of Massachusetts, and additionally UMass Amherst will waive the remaining 67% of in-state tuition, resulting in a full tuition waiver if the student meets the following requirements:

Attend UMass Amherst no later than one year after graduation
Enroll at UMass Amherst continuously until graduation
Maintain a 3.0 or higher UMass Amherst GPA after enrollment

Benefits are for up to two years for full-time students and may be adjusted to a longer period for part-time students.

http://www.umass.edu/umccc/

* http://www.umassulearn.net/programs/summer/powerup (please note: all Community Scholarship scholars have their fees for this program covered by the University)

http://www.umass.edu/ccebms/CCEBMS_Services.html