| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 64.54 |
| Liaison | Shane Stennes |
| Submission Date | Oct. 25, 2012 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Shane
Stennes Director of Sustainability University Services |
Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
A brief description of the institution’s participation in federal TRIO programs:
The University funds three TRIO programs jointly with the College of Education and Human Development and the US Department of Education. These include Upward Bound, Access to Success, and the Ronald E. McNair Program.
Upward Bound is a college preparatory program for low-income and educationally disadvantaged high school students to help generate the skills they need to succeed in post secondary education.
TRIO Access to Success is a program for 150 selected freshmen who demonstrate strong potential to succeed academically at the University of Minnesota, but whose high school records may not match the typical profile of students admitted to the University.
The Ronald E. McNair Program prepares low-income, first-generation college students for graduate study. Services to program participants include academic counseling, tutoring, test preparation for the Graduate Record Exam, paid research internships, advocacy, assistance in applying to graduate schools, and seminars to help prepare for graduate study.
A brief description of the institution’s policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students?:
The Regent's policy on financial aid guides the University in awarding financial aid. Subdivision 1 states:
Guiding Principles.
In the conduct of its student financial aid programs, the University shall:
(a) award financial aid to students on the basis of merit and of need;
(b) assist as many students as possible in securing grants, scholarships, loans, and employment and provide counseling in the use of such resources to help finance their education;
(c) aggressively seek additional aid funds; and
(d) maintain straightforward application and disbursement processes that protect the individual's right to privacy.
http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/administrative/Student_Financial_Aid.pdf
A brief description of the institution’s programs to equip the institution's faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
The University offers diversity trainings to faculty and staff that speak to working with students from all different backgrounds and ethnicities, disabilities, sexual preferences, etc., including working with students from low-income backgrounds. Aside from this there is not a program that specifically helps to equip faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds.
A brief description of the institution’s programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
TRIO Upward Bound is a college preparatory program for low-income and educationally disadvantaged high school students. TRIO Upward Bound works with students on a long-term and intensive basis and helps generate the skills needed for selected high school students to succeed in post-secondary education.
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
The University of Minnesota Promise Scholarship (U Promise) is the University of Minnesota's guaranteed commitment to Minnesota undergraduate students whose families make up to $100,000 per year. There are two types of scholarships under the U Promise umbrella: the U Promise Free Tuition Scholarship, and the U Promise Middle Income Scholarship that provide assistance to low-income students.
The University also provides many other scholarships which base their selection on financial need.
A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:
The University's Parent Program works with parents to help them understand the student experience, support student learning, and empower students to take personal responsibility for their social and academic choices. This program provides information about health and safety, transportation, financial matters, academics, and student career planning. The Parent Program is open to all University parents to assist in their transition; there is no program specifically for parents of low-income students.
A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
When Office of Admissions counselors visit high schools, although they visit schools across the state of Minnesota annually, they target high schools with significant enrollments of students participating in the federal free lunch program to ensure that these populations of students receive information about the University, the application process, and financial aid. Additionally, counselors encourage students to apply for financial aid at Visit Presentations, Application Workshops, and at numerous Admitted Student events. The Office of Admissions also collaborates with One Stop Student services to offer financial aid information sessions to students and families regarding how to pay for college. Finally, the University participates in College Goal Sunday, a national event that provides free, on-site professional assistance in completing the FAFSA.
A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:
A brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:
The University disperses scholarship awards in accordance with the University's financial aid award policy and also provides resources for finding outside scholarships. Grants and waivers are non-competitive aid that is set aside for students who qualify based on financial need or other criteria, with eligibility determined based on the FAFSA application.
A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:
The website URL where information about programs in each of the areas listed above is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.