| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 47.23 |
| Liaison | Keaton Schrank |
| Submission Date | Aug. 15, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Westminster University - Utah
PA-7: Affordability and Access
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 4.00 |
Kerry
Case Environmental Director Environmental Center |
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:
Westminster is committed to making its high-quality education accessible to Utah students, giving them the opportunity to explore their passions in a close-knit, educational environment.
Our financial aid model includes funding for Utah families with an adjusted gross income less than $100,000. This income-based funding allows for financial awards for qualifying Utah students equivalent to $25,200 per year after all other scholarships and grants are issued.
A brief description of any programs to equip the institution’s faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide and prepare students and families from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
Walkways to Westminster:
The Walkways to Westminster program is designed to introduce low-income high school students to college life, to provide access to campus support programs, and to attract nontraditional, first-generation students to post-secondary education.
The scope of the project includes providing access to any college, including Salt Lake Community College, Davis Applied Technology College, and others. Our primary goal as an educational institution is to ensure that students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, receive excellent education, and we are proud to help high school students imagine themselves in college, even if Westminster is not their ultimate destination.
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
In addition to the funding described above, Westminster offers the following scholarships for low-income students:
Walkways to Westminster Scholarships:
Westminster has acquired specific scholarships within the Dumke Center for Civic Engagement to support Walkways students. These scholarships are evolving, but in the last few years have included the following:
* A one-time gift of four full-ride scholarships to students in the Class of 2021 who arrived at Westminster through the Walkways program. A brief description of Walkways is provided above.
* A second gift provides four, $4,000 scholarships to students who arrive at Westminster through the Walkways program. The initial gift provided funding for three years, ending in 2018. The Center for Civic Engagement is hopeful that this funding stream will be renewed.
Legacy Scholars Book Scholarship:
This scholarship is an award of $500 per semester for every member of the Legacy Scholars Program at Westminster College. A description of the Legacy Scholars Program is provided under PA-6 (Support for Underrepresented Groups).
S-Cubed Program Scholarships:
Students entering their second year at Westminster who intend to major in computer science, physics, or mathematics can apply for the scholarship. The scholarship is renewable for 3 years, with an expected average award of $8,000 per year based on need and funding available.
Academic merit is considered, but scholarships will only be awarded to students with financial need as determined by FAFSA.
Brief description of the overarching program for context: The S-Cubed program provides financial and academic support for Westminster students majoring in computer science, physics, or mathematics. Participants benefit from early exploration of topics in these fields, interactions with professionals and mentors, and a strong cohort of peers. The goal of this program is to increase student success in computer science, physics, and mathematics.
Continuing Student Scholarships:
Westminster offers scholarships to current students each year. Students are asked to write a scholarship essay, and answer a series of questions to enter themselves into the continuing student scholarship pool. This makes students eligible for 255 scholarships, distributed yearly, which are provided by donors and distributed by the institution. 137 (54%) of these scholarships consider financial need as part of the awarding process. These 137 scholarships total to $1,010,454 in funding. Individual scholarship amounts vary, but will typically fall between $1,000 and $2,000. Some awards are as low as $250, and some are as high as $5,000-$10,000.
A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
Walkways to Westminster:
The Walkways to Westminster program is designed to introduce low-income high school students to college life, to provide access to campus support programs, and to attract nontraditional, first-generation students to post-secondary education.
The scope of the project includes providing access to any college, including Salt Lake Community College, Davis Applied Technology College, and others. Our primary goal as an educational institution is to ensure that students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, receive excellent education, and we are proud to help high school students imagine themselves in college, even if Westminster is not their ultimate destination.
A brief description of the institution’s other policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
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:
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:
A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:
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:
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.