| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.63 |
| Liaison | Karen Oberer |
| Submission Date | Aug. 22, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
McGill University
PA-7: Affordability and Access
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.74 / 4.00 |
Cara
Piperni Director, Scholarships & Student Aid Student Services |
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:
McGill's Scholarship and Student Aid Office's (SSAO) mission is to promote accessibility, support retention and encourage scholarship through financial awards for needy and deserving students in any degree program from any geographic origin.
Growth in McGill’s need-based aid programs is made possible by the University’s commitment that 30% of the net revenue derived from tuition increases be allocated to student financial support. Additionally, need-based aid is a priority of the University Advancement fund raising efforts for donor gifts.
The SSAO provides information and advice on scholarship funding, government aid programs, debt management, and individualized budget counselling. Financial assistance is available through Tuition Fee Deferrals, a Work Study program, and McGill loans and bursary programs (both Entrance and In-Course).
A brief description of any programs to equip the institution’s faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
Financial Literacy efforts and developed toolkit for staff and students; SSAO partnered with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) and have adopted thier materials and training content.
Professional development for Student Financial Aid Counselors through membership/ conference in the Canadian Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (CASFAA) and AQRAFE (Quebec equivalent of CASFAA).
Additionally, SSAO has membership on OASFAA (Ontario Association) and IEC (International Education Council). SSAO has rotations to meet Faculty Associates, the Dean of Student Affairs, Academic Advisers, and other campus partners to create awareness about our need-based services and understanding of their student body needs.
A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide and prepare students and families from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
Frugal Scholar Money Management Program, with on-line toolkit and guide to help students prepare for university, understand costs and live for less.
Entrance Counselling for US student loan recipients: Entrance counseling explains the obligations students agree to meet as a condition of receiving a Direct Loan. Topics include: Understand Your Loans; Manage Your Spending; Plan to Repay; Avoid Default; Make Finances a Priority
In collaboration with SEDE Office's outreach programs, SSAO presents workshops for parents of elementary school children about financial planning and how to prepare for university.
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
Scholarships are based solely on academic merit. Please see the section on need-based aid for more information about programs that aim to support low-income students.
A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
MyDay @ McGill is a unique initiative that is part of a partnership between McGill’s Social Equity and Diversity Education (SEDE) Office and the school boards, encouraging academic engagement and acting as a bridge between McGill and the larger Montréal community. The students from Lester B. Pearson school board are already part of Homework Zone, an after-school mentorship program connecting McGill students with elementary-aged students in underrepresented neighbourhoods of Montréal.
SEDE's homework zone targets disadvantaged youth, and connects them with students from McGill to help with homework.
A brief description of the institution’s other policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
The McGill Medicine Admissions Pipeline (MAP), a long-term community-centered vision, will outreach to high schools and CEGEPs, providing exposure to the benefits and opportunities of a post-secondary education, as well as interaction with, and demystification of, the culture of post-secondary and medical education.
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:
While McGill does not provide scholarships specifically for part-time students only, McGill's Scholarship and Student Aid Office (SSAO) recognizes students' part-time status as equivalent of full-time for students with recognized disabilities. This makes funding available to part-time students with recognized disabilities. SSAO's need-based programs also recognize part-time students that are parents of young children as full-time students, such as to allow them to apply for scholarships that are otherwise closed to 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:
There are two onsite child care facilities:
*The SSMU Daycare Centre is a privately run, non-profit organization funded by the
Students Society of McGill University and subsidized by the Québec Government. Located
on the 2nd floor of the Brown Student Services Building, the SSMU Daycare offers full-time
childcare to 32 children of the McGill community. First priority for Daycare spaces goes to
children of undergraduate students at McGill. Children of graduate students and of staff
and faculty at McGill may be offered space in the Daycare only once the needs of
undergraduate students have been met.
*The McGill Childcare Center, also known officially as the Centre de la Petite Enfance de
McGill, is a non-profit, independently run center which offers child care services to full-time
McGill University students, faculty members and staff. It enrolls 106 full-time children
ranging in age from four months to four years old. Registration for the fall term
commences in the spring of the same year.
The Student Parents Website provide resources and information regarding these and other
initiatives: http://www.mcgill.ca/students/studentparents/
A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:
The McGill Family Resources project is a new initiative created with help from the SEDE,
the Senate SubCommittee on Women and the Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF) to provide resources and support to student and staff parents on campus. The Family Resources Coordinator works to provide support to students and staff via one-on-one meetings, an orientation event in September as well as workshops and activities throughout the year.
Another component of this project will be researching the family care needs of students
and staff and then working collaboratively to identify and implement solutions.
https://www.mcgill.ca/equity_diversity/students/family-care
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 University fees are extremely low ($1600 per annum) and allow for full accessibility to low income Quebec residents and most international francophone students. Consequently, Quebec students have a student debt load lower than the Canadian average.
The University fees are extremely low ($1600 per annum) and allow for full accessibility to low income Quebec residents and most international francophone students. Consequently, Quebec students have a student debt load lower than the Canadian average.
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.