Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.90
Liaison Paul Mathisen
Submission Date April 16, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.91 / 4.00 John Orr
Professor
Liberal Arts & Computer Engineering
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Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

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A brief description of any policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students:
WPI offers a variety of need-based scholarships and other aid to assist low-income students. Tuition and fees may also be paid through a monthly payment plan to reduce the overall amount of money students need to borrow.

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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 any 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:
WPI offers need-based scholarships. The formula for determining need involves comparing cost of attendance (including tuition, room and board, fees, personal expenses and books) to the expected family contribution (EFC).

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A brief description of any programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:
The Dean of Students Office provides a variety of resources to support parents of WPI students, including the distribution of a Parents & Friends Newsletter six times each academic year.

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A brief description of any targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
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A brief description of other admissions policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
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A brief description of other financial aid policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
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A brief description of other policies and programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students not covered above:
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Does the institution have policies and programs in place to support non-traditional students?:
Yes

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A brief description of any scholarships provided specifically for part-time students:
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A brief description of any onsite child care facilities, partnerships with local facilities, and/or subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of students:
WPI has established a relationship with First Friends, an early care and educational center for infants, toddlers, and preschool children, through which WPI employees and students are given preference if there is a wait list to get into the center. First Friends provides a supportive, nurturing, and stimulating program that responds to the developmental needs of each child.

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A brief description of other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:
WPI participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program of the Post 9/11 Veterans' Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Under this program, WPI partners with Veterans' Administration to assist eligible students with educational expenses. For the 2014-2015 academic year, WPI made available six WPI Yellow Ribbon Scholarships to undergraduate students and two WPI Yellow Ribbon Scholarships to graduate students on a first-come, first-served basis. WPI contributes up to $10,000 per student per year for this program.

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Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (accessibility and affordability indicators)?:
Yes

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Indicators that the institution is accessible and affordable to low-income students::
Percentage (0-100)
The percentage of entering students that are low-income 14.30
The graduation/success rate for low-income students ---
The percentage of student financial need met, on average 77
The percentage of students graduating with no interest-bearing student loan debt ---

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