Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 38.09
Liaison Clara Fang
Submission Date May 14, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Towson University
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Clara Fang
Sustainability Manager
Facilities Management
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Does the institution have policies and programs in place to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s participation in federal TRIO programs:
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A brief description of the institution’s policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students?:

We offer a wide variety federal, state, and institutional aid programs including many need-based grant programs, student loans, and a variety of scholarship programs. Available programs include Federal Pell Grants, Federal SEOG Grants, and the Educational Assistance Grants and Guaranteed Access Grants from the Maryland Higher Education Commission.


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

To the best of my knowledge, Towson does not have a faculty and staff development program specifically designed to prepare people to improve services for low-income students. What we do have are a few programs and efforts to improve faculty and staff understanding of the needs of diverse learners which certainly includes many of our low-income students. These include:
• The Multicultural Institute, which is a one day professional development conference primarily for faculty but open to staff on teaching students of culturally diverse backgrounds;
• A segment of the First Year Experience (FYE) Advisor Institute, held in late May or early June each year to prepare new FYE Advisors, which focuses on understanding and advising our diverse student population including students of color, international students, and students with disabilities.
--Bob Giordani


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

The Support for Student Success Program (aka the College Success Program and aka S3) identifies incoming freshman students who are first generation college and/or low-income family students who also have specific academic needs. These students enroll in a ten week time management and study skills seminar paired with an extended orientation program during their first semester. The seminar is co-facilitated by an Academic Advisor and a Student Affairs professional. Students are also assigned to the Academic Advisor for the FYE Advising Program. S 3 provides a structured and supportive intervention for students who may have cultural, social, and academic challenges in transitioning.


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

In addition to the federal and state grants listed above, we also provide over $12 million dollars in need-based institutional grants. Most of our aid programs only require the federal application form (FAFSA) and an application for admission, but some of our aid programs require additional applications. Application instructions for all of our aid programs including grant and scholarships is available online at www.towson.edu/finaid.


A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide parents of low-income students through the higher education experience:
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A brief description of the institution’s targeted outreach to recruit students from low-income backgrounds:
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A brief description of the institution’s other admissions policies and programs:

Towson University offers several pathways to gain admission outside the regular process for freshmen and transfer students. Those would include the following: TU Top 10% Program, Special Talent (Music, Theater, Dance and Athletics), TU Gateway Program, Freshmen Transition Program and finally non-degree. The details of these programs and their criteria may be found online at www.towson.edu.


A brief description of the institution’s other financial aid polices or programs:

In addition to our need-based aid programs, we also have a wide variety of merit-based scholarships. Scholarship information is available online at www.towson.edu/scholarships.


A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs not covered above:
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The website URL where information about programs in each of the areas listed above is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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