University at Buffalo
PA-8: Affordability and Access

The University at Buffalo participates in all Title IV aid programs as well as the State of New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP Grant). Eligibility for these federal and state aid programs are geared toward low income families with the goal of providing access to higher education. In addition to these federal and state programs UB offers a variety of institutional scholarships aimed at benefiting low income families. The University at Buffalo’s Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (UB EOP) is a multifaceted student academic enrichment program for talented and economically disadvantaged students who are inadmissible for general programs. EOP students come from first-generation, low-income families and underrepresented minority communities. Another key UB program designed at minimizing the cost of attendance is The Office for University Preparatory Programs (OUPP) which is situated in UB’s Graduate School of Education and comprised of three pre-college programs. The programs consists of Liberty Partnerships, Upward Bound and the Science and Technology Enrichment Program (STEP). Each of these programs is charged with working with middle and/or high school students from underrepresented backgrounds to educate and prepare them for post-secondary education.

The University at Buffalo’s faculty and staff have collaborated and worked in varying capacities with each program in the Office for University Preparatory Programs (OUPP). Faculty and staff engage with the three pre-college programs; Liberty Partnerships, Upward Bound and the Science and Technology Enrichment Program (STEP) to help prepare middle and/or high school students from underrepresented backgrounds with admissions to post-secondary programs. In addition, Dr. Nathan Duan-Barnett, an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education has created a nationally recognized program targeting students from low socio-economic backgrounds. The initiative is a free application for the Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Completion Campaign. This program sends mentors into local high schools to personally assist students and parents with the completion of the federal and state application for financial aid. While UB’s Financial Aid Office has assisted with the FAFSA Completion Campaign, the office also provides area high schools with numerous financial aid nights geared at explaining all financial aid programs. The advising staff within the office is also trained in counseling students on financial literacy to prepare them during and after college with financial success.

Faculty and staff work with three pre-college programs within the Office for University Preparatory Programs: Liberty Partnerships, Upward Bound and the Science and Technology Enrichment Program (STEP) to help prepare middle and/or high school students from underrepresented backgrounds with admissions to post-secondary programs. In addition, the University at Buffalo plays a key leadership role and houses Buffalo Prep--a unique enrichment program that enhances the quality of life for more than 500 disadvantaged students and their families each year and serves as a stepping stone to a brighter future. Prep partners with area consortium private high schools and college preparatory public high schools (including UB) that offer nearly $500,000 in financial aid to their students each year. Buffalo Prep, in turn, provides these schools with the opportunity to take advantage of a more diverse student body, which helps all students, families and staff members forge relationships that transcend racial, ethnic and economic differences. This diversity helps to prepare all students for colleges and workplaces that are becoming more representative of America's greater diverse community.

During the 2014-2015 academic year, the University at Buffalo’s students received over $114 million dollars in grants, scholarships and awards. While some of these dollars were allocated to student simply based on academic merit, the vast majority of these funds are awarded to students based on overall financial need. In addition, the majority of institutional endowed scholarships are earmarked to assist students from low-income families.

As described in other responses within this credit, the University at Buffalo has a variety of programs geared to assist parents navigate through the higher education experience. Each OUPP and Buffalo Prep program has an arm of programming dedicated to parent outreach and engagement and the university has also shown commitment to GSE’s FAFSA Completion Campaign along with all of the outreach activities performed by the financial aid office.

In addition to an admissions recruitment plan that provides targeted outreach at high schools in low socio-economic areas, the The Cora P. Maloney College (CPMC) provides targeted admissions outreach to low-income families through the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Daniel Ackers Scholars Program, Access to College Excellence Program (ACE) and the Student Support Services (SSS) Program. These programs increase access and opportunity, support orientation and first year student services, enhance academic support and retention to graduation along with offering academic enrichment and undergraduate research to students.

See responses to other questions within this credit.

In awarding financial aid funds to students, the University at Buffalo has implemented specific policies aimed at students based on financial need. Federal campus-based funds along with a large percentage of institutional scholarships are awarded explicitly to students with the lowest family contribution and overall highest unmet need. These policies reinforce UB’s investment in providing access and affordability to low-income students.

In addition to responses to other questions within this credit it should also be noted that President Obama chose the University at Buffalo to unveil his bold new plan to make higher education affordable for all in the early fall of 2014: See more at: http://www.buffalo.edu/home/feature_story/obama-speech.html

While students can take advantage of all federal and state grant and scholarships programs as a part-time student, the university participates with NY in the awarding of the Aid for Part-Time Study Program (APTS) fund. This grant is available to NY residents who are low-income and pursing their education on a part-time basis. Many of our institutional scholarships are also available to students pursing part-time studies and are awarded to students with overall high financial need.

The University at Buffalo Child Care Center, Inc. (UBCCC) consists of two child care sites located at UB’s North Campus and South Campus of the University at Buffalo (UB). The sites, which are licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (NYSOCFS), are designed to serve children of UB students, faculty and staff. UBCCC is one of the few centers in Western New York that is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The child care centers are open year-round and offer both full-time and part-time care and serve the needs of children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 5 years. UBCCC is a private, not-for-profit organization, dependent primarily upon tuition from parents and special grants from the State University of New York Central and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, culture, national origin or ability.

UB's Millard Fillmore College (MFC) is committed to serving adult non-traditional students. MFC offers a full complement of credit and noncredit academic programs and opportunities for the adult learner. They offer certificate programs, specialized workforce development and training opportunities, and lifelong learning programs. In addition to the programs and services offered by MFC, UB is committed to serving the needs of our US veterans. The university has designed a centralized service center to assist veterans and in 2014 US News ranked UB as one of the top 25 colleges for veterans.

We do not presently have a way of calculating 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.