Credit Language
PA 9: Affordability & Access – version 3.0
Indicators
- 9.1 Number of paid work-hours per year required to meet the average net price of attendance for low-income students
- 9.2 Percentage of students that are low-income
- 9.3 Legacy and donor admissions
Questions & Answers
How has this credit changed between STARS Version 2 and Version 3?
- A new indicator (9.1) requires quantitative data on an institution’s net price of attendance and the local minimum wage.
- The metrics (9.2) on need-based aid and student loan debt have been dropped in favor of the net price of attendance indicator and to help ensure that the credit is relevant in diverse contexts.
- A new indicator (9.3) requires information about an institution’s admissions policies.
- A comprehensive list of differences can be found in the STARS 3.0 Summary of changes.
How do we measure number of paid work-hours per year required to meet the average net price of attendance (Indicator 9.1)?
- Report the most recent data available from within the previous three years for undergraduate students, if present, or else the institution’s predominant student body.
- Report the local minimum hourly wage or the minimum hourly wage that the institution pays student workers, whichever is most representative of the work opportunities available to entering students.
- Report the average annual net price of attendance for full-time, beginning degree/certificate-seeking students in the lowest family income range tracked by the institution (e.g., 0 to 30,000 USD), for example, as posted on the institution’s website or a source such as the US College Navigator. If the average annual net price of attendance is not published or tracked by the institution, it may be calculated using the guidance provided in the question below.
How do we calculate the average net price of attendance (Indicator 9.1)?
The average net price of attendance is the average yearly price actually charged to first-time, full-time students receiving student aid after deducting such aid. If the average annual net price of attendance is not published or tracked by the institution, it may be calculated as follows:
- Determine the total cost of attendance for an academic year, i.e., the sum of the following:
- Published tuition and required fees for first-year students entering the institution’s predominant student body (e.g., beginning undergraduate students). If more than one fee schedule exists, e.g., for in-country and international students, use the lowest figure.
- The average estimated cost of on-campus and off-campus (not living with family) room and board, as applicable. The average may be weighted based on the proportion of students that avail of each option.
- The average estimated cost of books, supplies, transportation, and other expenses.
- Subtract the average amount of grant and/or scholarship aid (i.e., financial assistance that does not have to be repaid) awarded to full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students in the lowest family income range (e.g., quartile or quintile) tracked by the institution. If data are not available by income range, use the average amount of need-based grant and/or scholarship aid awarded to all full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students who were awarded aid.
An institution that charges by program rather than academic year should base its figures on the program with the highest enrollment and estimate annual costs based on the standard length of the program.
An institution that is reporting on multiple campuses that have different costs of attendance may report on the campus with the highest enrollment or calculate a weighted average based on the enrollment at each location.
How do we identify low-income students under Indicator 9.2?
Low-income individuals are defined as members of households with income less than 200 percent of the poverty threshold or as otherwise defined in student grant eligibility criteria or a regional or national census.
Low-income students may be identified by student grant eligibility criteria, receipt of need-based aid, family income thresholds, geographic origin, or as otherwise tracked by the institution. For example:
- In the U.S., low income students are defined as those students who are receiving Pell Grant funds (as reported in the IPEDS Student Financial Aid component) AND/OR meet Pell Grant eligibility criteria, i.e., students whose estimated family contribution (EFC) does not exceed the maximum allowed for Pell Grant eligibility.
- In Canada, low income students are defined as those students who are receiving a Full-Time or Part-Time Student Grant OR meet the eligibility criteria for a national or provincial assistance program based on financial need.
An institution that does not identify low-income students may use first-generation students as a proxy.
Resources, Templates & Tools
- College Navigator – Resource to find annual price of attendance among US institutions.
Suggestions for Institutions
- Work with your Financial Aid Office or similar to collect the information requested under this credit.
Potential Data Quality Issues
- Indicator 9.1. Score outlier – Earning full points (or close to) may be the result of credit misinterpretation. If a high score is reported, please review to ensure that accurate amounts are reported for “Local hourly minimum wage for students” and “Average annual net price of attendance for low-income students”.
- Indicator 9.2. Numeric/score outlier – Earning full points and reporting 50% or higher low-income students. If a high score/percentage is reported, please review documentation provided that affirms that a high proportion of students are low-income.