University of Minnesota, Morris
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Morris serves a significant number of low-income students, with over 30% of our population being Pell eligible. We provide a holistic approach to services and counseling for our students. Morris participates in all available state and federal financial aid programs and we offer need-based institutional scholarships. Additional information: Ninety-three percent of UMM students receive financial aid from a variety of public and private sources. The campus is regularly recognized as an affordable “best buy” in higher education, graduating students with more manageable levels of loan debt than peer institutions. UMM is committed to providing sufficient financial assistance to meet the full financial need of each student and works actively to minimize the student’s dependence on student loans. Staff encourage and assist all students in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for grant and scholarship aid. Financial Aid encourages students to use Federal Work Study instead of loans when available and possible. UMM has the largest percentage of students in the University of Minnesota receiving the U Promise Scholarships for high need and middle income Minnesota residents. The program serves Pell eligible students from Minnesota, combining federal, state,and institutional grants to cover a high portion of students cost of attendance, up to 100% of tuition and required student service fees for high EFC students UMM offers a tuition waiver for American Indian students, mandated in federal and Minnesota laws rooted in founding of the campus in the late 1800s as an American Indian boarding school.

Given our campus size and demographics -- and the responsibility of campus faculty to do academic advising, the faculty routinely consult with the financial aid office to answer questions low-income students may have. Morris’s long-standing commitment to serving historically underrepresented students is rooted in the founding of the college in 1960 as an affordable, accessible public alternative to private liberal arts colleges. A number of faculty and staff are themselves first generation college students, many from low-income backgrounds who are attracted to the campus mission and vision. These staff serve as role models and mentors for low-income students. Faculty members work closely with students as their faculty advisers and routinely consult with financial aid staff to provide the best advice and support for low-income students. Workshops are provided to help faculty advisers understand the potential impact on financial aid package when students change their credit load during the semester. Additionally, Morris has a master advisor program which provides extra training for some faculty advisors to better serve our low-income students.

More than half of UMM’s students of color are from low income backgrounds, compared to one in three Caucasian students. The Office of Equity, Diversity and Intercultural programs leads a long-time credit bearing summer bridge program called Gateway that provides academic and holistic support for students transitioning from high school to college and serves primarily students of color. Gateway students receive support through their first year of college and beyond. The program has shown great success in supporting the retention of participating students, many of whom are low-income and first-generation students, early in their college experience. Participants’ first and second-year retention rates are consistently above other students of color and for some cohorts above the student population as a whole.

Institutional scholarships are available and awarded based on need as determined by FAFSA results. Examples of institutional programs to assist low-income student are: the UPromise Program, which is tied to EFC (estimated family contribution) and AGI, and also the University Grant program. Both of these programs provide funding that is directed toward our low-income students.

Morris provides financial aid outreach to regional high schools, their parents, and students, about the financial aid process.

Morris recruits in a number of underserved, high need rural and urban communities across the state of Minnesota and beyond. With the Office of Equity and Diversity, the Admissions staff hosts groups serving high need and historically underrepresented populations for campus visits.

Morris participates in the Statewide Financial Aid conference and works to educated guidance counselors about how financial aid works for low-income students.

Morris has been recognized for being particularly effective in meeting the needs of the population we serve. Morris was specifically called out in this report by the Midwestern Higher Education Consortium. Here is a quote from the report: "University of Minnesota-Morris is the most effective and the most efficient (based on the six-year graduation rate)." (for colleges in Minnesota) http://www.mhec.org/sites/mhec.org/files/eerptmn.pdf http://www.morris.umn.edu/financialaid/grants/ (about University Grant) Students from MCSP/AlertPlus program mostly considered, making the estimate conservative (about 145 students).