Colorado State University
PA-8: Affordability and Access

As part of its land grant mission, Colorado State University ensures that financial challenges do not prevent any undergraduate Colorado student who is admitted to the university from attending. CSU's Commitment to Colorado is a promise to provide Colorado students who have a family Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $57,000 or less (and who meet other eligibility requirements) with grant funds from state and university sources to cover at least one-half the cost of student share of base tuition. In addition, students who are eligible for federal Pell Grant will receive grant funds from federal, state, and University sources to cover at least 100% of student share of base tuition and standard fees.

The Institute for Professional Development offers seminars to all CSU staff/faculty on training oriented towards students and parents. Seminars in 2013 included; "Promoting Academic Success for First-Generation and Lower-Income Students at CSU," "Student Parent Barriers to Academic Success," "Tips & Strategies for Working with the Parents & Families of Today's Students," "Promoting Academic Success for First-Generation and Lower-Income Students at CSU," CSU has a first generation faculty initiative and a program that pairs first generation graduates with current first generation students as mentors. Because of programs like this we were named one of the top universities for first generation students by The Best Colleges (http://www.colostate.edu/features/first-generation.aspx).

The Access Center strives to develop the talents of those who have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education (first generation, low income, ethnically or racially diverse, and non-traditional age students) during their pre-college years by: nurturing college bound aspirations, increasing academic skills and motivation, reaching out to Colorado’s historically underserved secondary students, facilitating the college application, enrollment and student aid process, assisting in the transition to college, and supporting retention efforts. The Access center oversees several initiatives which facilitate these goals. More information on programs such as Upward Bound, Talent Search, Reach Out, Dream, and the Alliance Program, see the Access Center online: http://accesscenter.colostate.edu/dream

The Alliance Partnership through the Access Center includes Alliance Awards (scholarships of $10,000) for all students matriculating at CSU from Alliance Partnership schools. The First Generation Awards ($16,000) are for students whose parents have not received bachelor's degrees and demonstrate financial need. Partnership Awards: Alliance Partnership Alliance Transfer Award Black Issues Forum Daniels Fund Denver Scholarship Foundation Educational Opportunity Center Partnership Award First Generation Award Lorenzo de Zavala Native American Legacy Award Scholarship Athletes STARS Partnership Talent Search Upward Bound

Programs through the Access Center (including Upward Bound, Talent Search, Reach Out, Dream, and the Alliance Program) all provide resources for parents, in addition to the support offered to students. Student Financial Services also assists parents with financial aid, loans, scholarships, insurance, extenuating circumstances, and other concerns. http://sfs.colostate.edu/parents/

All of the programs from the Access Center which prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education, also aim to recruit students from low-income backgrounds. In particular, the Dream Project seeks to attract students, at the high school level, who are not traditionally encouraged or expected to go to college. http://accesscenter.colostate.edu/dream Additional, targeted outreach and recruitment programs at CSU include the Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session (National Hispanic Institute), Black Issues Forum, and Native American Education Forum.

The Academic Advancement Center provides low-income students financial literacy training through their Retention Specialists to help low income and first generation students navigate financial aid, loans, and personal expenses.

The Academic Advancement Center, a TRIO Student Support Services program, has a mission to help low-income, first-generation college students, foster youth, and students with disabilities to stay in college until they earn their baccalaureate degrees.

Pinnacle offers scholarships to all non-traditional students including part-time students. Pinnacle is an academic honor society which recognizes non-traditional students. The national charter has over 150 chapter members on more than 175 campuses nationwide. Colorado State has established a charter of Pinnacle for CSU non-traditional students. Some of the benefits for CSU non-traditional students include a scholarship, exclusively for adult learners and non-traditional students, and the opportunity to graduate, recognized as an academically excellent non-traditional student. The Student Parent Success Program provides outreach to student parents in all aspects of their transition to CSU, including financial resources. This program connects student parents with the various resources available to them at CSU, coordinates workshops tailored the needs of student parents, and helps student parents get started on the right track at CSU.

CSU has several options for on site childcare facilities: Ram Kidz Village - student parents can finally have the worry-free study time they need while their children are engaged in supervised educational activities in a safe, positive learning environment. Ram Kidz Village is a drop-in educational program available to all currently enrolled, Colorado State University student parents. For more information: http://alvs.colostate.edu/childcare The Sunshine House has a brand new facility just south of campus that offers subsidized childcare for children of students and employees. It has programs for infants, toddlers, preschool, pre-K, after school programs, and more. The Early Childhood Center is the lab school for Colorado State University's Human Development and Family Studies Program. The center offers a quality program for young children, trains CSU students for careers in early childhood education, and child-life specialists, and provides opportunities for research related to children, families, and early childhood education. The center is dedicated to working in partnership with families to ensure a quality educational experience for their child.

The Veteran Success Program provides outreach to student veterans in all aspects of their transition to CSU. This program connects veterans with various resources, coordinates workshops tailored to veteran needs and wants, sets up networking events, and helps veterans get started on the right track at CSU. We also have an active mentorship program that provides one-on-one guidance and advice to support success both academically and personally. One-on-One Success Coaching for student parents is designed to help with success both academically and personally. Whether student parents are having difficulties or just want to be proactive, success coaching helps make a plan for success at CSU and beyond. Multiple resources are also available for transfer students including a dedicated community in the residence halls, specific Admissions Visit Days, Transfer Mentors, and Tau Sigma National Honor Society (http://www.otp.colostate.edu/transfer-programs.aspx). Adult Learner and Veteran Services (ALVS) aims to support non-traditional students in their transition to Colorado State University. ALVS provides a broad range of resources to aid in the advancement of adult and veteran students both academically and professionally.

Add'l information about services for non-traditional students are at http://alvs.colostate.edu/