Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.41
Liaison Yolanda Cieters
Submission Date Feb. 22, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Seattle University
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.89 / 4.00 Phillip Thompson
Director
CEJS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have policies and programs in place 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:

Work-study programs offer the opportunity to gain valuable work experience while earning money for college. Students are able to enhance their current course work as well as their future profession by integrating classroom learning with real-world work experience.

Seattle University also offers the following grants to those whom fit the criteria:
The Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
The Washington State Need Grant
Seattle University Grants


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

The role of an OMA-Admissions Liaison is to assist both the Office of Admissions and the Office of Multicultural Affairs with the recruitment and guidance of first-year and transfer students at Seattle University. The liaisons reach out to traditionally underrepresented population groups in hopes of fostering a sense of community and diversity at Seattle University. These groups include: racial minority groups, LGBTQ students, first-generation students, commuter students, and economically-disadvantaged students.


A brief description of any programs to prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education:

The university has created a task force charged with determining appropriate levels of loan debt and identifying ways to increase student financial literacy and help students make informed borrowing decisions.


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

The Seattle University Costco Scholarship is awarded to first time freshmen entering fall quarter. U.S. citizens who are African-American, Latino, Native American or Pacific Islander and whose high school GPA is 3.0 or higher are eligible to be considered.

Various need-based scholarships are available by department. For example, Student Assistantships are opportunities for students to apply their studies to real jobs and responsibilities within the Fine Arts Department. Recipients are awarded scholarships for their work that are determined individually based on the level of responsibility, time commitment and financial need.


A brief description of any programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:

N/A


A brief description of any targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:

OMA-Admissions Liaison reach out to traditionally underrepresented population groups in hopes of fostering a sense of community and diversity at Seattle University. These groups include: racial minority groups, LGBTQ students, first-generation students, commuter students, and economically-disadvantaged students.


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

If a student's financial aid award in combination with what his or her family is able to contribute is not enough to meet the cost of attending Seattle University, and extenuating circumstances exist that change the student's overall financial status (such as medical and dental expenses not covered by insurance, loss of income, divorce or separation, or the costs of tuition for siblings or children attending private elementary and secondary institutions), the Student Financial Services Office will consider these to determine if the student has additional eligibility for financial aid.


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

Aid is increasingly targeted toward promoting incrementally stronger academic profile and student success. One example is the use of Challenge Grants: selected freshmen with need who did not qualify for higher-level merit scholarships in fall 2014 were offered the opportunity to earn an increase in their institutional grants if they achieved grade and credit hour targets in their first term and first year.


A brief description of other policies and programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students not covered above:

Fellowships (available on campus) and resources for off-campus fellowships help provide low-income students with the ability to gain financial aid and funding as well as educational and professional development. http://www.seattleu.edu/fellowships/opportunities/


Does the institution have policies and programs in place to support non-traditional students?:
Yes

A brief description of any scholarships provided specifically for part-time students:

Various graduate departments offer scholarships for part-time students that need to be enrolled in only 3 credits to be eligible.
One such example is the NSH MBA Scholarship available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are of Hispanic heritage in an MBA program.


A brief description of any onsite child care facilities, partnerships with local facilities, and/or subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of students:

Partnerships with Child Care Resources (CCR) allow students who are parents to explore child care options such as licensed child care centers, family child care programs, license-exempt preschools and school age programs.

Information and guidance on how to utilize Seattle Milk Fund is available to aid students who are parents in acquiring child-care grants.

Lactation rooms and diaper changing facilities are available on campus.


A brief description of other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:

Seattle University has numerous programs and advising opportunities available to veteran students.
Programs include how to best take advantage of VA educational benefits, VA peer advisors, Veteran Navigator programs, and personalized application advising.
More information can be found here http://www.seattleu.edu/veterans/


Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (accessibility and affordability indicators)?:
Yes

Indicators that the institution is accessible and affordable to low-income students::
Percentage (0-100)
The percentage of entering students that are low-income 20
The graduation/success rate for low-income students 75.60
The percentage of student financial need met, on average 66.60
The percentage of students graduating with no interest-bearing student loan debt 26.40

The percentage of students that participate in or directly benefit from the institution’s policies and programs to support low-income and non-traditional students:
76.50

The website URL where information about the institution's affordability and access programs is available:
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.