Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 52.40
Liaison Mary Fischer
Submission Date Feb. 17, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Brandeis University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Lea Lupkin
Interim Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Services
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Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s participation in federal TRIO programs:

Programs include but are not limited to:
Brandeis has offered the TRiO to first generation, low-income students since 1992(18 years).
TRiO is a “Student Support Services Program” (SSSP) established by the department of education to support first-generation low-income students who express an interest in pursuing higher education. Including Brandeis, There are 930 other universities offering TRiO programs. SSSP provides programs such as career planning, Graduate School guidance, financial aid, and a resource library that includes the textbooks of the most popular classes offered at Brandeis.


A brief description of the institution’s policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students?:

Brandeis provides merit scholarships to students, need based financial aid, federal work-study, and university employment programs. Brandeis is committed to meeting full demonstrated need for our incoming first-year students. Over 50 percent of Brandeis undergraduates receive need-based financial assistance each year.


A brief description of the institution’s 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 prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:

Programs include but are not limited to:
Brandeis’ Transitional Year Program (TYP), part of the Office of Academic Services, is an integral part of the University’s founding and enduring commitment to social justice. Founded in 1968, the TYP is a one-year academic program for students who have developed the skills for college success by practicing leadership in their life experiences. The TYP experience allows these students to learn about new possibilities for their lives, and to apply the focus, energy, tenacity, perseverance, and maturity previously devoted to prevailing in the face of personal challenges, to now pursuing academic success.

The intelligent and talented students selected to participate in the TYP typically have not had access to AP and honors courses in their previous schooling experiences. For this reason, the TYP guarantees small classes, rigorous academics, and strong academic support.


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

Programs include but are not limited to:
Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to entering first-year students on the basis of academic performance and extracurricular participation in secondary school, outstanding community involvement and demonstrated financial need.


A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:
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A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
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A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:

Brandeis evaluates a student's academic record, extracurricular activities, essay and recommendations, standardized tests, and interviews. There is no minimum grade-point average for admission to Brandeis, SAT or ACT with writing is require, TOEFL is required for students who have learned English as a second language.


A brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:

Programs include but are not limited to:
University policy has nine conditions under the Financial Aid policy (http://www.brandeis.edu/registrar/bulletin/provisional/college/finaid.html.)
The amount of financial aid is awarded is determined based on federal government regulations and university policies governing financial aid programs. A family's ability to support the student's costs of education analyzed via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, and federal income tax returns.


A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:

Programs include but are not limited to:
The textbook voucher program is run through the Office of Academic Services. Each semester, Academic Services awards book vouchers, ranging from $50-$150 to undergraduate students in need of assistance to purchase textbooks. To be eligible to receive the voucher, students must be Pell Grant recipients and have exhausted all possible financial resources.


The website URL where information about programs in each of the areas listed above is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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