Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.95
Liaison John Alejandro
Submission Date March 11, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

University of San Diego
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Esteban Del Rio
Director
Center for Inclusion & Diversity
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Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s participation in federal TRIO programs:
The University of San Diego TRiO: Upward Bound program is one of over 700 Upward Bound programs nationwide that assist eligible high school students to achieve their dreams of persisting in and graduating to higher levels of education. The students that Upward Bound serves must come from low-income families (with incomes at or below 150% of poverty as defined by the U.S. Department of Education) and/or are first generation potential college students (neither parent/guardian has earned a bachelor's degree). Upward Bound provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in pre-college performance and ultimately in higher education pursuits. Upward Bound aims to increase the rates at which participants complete secondary education, enroll in, and graduate from institutions of post-secondary education.

A brief description of the institution’s policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students?:
The university offers scholarships, work study, and other grant opportunities for recruit and retention policies. The Diversity Scholarships (Circle of Excellence) are awarded to incoming first-time freshmen based on superior academic achievement, test scores, leadership, service, talent, and other personal qualities and are generally reserved for underrepresented undergraduates who have financial need.

A brief description of the institution’s programs to equip the institution's faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
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A brief description of the institution’s programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
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A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
Diversity Scholarships (Circle of Excellence) are awarded for students from underrepresented backgrounds with financial need. Awards are automatically determined by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The student's admission application is the application for the scholarships. These are awarded to incoming first-time freshmen based on superior academic achievement, test scores, leadership, service, talent, and other personal qualities. The scholarship is generally reserved for underrepresented undergraduates who have financial need. The scholarship amounts are up to full tuition.

A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:
The Office of Financial Aid and One Stop Center offer students and their families a myriad of resources to help guide them through USD. Financial Aid maintains an up to date website with a guide how to apply and reapply for financial aid, mandates that all incoming students and their families receiving any form of financial aid attend an informational during Orientation, publishes a newsletter, and sends frequent email updates.

A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
The University of San Diego prides itself on being a diverse and inclusive community. By bringing together students from different cultural, religious and economic backgrounds, USD helps foster a respectful and trusting environment. USD targets students of diverse and low-income backgrounds through its admissions process, in addition to partnering with on-campus organizations to offer and host high school students of diverse backgrounds for recruit visits. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions also hosts special tours and informational days for underrepresented groups on campus.

A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:
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A brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:
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A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:
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The website URL where information about programs in each of the areas listed above is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
See also: http://www.sandiego.edu/upwardbound/about/

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