Villanova University
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Villanova University provides St. Martin de Porres Grants to serve the University’s goal of attracting a richly diverse population of undergraduate students – an essential component of our effort to offer the highest quality education to all Villanova Students. St. Martin de Porres Grants are valued at full tuition and general fees. Grant recipients are from the Greater Philadelphia area and are members of the most underrepresented groups in undergraduate education, including (but not limited to) members of underrepresented racial and ethnic populations, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and students from families in which few or no members have attended college. The Presidential Scholarship is a renewable, merit-based award covering full tuition, room, board (meal plan includes up to 19 meals per week), general fee, and the cost of textbooks for eight semesters. Representing diverse intellectual, social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, Presidential Scholars are transformational leaders both on and off campus who have demonstrated a love of learning and a commitment to enhancing both their local and broader civic communities. The O'Toole program is new to Villanova and very different from other programs. In partnership with Terry O'Toole, a Villanova Alum, each year, up to twelve students from the Newark NJ Archdiocese will be selected to participate in the O'Toole program. The program helps prepare students for college and provides funding for them to attend Villanova University. This is the first program to follow students through high school to higher education. https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/media/pressreleases/2013/0523.html

Teaching 2020: IGR Faculty Program will engage faculty in an intergroup dialogue experience that will be both personally transformative and professionally useful in the classroom. The intended audience includes faculty who teach core courses in their discipline as well as faculty interested in knowing more about how to teach effectively the diverse student population in their classrooms. Low-income students that otherwise qualify for the Academic Advancement Program or the A.C.T.I.V.E. Retention Program, both offered through the Center for Multicultural Affairs, receive free counseling and tutoring services. Often times, the individuals that oversee such services will reach out to faculty and staff on behalf of students to bridge better relationships with a collective vision toward helping students graduate.

The Academic Advancement Program (AAP) provides students of low income the support they need to successfully complete their college degree. The program includes a five-week pre college program to prepare them for freshman year. other services provided for AAP participants include: • An office and staff to guide students in whatever course of study they may be enrolled; • Counseling by qualified staff for reading, academic and personal issues; • Peer counseling service from qualified fellow students for advice and suggestions for academic and personal life at the University; • Tutorial service for most courses that may be presenting the student with difficulties; • Financial aid counseling. All services offered through AAP are free for eligible students http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/provost/casa/summer.html

Villanova offers a number grants to need-based and/or underrepresented groups to be used towards tuition costs. These opportunities include: • The Curvey Scholarship: Scholarship recipients must be graduating students from one of a select pool of high schools in northern Schuylkill County: Mahanoy Area High School, North Schuylkill High School, Shenandoah Valley High School, Marian Catholic High School, and Nativity BVM High School. (areas of PA that economically relay on coal). • The Villanova/Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program awards five partial scholarships per year to academically outstanding undergraduates who are the first in their families to attend college, and demonstrate a financial need. • The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund has been instituted for the purpose of providing need-based scholarship assistance to those who have extensive personal interest, involvement and experience in the Hispanic/Latino culture. This fund helps to cover part of the tuition costs. • The Hovnanian Scholarship provides funding to undergraduate students of Armenian descent to attend Villanova University on a full-time basis. • The St. Martin de Porres Grants are reserved for students who have grown up in the immediate Philadelphia and are members of the most underrepresented groups in undergraduate education, including (but not limited to) members of underrepresented racial and ethnic populations, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and students from families in which few or no members have attended college. • The Denise McNair Memorial Scholarship provides full tuition for eight consecutive semesters to an entering freshman who is a U.S. citizen from a traditionally underrepresented population, has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and is committed to family, religious faith, peace and justice. • The Precision Castparts Corp (PCC) Scholarship and Support Program provides two scholarships a year to students from Archbishop McDevitt High School that fall into traditionally underrepresented categories: the four protected racial/ethinc groups, first generation or Pell Eligible. In addition to providing the students with the funds to attend Villanova University, all of the students have a paid internship on breaks and during the summer. Additionally, PCC provides the funds for one full graduate assistant to work with Sophomore retention efforts.

College Day Visit Center for Access Success and Achievement (CASA: partners with University Admissions and K-12 schools to bring awareness and exposure to higher education. The process of getting a college degree involves many steps. The CASA hosts College Days for groups of 20 or more where students can experience a day in the life of a college student on a college campus. Contact Charisma Presley for more information. The Academy of Palumbo - Villanova College Immersion Program connects communities and supports Palumbo students in their college application processes. The VESTED Academy is an intensive eight weekend long introduction to engineering experience for high school students entering grades 9th-12th. VIEW is a 3-year, 10-month enrichment program that offers workshops on the following: SAT Prep, leadership and professional & personal development. In addition, students participate in a two week, summer residential program on Villanova’s campus. http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/provost/casa/outreach.html

Villanova provides a list of scholarships provided specifically for part-time students (http://registrar.villanova.edu/villanova/professionalstudies/UGdegrees/scholarships.html). Included among them is the Bisk Education Endowed Scholarship. Established in 2008 by Bisk Education Inc., the Bisk Education Endowed Scholarship seeks to recognize Part-Time and Continuing Studies students who demonstrate both academic potential and financial need. To qualify, students must be matriculated in a Part-Time Studies degree program (non-matriculated, visiting, and post-graduate students are ineligible). Part-Time Studies candidates must also demonstrate a cumulative Villanova GPA of 3.0 or higher, and be registered for six or more credit hours per semester. Scholarship aspirants must also have demonstrated financial need, as determined by the Office of Financial Assistance and based on Federal guidelines.

In May 2014, Villanova University announced the creation of the College of Professional Studies (CPS)—the first new College at the University in 50 years. CPS provides academically rigorous undergraduate degree and non-degree programming—both on campus and online—for the adult learner and working professional. CPS continues Villanova’s long-standing tradition of service to adult learners and will expand Villanova’s breadth of academic offerings by providing ever greater options and flexibility. It will house and continue to advance the programs of the University’s Part Time and Continuing Studies area. Students within the College of Professional Studies has identical access to all of the same academic support and campus services as full-time, "traditional" students.