Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 34.71
Liaison Kristina Bryan
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Saint Louis University
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.55 / 4.00 Will Perkins
Director
Data source Pre-College and TRIO Programs
"---" 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:

According to a College Board study, less than 10 percent of full-time students enroll at a four-year public or private institution with a published tuition fee rate above $36,000 per year. Although Saint Louis University fits into this tuition fee category, 25 percent of SLU students received need-based Pell grant funds last year, 24 percent of new freshmen were first generation and over 25 percent of SLU undergraduates received need-based grants. Some of SLU's access programs include its 1818 Advanced College Credit program (affordable credit earned in high school); adult and online offerings; federal TRIO programs and support (Student Support Services and Talent Search Program); transfer partnerships with local community colleges and universities (includes 2+SLU programs with partner schools St. Louis Community College and Harris Stowe State University); and military and veteran programs (includes new outreach, advising, scholarships and reduced tuition rates).


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

Saint Louis University’s teaching community is supported by its Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, a comprehensive teaching center devoted to assisting faculty, instructors and other educators in providing a variety of instructional development, design services, seminars and programs. In 2015, the Reinert Center launched a pilot program focused on helping SLU faculty and instructors design and teach courses in ways that are more culturally responsive. This program has been beneficial and impactful, particularly for nontraditional students, from international, under-represented, under-served and first-generation, as well as well as returning adult students, veterans and others who come back to the classroom after having been steeped in workplace, military and family cultures.


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

Saint Louis University's Department of Pre-College and Access Programs develops, supports and oversees a wide range of outreach activities designed to increase college awareness and readiness skills, such as K-12 academies, camps and enrichment programs in a variety of academic disciplines, each aimed at assisting young students to prepare for college while experiencing life at SLU. In addition, Student Educational Services (SES) fosters academic excellence for SLU students and the surrounding community by hosting key resources and programs, including those for the U.S. Department of Education's TRiO programs. SES supports first-generation college students and those with modest incomes. (The TRiO-Student Success Services [SSS] Programs are educational opportunity programs that motivate and serve low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities as they progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to graduate school.) Also, SLU School of Medicine's Office of Multicultural Affairs offers a three-week Summer Scholars Program for sophomore, junior, and senior high school students designed to motivate them to pursue a career in medicine. Activities include participation at the Practical Anatomy Workshop, preparing for college, a group research project, and more.


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

The University adheres to a need-blind admissions policy, as all decisions are made without knowledge of a student’s financial resources or a need for financial aid. The Jesuit Catholic Community has instituted a $1 million dollar scholarship to high achieving students that matriculate from Catholic high schools and are in need of financial assistance at Saint Louis University. The Jesuit Community Scholarship is given to one student from each of the 28 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of St. Louis as well as four Catholic high schools in the Metro East.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship is granted to students who are committed to the promotion of diversity in our society and who demonstrate leadership in the classroom, on campus and in the greater community.
The Saint Peter Claver Service Scholarship is awarded to an incoming student from an urban setting who is committed to community service. The Pioneers of Inclusion Scholarship Endowment (POISE) was established in 2014 by SLU’s Black Alumni Association, 70 years after SLU’s historic decision to celebrate the legacy of those five students who pioneered desegregation at SLU, and it supports current students who represent this legacy of courage for inclusion


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

Saint Louis University adheres to a need-blind admissions policy, as all decisions are made without knowledge of a student’s financial resources or a need for financial aid. In 2014, SLU's Enrollment Diversity Plan, developed by the Division of Enrollment and Retention Management was designed to help develop and implement strategies to increase interest and applications among first generation, low-income, and under-represented minority students.


A brief description of the institution’s other policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:

SLU’s "First Billikens Project" offers a broad support system offering a range of services for first-generation college students. In addition, as part of SLU's participation in the federal TRiO Program, additional resources are available to make SLU more accessible to low-income students. Services include: access to tutoring, early course registration, free printing resources, financial literacy access and writing assistance.


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:

Saint Louis University provides a wide array of scholarships available for part-time students at various programs throughout the university (for instance, School for Professional Studies, Law, Nursing, and Business just to name a few). SLU increased the number of Yellow Ribbon scholarships for US veterans from 50 to 75. Additional information is available on the respective departmental websites.


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 SLU student organization, Students for Life, became a chartered organization in 1992 and currently has approximately 40 members. Through endowment funds, the organization provides assistance for pregnant and parenting SLU students so they can stay on track toward earning a degree. Assistance funds are available to both full- and part-time students and are dispersed on the basis of need at any time during the school year. They can be used to offset costs associated with books, tuition, room and board, child care or pre-natal care.


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

SLU’s School for Professional Studies (SPS) offers flexible and affordable degree and certificate programs created for non-traditional students and working adults. Programs include degree completion options, continuing education and personal growth, and flexible and affordable Bachelor's, Master's and certificate programs.


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):
62

The graduation/success rate for low-income students (0-100):
70

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):
78

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):
45

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):
51

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:

Data from Indicators that the institution is accessible and affordable to low-income students was provided by the Office of Institutional Research.


Data from Indicators that the institution is accessible and affordable to low-income students was provided by the Office of Institutional Research.

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.