Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.81
Liaison Kathleen Crawford
Submission Date July 28, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Florida Gulf Coast University
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.83 / 4.00 J. Webb Horton
Asst Dir, Diversity/Outreach
Community Outreach
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have policies and programs to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

A brief description of any policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students:

Please see the Finacial Aid Office's website for details: http://www.fgcu.edu/FinancialAid/Undergraduate/grants.html


A brief description of any programs to equip the institution’s faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) affirms its commitment to
ensure that each member of the University community shall be permitted to work,
study, participate in educational programs including those receiving federal
funding, services and activities, or conduct business in an environment free from
any form of illegal discrimination, including race, color, religion, age, disability (or
handicap), sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation and veteran
status, except as otherwise permitted by law. Admission to, and participation in,
the educational programs and activities of FGCU shall be open to all qualified
individuals regardless of race, color, religion, disability (or handicap), sex,
national origin, marital status, sexual orientation or veteran status.

http://www.fgcu.edu/generalcounsel/files/regulations/FGCU_PR1_003_Non_Disc_Anti_Harass_091713.pdf

Through the Florida Board of Governors, training is also provided for the interaction and reporting of vulnerable persons attending FGCU.

http://www.flbog.edu/about/regulations/docs/Protection-of-Vulnerable-Persons-Training.wmv


A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide and prepare students and families from low-income backgrounds for higher education:

FGCU's Office of Community Outreach hosts an Attain to Retain conference each year that aims to prepare underrepresented groups to succeed in higher education. Please see details at http://www.fgcu.edu/CommunityOutreach/attain-to-retain.html

The College Reach Out Program (CROP) was established in 1983 by the Florida Legislature to motivate and prepare educationally disadvantaged, low-income students in grades 6 through 12 to pursue and successfully complete a postsecondary education. Participants are students who otherwise would be unlikely to seek admission to a community college, state university, or independent postsecondary institution without special support and recruitment efforts. FGCU's College Reach Out Program serves 25 schools in the Southwest Florida five-county area. Through activities such as University Experience Days, after school enrichment programs, summer programs, students gain skills and abilities in the arts, math, reading, and essay writing. Please see the following website for more information: http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/CROP/about-crop.html)

The Office of Community Outreach and the NAACP of Collier County will be in collaboration of designing a two week Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) camp program for 40 minority students in the Lee and Collier county area. The objective of this program is to improve the students’ skills in mathematics, expose them to real-world math and its application in the related career fields, increase the students’ awareness of STEM fields, expose the students to the processes that will increase their likelihood of being accepted into college (specifically Florida Gulf Coast University), expose them to practicing professionals in the STEM fields, and create potential internship opportunities for camp participants. Please see the following website for more information: http://www.fgcu.edu/CommunityOutreach/stemsummercamp.asp

PSEP provides assistance and enrichment opportunities for students who aspire to excel academically, develop leadership skills, exhibit citizenship, and serve their community and school. The main project in PSEP is the Scholars Program. Scholars Programs currently exist in elementary, middle, and high schools in the following counties: Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades. The program is free of charge to students. (http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/scholarsclub/)


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

SOUTHERN SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
Southern Scholarship Foundation (SSF) offers rent-free scholarship housing for qualified students demonstrating academic achievement (with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA), financial need (as identified on the FAFSA), and good character. Scholarship recipients obtain an "Education for Life" by living in a home-like setting with students representing a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Each scholarship house maintains an environment that is drug, alcohol, and smoke free with quiet study hours. Students work in a cooperative partnership to purchase and prepare meals, and also assume responsibility for all household tasks. Students do not pay rent, but are responsible for their fair share of the basic household expenses such as food, utilities, and internet. Each student contributes approximately $950 per semester and saves up to an estimated $10,000 each year in living expenses. This includes 4 hot home cooked meals Monday-Thursday and food for the residents to prepare on their own for breakfast, lunch & snacks. It is not just housing for the residents – it is their home away from home!
For more information, please visit the SSF website: http://www.southernscholarship.org/

FGCU FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
University Foundation Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, financial need, and/or other specifications set by donors.

All students may be eligible for various types of financial aid, including scholarships. Current FGCU students and prospective students who have submitted an Admissions application and have been assigned a University Identification Number (UIN) are strongly encouraged to submit an online FGCU Foundation Scholarship Application. The application is available online annually between November 15th and March 1st for the following academic year.

The application for the 2017-2018 academic year closed on March 1, 2017. The application will re-open on October 1, 2017 for the 2018-2019 academic year. The priority deadline will now be January 1, 2018, with a March 1st deadline. The FGCU Foundation Scholarship Application is an annual process and we encourage all students to apply each year. Although completing a FAFSA form annually is highly recommended, it is not a requirement in order to complete the FGCU Foundation Scholarship Application.

Students should also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually to be considered for need-based scholarships and other Financial Aid opportunities. Applicants fill out the FAFSA online. Step-by-step instructions to help you complete the application are provided online. The application can be found online at http://www.fafsa.gov/

For a list of all FGCU Foundation Scholarships, please see http://www.fgcu.edu/Foundation/scholarships-results.asp


A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:

The mission of the Office of Community Outreach is to foster strong University-Community partnerships that increase the visibility, accountability, and participation of the University in the surrounding SW Florida community, assist with the recruitment and retention efforts of the University, and create a cohesive support system for students from traditionally underserved or underrepresented backgrounds. http://www.fgcu.edu/CommunityOutreach/index.html


A brief description of the institution’s other policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
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Does the institution have policies and programs to support non-traditional students?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s scholarships provided specifically for part-time students:
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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:

The Family Resource Center is an Educational Research Center for Child Development (ERCCD) on campus at Florida Gulf Coast University. Affiliated with the College of Education the Center offers quality early care and education to 55 children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years.

A School Age Program provides full time care during the summer and for school closings during the academic year to children 6 years or older.

http://www.fgcu.edu/frc/


A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:

Eagle Transfer Scholarship

Applications are still being accepted for students graduating with AA or AS degrees from state schools or colleges. Please click on the following link to apply. http://icarus.fgcu.edu:8080/UGTuitionWaiver


Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (tracking accessibility and affordability)? (If data is not available, select 'No'):
Yes

The percentage of entering students that are low-income (0-100):
31

The graduation/success rate for low-income students (0-100):
42

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):
56

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):
54

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):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.