| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 36.91 |
| Liaison | Bradley Flamm |
| Submission Date | March 30, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
PA-7: Affordability and Access
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.16 / 4.00 |
Bradley
Flamm Director of Sustainability Office of the President |
Does the institution have policies and programs to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
A brief description of any policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students:
WCU uses a combination of need-based scholarships, federal and state financial aid, and the use of special circumstance review to adjust eligibility for families who have changes in circumstances in order to maximize need-based aid and minimize the cost of attendance.
A brief description of any programs to equip the institution’s faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
There is no specific program to provide this type of training and preparation.
A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide and prepare students and families from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
WCU's Office of Financial Aid participates in Accepted Student Days, Orientation, and Information Sessions in order to make sure families have all of the information before they arrive. They have also established a step by step worksheet and video (see WCUPA Financial Aid TV at https://wcupa.financialaidtv.com/) to describe the financial aid process and regularly host two FAFSA Filing Workshops on campus for incoming students. Financial Aid also provides a financial literacy program to all students (WCUFinLit: see https://www.wcupa.edu/_services/FIN_AID/finLit.aspx).
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
WCU offers donor and non-profit foundation driven awards that the Office of Financial Aid awards through the general application. 93 scholarships accessible through WCU's searchable scholarship database (see https://www.wcupa.edu/_services/fin_aid/scholarships.aspx) reference financial need as a selection criteria. The Clarence Schock Foundation Scholarship for Incoming Freshmen, for example, awards both incoming students with a renewable award and one outstanding student with a full tuition fellowship in their senior year. To learn more about WCU scholarships, please see the Office of Financial Aid's Scholarships website: www.wcupa.edu/scholarships.
A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
WCU does not have specific programs targeted at outreach to students from low-income backgrounds. As one of 14 PASSHE universities, WCU has a widespread reputation as an affordable, high-quality public comprehensive university that is appealing to potential students from all socio-economic backgrounds.
A brief description of the institution’s other policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
FAFSA Filing Week occurs once in the fall and once in the spring in order to help support timely filing of the FAFSA since students can miss out on need-based opportunities if they miss certain deadlines. This is in addition to ongoing scholarship outreach (see, for example, short instructional videos such as this one: https://wcupa.financialaidtv.com/play/962-understanding-fafsa/243-what-fafsa) and financial literacy programs the Office of Financial Aid runs on campus.
Does the institution have policies and programs to support non-traditional students?:
A brief description of the institution’s scholarships provided specifically for part-time students:
The Office of Financial Aid has scholarships that target non-traditional students such as the Charlotte Newcomb and Alison Lawson scholarships. West Chester University does not have scholarships specifically targeted to part-time students. As most students who attend part-time qualify for low-income grants, they can cover their costs with federal and state aid due to the university's affordability.
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:
West Chester University has has an on-site child care facility in the past, but does not currently.
A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:
The Office of Financial Aid supports programming of non-traditional organizations such as the Super-Moms Club.
Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (tracking accessibility and affordability)? (If data is not available, select 'No'):
The percentage of entering students that are low-income (0-100):
The graduation/success rate for low-income students (0-100):
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):
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):
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):
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Responses provided by Tori Nuccio, Assistant Director of Financial Aid (tnuccio@wcupa.edu, x2574).
Responses provided by Tori Nuccio, Assistant Director of Financial Aid (tnuccio@wcupa.edu, x2574).
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.