The University of California and nonprofit uAspire have launched a pilot program to bring expert guidance on college affordability to hundreds of low-income students across California, it was announced today (Oct. 25).
Starting earlier this month and in collaboration with UC’s outreach staff, uAspire has been providing personalized college affordability advising to approximately 450 high school students living near UC Davis, UCLA, and UC Riverside through in-person workshops and “virtual advising” — using two-way text messaging to provide customized guidance to each student. The national nonprofit, which has a Bay Area office, focuses on ensuring that young people have the financial information and resources necessary to attain an affordable college degree.
The partnership with UC is part of the university’s Pre-College Scholars program, which encourages select, high-achieving students from underrepresented backgrounds to strive for a UC education. It is the latest in a series of university efforts to expand diversity on its campuses by reaching out to communities that send comparatively few students to UC.
“It’s especially important to support students at this critical juncture in their lives, when they’re making decisions on where to attend college and how to afford it,” said UC Vice Provost Yvette Gullatt. “Too often, students who could excel and thrive on our campuses don’t apply to UC because they think it’s financially out of reach.”
In fact, more than half of California students attending a UC campus have their tuition and fees fully covered under UC’s Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, and 75 percent receive some form of aid to offset the cost of their education.
“When students are able to look at financial aid and compare costs, they are often surprised and excited to learn that a world-class UC education is actually one of their most affordable options,” Gullatt said.
Through their partnership, UC and uAspire aim to counteract the documented phenomenon of academic “undermatching,” in which students — especially low-income and first-generation college-bound students — attend colleges that are less selective than their academic achievements merit. Addressing this problem is critical, as research has shown that students are more likely to graduate and do so in less time when they attend a college that suits their achievement level.
Said uAspire Bay Area Executive Director Lara Fox, “Through our work in California, uAspire has observed just how affordable a UC education can be for students from the lowest income families. Yet there is a widespread belief in our state that top-tier colleges are unaffordable.
“We are thus thrilled to work directly with UC to ensure that students and families of all backgrounds know how to navigate their way to a college education that is both affordable and a good academic fit.”
uAspire will work with participants from the beginning of their junior year through the summer after their senior year. Ultimately, uAspire will help students make a financially savvy choice about which college to attend — which includes helping them identify scholarships, file their FAFSA or CA Dream Act application accurately and on time, understand their family’s financial situation and resources, analyze and compare their financial aid awards, identify which colleges are affordable, and stay on track to meet all requirements for successful college enrollment in the fall after high school.