Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 51.72
Liaison Alex Frank
Submission Date Aug. 1, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-Madison
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.28 / 4.00 Alex Frank
Sustainability Analyst
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have policies and programs to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

A brief description of any policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students:

First announced in February 2018, Bucky’s Tuition Promise (https://financialaid.wisc.edu/types-of-aid/tuition-promise/) is a commitment to Wisconsin resident students.

The program guarantees scholarships and grants to pay for tuition & segregated fees for students whose household adjusted gross income (AGI) is $58,000 or less. Incoming freshmen will receive eight (8) consecutive semesters (4 years) of free tuition & segregated fees and transfer students will receive four (4) semesters (2 years).


A brief description of any 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 guide and prepare students and families from low-income backgrounds for higher education:

PEOPLE Program (https://peopleprogram.wisc.edu/): UW-Madison’s Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence, also known as PEOPLE, started in 1999 with 66 high school students from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. PEOPLE has grown to over 1300 students in the pipeline ranging from 8th graders to college seniors. This program has two separate units — one for precollege high school students and one for college scholars. Together, the program's vision is to be the premier college access program for student success. PEOPLE is the UW’s most successful venture in creating such opportunities and improving campus diversity.


A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:

See description of Bucky's Tuition Promise above.


A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:

See description of PEOPLE program above


A brief description of the institution’s other policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:

Badger Promise (https://financialaid.wisc.edu/types-of-aid/badger-promise/): Originally announced in February 2017, the Badger Promise is a commitment to Wisconsin resident, first-generation college students. The program guarantees a period of free tuition and segregated fees to those who have successfully transferred from any of the two-year UW Colleges or from liberal arts associate degree programs at Madison College (Madison Area Technical College), Milwaukee Area Technical College, Western Technical College, Nicolet College, the College of Menominee Nation, and the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College.

FastTrack & Banner (https://financialaid.wisc.edu/types-of-aid/ftb/): These programs are designed to assist Badgers from low-income households in paying for college through a combination of grants, work-study, and small loans. The programs include a commitment to meeting a student’s financial need for four consecutive years.


Does the institution have policies and programs to support non-traditional students?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s scholarships provided specifically for part-time students:
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A brief description of the institution’s on-site child care facility, partnership with a local facility, and/or subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of students:

Eagle's Wings (https://www.housing.wisc.edu/apartments/eagles-wing/): Operated by University Housing, Eagle’s Wing Child Care and Education Programs is dedicated to providing children with the highest quality care. A variety of child-care programs for children ages 6 weeks – 8 years are available Monday through Friday, year-round. Eagle’s Wing serves families from University Apartments, UW-Madison, and the surrounding community.

Childcare Tuition Assistance Program (https://occfr.wisc.edu/financial-assistance/uw-madison-students/child-care-tuition-assistance-program-cctap/): This program provides financial assistance to income eligible UW-Madison student parents (not UW employees or postdocs) for their child care expenses in order to:
- Encourage student parents to choose consistent, high quality child care;
- Enable student parents to complete their degree in a timely manner; and
- Focus attention on family and academic responsibilities.


A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:

The Odyssey Project (https://odyssey.wisc.edu/): The award-winning UW-Madison Odyssey Project takes a whole family approach to breaking the cycle of generational poverty through access to education, giving adult and youth learners a voice, and increasing confidence through reading, writing, and speaking.

Now in its sixteenth year, this inspirational project has empowered more than 400 low-income adults to find their voices and get a jump start at earning college degrees they never thought possible.

In this six-credit English literature course, UW-Madison faculty members introduce adults to great works of literature, philosophy, history, and art while helping them improve skills in writing and critical thinking. Graduates of the program have journeyed from homelessness to UW-Madison degrees, from incarceration to meaningful work in the community.


Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (tracking accessibility and affordability)? (If data is not available, select 'No'):
Yes

The percentage of entering students that are low-income (0-100):
15.30

The graduation/success rate for low-income students (0-100):
83.90

On average, the percentage of need that was met for students who were awarded any need-based aid (e.g. as reported to the U.S. Common Data Set initiative, item H2) (0-100):
75

The percentage of students graduating with no interest-bearing student loan debt or for whom no out-of-pocket tuition is required (i.e. the percentage of graduates who have not taken out interest-bearing loans) (0-100):
53.60

Estimated percentage of students that participate in or directly benefit from the institution’s policies and programs to support low-income and non-traditional students (0-100):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Data reported under Part 2 was for undergraduate students only (the largest student cohort).


Data reported under Part 2 was for undergraduate students only (the largest student cohort).

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.