University of St. Thomas
PA-8: Affordability and Access

The University of St. Thomas (UST) has increased its efforts to recruit, enroll and retain low-income students. In our view, this includes Pell eligible students, Dreamers who would have been Pell eligible (had they been citizens) and students eligible for a Minnesota State Grant (MSG) or non-MN students who are MSG eligible by proxy (currently EFC’s less than $17,000). We have maintained or increased our investment in merit and need-based institutional aid. We have a strategic goal that requires us to increase the percentage of need met for our low-income students. We have added DI athletics to our portfolio and are making a significant investment in support for student athletes in all sports (except for football). This creates accessibility for a wide variety of students. We have been the recipients of several gifts from benefactors that target first generation, low income, under-represented students these gifts include: the Frey Room and Board grants (covering full housing and meal costs for two years), Kanthak Tuition and Housing grants ($5500 additional awarded to cover tuition for four years and $4500 additional awarded to partially cover housing costs for two years), Ciresi Walburn Scholarships for low-income students offers an additional $15,000 in gift aid for the first two years of study and $10,000 in gift aid annually for the third and fourth year of study, Morrison Family College of Health grants for nursing students up to a maximum of$20,000 awarded in addition to other aid, to name a few. In the new FTFY class alone, more than $1,100,000 of donor funds were awarded to students based on extreme need (and donor criteria). Additionally, our faculty were successful in securing two NSF grants to support needy students pursuing majors in science, math and/or engineering. While the NSF grant funding is limited in scope, it still offers additional accessibility to low-income students. We continue to maintain collaborative relationships with the Dean of Students and Student Diversity and Inclusion Services to provide counsel regarding additional support for needy students who find themselves with food and/or housing insecurity. The Financial Aid Office has also increased the time and resources devoted to supporting retention and persistence. We have increased the number and frequency of communications sent to students who are struggling to pay their bills at the university or who are facing class cancellation or registration holds due to lack of payment.

Support for non-traditional students comes in different forms. First, the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion Services (SDIS) offers programs to support the experience of students underrepresented at St. Thomas. SDIS also has welcoming space for students to meet, study, share experience and build community. SDIS also manages signature programs that offer peer mentors and bridge programs. The Excel Scholars Program prepares students for graduate and professional school, and the Ignite Research Scholars program provides support for underrepresented undergraduate researchers. The STEM Inclusive Excellence program supports underrepresented STEM students, with peer mentors, and academic advisors trained to create community and address the hidden curriculum of higher education. The State of Minnesota (Office of Higher Education (OHE)) also launched a new program designed to help students who have been in the Foster Care system to realize the dream of attending college. St. Thomas chose to participate in this program which guarantees to cover up to the total cost of attendance based on meeting the state of MN’s eligibility requirements. Though we have a two year on-campus housing requirement, there is a process whereby students can request an exception. This process includes a review of the student’s reason(s) for the exception that include cultural, familial, medical and/or financial reasons. We review more than 100+ exception requests and grant the vast majority which results in financial relief for needy students (or those in more non-traditional cultural and familial situations).