| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.93 |
| Liaison | Merry Rankin |
| Submission Date | Aug. 30, 2013 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Iowa State University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Merry
Rankin ISU Director of Sustainability Facilities Planning & Management |
Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
A brief description of the institution’s participation in federal TRIO programs:
The TRiO programs at Iowa State University include four outreach and support programs targeted to help disadvantaged students progress from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. Programs offered at Iowa State include Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound, Student Support Services, and Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement.
Educational Talent Search:
The Educational Talent Search program provides academic, career, and financial counseling to its participants and encourages them to graduate from high school and continue on to the post-secondary school of their choice.
Upward Bound:
Upward Bound provides opportunities for participants to succeed in pre-college performance and ultimately in higher education pursuits.
Student Support Services:
The Student Support Services (SSS) program provides opportunities for academic development, assists students with basic college requirements, and serves to motivate students towards the successful completion of their post-secondary education.
Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement:
The Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement program prepares participants for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.
A brief description of the institution’s policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students?:
Scholarships are awarded on the basis of achievement, although many also require demonstrated financial need. ISU financial aid professionals are committed to removing financial barriers for those who wish to pursue postsecondary learning. They also make every effort to assist students with financial need.
A brief description of the institution’s programs to equip the institution's faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
Iowa State University programs equip the University's faculty and staff to better serve students from low income backgrounds. These programs actively engage faculty and staff and, in many cases, Iowa State University students in a variety of ways from traditional classroom settings to informal learning environments such as workshops, research opportunities, career exploration/job shadowing, mentoring, tutoring, advising (academic, career, financial, etc.), community services, participation on committees, recruitment, and more. The following programs are all involved in this effort:
Educational Talent Search
Upward Bound
Student Support Services
Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement
Project SEED
A brief description of the institution’s programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
The Hixson Opportunity Awards are scholarships available to incoming freshman with financial need. All recipients take The Hixson Seminar (University Studies 101), which provides an introduction to life and resources at Iowa State University and an orientation to the functions of the Hixson Program. The seminar helps Hixson Scholars adjust to college life, develop better self-understanding, and gain more knowledge about their learning processes. The course provides a support system for examining difficulties associated with the first-year college experience in an atmosphere that is less formal than traditional college courses.
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
Iowa State University offers several scholarships to low-income students, including the Roy J. Carver Scholarship Program. Twenty awards are available to applicants with great potential and promise who have to work hard to make ends meet, or who are faced with significant social and economic obstacles in their lives. Selection is based on academic merit, potential in field of study, financial need, and the consideration of extenuating circumstances that present challenges to obtaining a degree (http://www.financialaid.iastate.edu/scholarships/view.php?id=181).
In addition, the Office of Student Financial Aid offers the ISU Grant, which is available to students with a demonstrated financial need. (http://www.financialaid.iastate.edu/grants/isu.php)
Finally, students can also apply for a Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) Grant. These awards target students with a substantial financial need (http://www.financialaid.iastate.edu/grants/leap.php).
A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:
Iowa State offers a net price calculator, which provides an estimate of the cost to attend ISU given a family's particular financial situation. In addition, parents can access the Office of Student Financial Aid's Information for Parents website, which offers additional resources (http://www.financialaid.iastate.edu/parents/).
A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
Upward Bound:
• Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families and high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelors degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rates at which participants enroll in and graduate from institutions of post-secondary education.
• Upward Bound is a college preparatory program for first generation and/or income eligible high school students. It is designed to prepare youth for education beyond high school by providing appropriate academic, cultural, and social programs that develop the skills, attitudes, and motivation necessary for post-secondary education.
Educational Talent Search:
• Iowa State University TRIO Educational Talent Search (ETS) is a college preparatory program funded by the US Department of Education. The goal of ETS is to increase the likelihood that participants graduate from high school and enroll in college. This goal is accomplished by providing participants with academic, financial aid and personal counseling through monthly school visits.
• ETS serves 1000 students in grades 6-12 in 5 central Iowa school districts. Two-thirds of students served by ETS must qualify as first-generation college-bound (meaning neither parent has received a Bachelor's degree) and by income guidelines established by US ED. ETS Advisers work with school counselors and teachers to identify qualified youth who have the potential for college success.
Date Revised: June 26, 2014
A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:
Other admission programs include Iowa State's visits to Iowa high schools, hosting campus visits for various TRIO program groups and participation in college fairs targeting communities around the state.
Admission policies are the same for all students. Freshman applicants must meet the Regents Admission Index (RAI) of 245 and satisfaction of high school core course work for automatic admission. Those applications below 245 or not meeting the high school core course work are reviewed on an individual basis. The RAI is a formula approved by the Board of Regents that takes into consideration the student’s ACT composite score, cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale), class rank and high school core course work. The individual review process looks at these same elements and takes into consideration how they might relate to the student’s intended major or any extenuating circumstances in the student’s life.
A brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:
The Iowa State University Office of Student Financial Aid incorporates into its ISU Financial Aid Code of Conduct the following principles and standards:
Support efforts to encourage students, as early as the elementary grades, to aspire to and plan for education beyond high school.
Educate students and families through quality consumer information.
Respect the dignity and protect the privacy of students, and ensure the confidentiality of student records and personal circumstances.
Ensure equity by applying all need analysis formulas consistently across the institution's full population of student financial aid applicants.
Provide services that do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or economic status.
A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:
The website URL where information about programs in each of the areas listed above is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Financial Planning Tools:
http://www.financialaid.iastate.edu/planning/
Hixson Opportunity Awards:
http://www.dso.iastate.edu/hixson
Financial Planning Tools:
http://www.financialaid.iastate.edu/planning/
Hixson Opportunity Awards:
http://www.dso.iastate.edu/hixson
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.