Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 70.78
Liaison Amber Saxton
Submission Date Sept. 1, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

George Mason University
PA-7: Affordability and Access

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.98 / 4.00 Mary Liang
Sustainability Analyst
Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

Support for Low-Income Students

Does the institution have policies and programs to make it accessible and affordable to low-income students?:
Yes

None
A brief description of any policies and programs to minimize the cost of attendance for low-income students:
---

None
A brief description of any programs to equip the institution’s faculty and staff to better serve students from low-income backgrounds:
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A brief description of the institution’s programs to guide and prepare students and families from low-income backgrounds for higher education:
The Early Identification Program (EIP) is an innovative, multi-year college preparatory program for high school students. Program activities are free and are held on the Fairfax and Prince William Campuses of George Mason University. Examples of activities include mentoring; math, science, and English aid; and preparing the family about college. Admission to George Mason University is guaranteed to those who successfully complete both the EIP program with at least a 3.2 GPA and an academic program in high school. Financial aid is available to program participants who apply to George Mason University and show need.

None
A brief description of the institution's scholarships for low-income students:
Mason offers full-tuition scholarships for four students in the Early Identification Program. These scholarships cover the costs of in-state tuition only, and does not cover room and board, meals, books, or lab or other fees. The EIP actively pursues support for other scholarships from private sponsors and donors, but cannot guarantee the number of scholarships offered in a given year.

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 policies or programs to make the institution accessible and affordable to low-income students:
Additionally, Mason assists matriculated George Mason students who are at risk of not continuing their education due to unexpected financial situations, through the Stay Mason Student Support Fund. The fund is for all students – undergraduate and graduate, full-time and part-time – enrolled in degree-seeking programs. The fund is designed to provide temporary, short-term, financial assistance to students who are managing demanding academic requirements while struggling with debilitating financial circumstances. It is not intended to provide ongoing relief for recurring expenses, and the financial assistance is not a loan that is expected to be repaid.

Support for Non-Traditional Students 

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:
---

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 Child Development Center (CDC) opened August 31, 1992, at 4400 Patriot Circle. The CDC provides regular childcare for children 2-5 years old for two, three, or five days a week. The Center has since doubled in size and currently has an enrollment of 120 children with two classrooms for each age group. The center is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

A brief description of the institution’s other policies and programs to support non-traditional students:
George Mason University offers the Osher Re-Entry Quasi Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded to re-entry students pursuing their first Bachelor's degree. Students who had an education gap of five or more years, between the ages of 25-50, or demonstrate financial aid are all eligible to apply for the scholarship. The university also has three separate scholarships awarded to undergraduate and/or graduate students who are single parents of a dependent child/children, and demonstrating financial need.

Part 2 

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):
27.70

The graduation/success rate for low-income students (0-100):
68.70

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):
57.20

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):
44

Optional Fields 

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):
50

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 is for FY16.

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.