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KU ranks 144 out of 174 for Pell grant distribution
CASSIDY RITTER
@CassidyRitter
With the cost of tuition increasing at an average of 3.6 percent each year at the University, students are looking for more financial help. Bailee Myers, a junior from Topeka, said she would not have been able to attend the University without financial help.
"There's no way," she said. "Just because the loans would have been way too much, and I'm already having to pay all of this back [loans], and there's a certain point where you're like, 'Hmm, is the experience at KU really worth the lifetime debt?'"
When Myers began her college search, she knew she had to stay in Kansas. She received an email her senior year of high school saying she was eligible for a Pell grant. Myers has received Pell grants and scholarships since her freshman year at the University, but she still takes out a loan of about $7,000 to cover the remaining tuition. This year, her Pell grant is worth $5,125.
Source: ProPublica
Pell is one of several opportunities students can take advantage of at the University, but not everyone can benefit from Pell. A new database from
ProPublica allows prospective students to compare colleges' ability to assist low-income families. The University ranks low for distribution and size of Pell grants but mid-range for debt and graduation rates, according to the database.
In 2012-13, 22.2 percent of undergraduates at the University who receive financial aid received Pell grants, according to ProPublica. This ranks the University at number 144 out of 174 universities for Pell grant distribution.
In an email, Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, a KU spokeswoman, said that last academic year, 23 percent of undergraduates at the Lawrence campus received the grants.
"We find that college choice, particularly as it relates to financing and the determination of educational value, is highly personalized," Brenda Maigaard, assistant vice provost for Financial Aid and Scholarships, said in an email. "When choosing a college, students and families are evaluating other factors like curricular match, fit and feel. It appears very few students make their decision solely based on a particular rank of a school in one of these many publications or college search tools that are available today."
The University also ranked 146th out of 173 for assisting low-income families. The statistic is based on both distribution and the dollar value of Pell grants given out at KU.
"Without knowing the details of how ProPublica calculated its rankings, it's difficult to speculate how they arrived at the ranking," Barcomb-Peterson said in an email. "It's worth noting, however, that in 2012 KU implemented a new program, Pell Advantage, to fund high-need, Pell-eligible, in-state students who are academically prepared to succeed at KU."
According to the 2013 data
presented by ProPublica, the most recent data available, low-income students received an average discount of 37 percent, paying $13,943 for tuition, books and living expenses instead of $21,971.
The University leads other Kansas schools in percentage discount. Students at Kansas State University and Wichita State University receive a 35 percent and 10 percent discount, respectively.
Myers said she was surprised to see the University ranked so low. She said she thinks the University rankings are low because students are unaware of financial aid opportunities.
"I get emails that say, 'Because you're a Pell grant recipient, you qualify for these as well,'" Myers said. "I feel like if students just take the time to read the emails, because sometimes you get that KU email and you're just like, 'Oh, just forget about it. It's from KU.' But it's really, really valuable information."
The University offers Federal Pell grants and KU's Pell Advantage. The Federal Pell grant is a need-based grant determined and funded by the federal government. Students can receive this grant by filing a FASFA form by March 1.
KU's Pell Advantage is given to some incoming students with a GPA of 3.25 or higher and an ACT score of 22. This Pell grant covers tuition and campus fees for 15 credit hours per semester and can be renewed for four years. Students who receive KU's Pell Advantage are given a grant of about $10,057 per year, but Federal Pell grant recipients receive a maximum of $5,775, according to the financial aid website. Students receiving Pell grants, however, benefit from having less debt at graduation. The median federal debt for Pell grant recipients is $17,500
- lower than the University-wide average of $20.114.
Although students like Myers receive some help from the University, many will still find themselves paying off loans upon graduation. Myers will have about $28,000 in debt without interest. While KU has lessened her debt by providing her with a Pell grant, she will still have debt to pay off.
According to ProPublica data and rankings, KU does not give many Pell grants, but students who do receive these Pell grants benefit with a 52 percent graduation rate and a median federal debt of $17,500.
Student Senate aims to increase outreach in November
ALANA FLINN
@alana_finn
This week marks Student Senate's Outreach Week Monday through Thursday an effort to better connect with the student body.
The outreach board will work throughout the semester to engage students with Student Senate. This week's activities include tabling on campus and
the first University Conversation, which will take place in the classroom at the Office of Multicultural Affairs at 8 p.m. Thursday.
University Conversations, one of the platforms Advance KU ran on during election season, will be an open-forumstyle Q&A with four administrators on the panel addressing questions about combating sexual assault on campus.
Students will be able to
ask questions at the event and hear from administrators. The board members answering questions will be Tammara Durham, vice provost of student affairs; Kathy Rose-Mockry, director for the Emily Taylor Center; Lance Watson, director of student conduct; and Joshua Jones, interim director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access.
Student Senate Communications Director Isaac Bahney said University Conversations will be held in an effort to improve outreach.
"We heard from a lot of students that they didn't have a good way to interact with administrators to combat the big issues like diversity and sexual assault," Bahney said. "We wanted to create an accessible forum that helps faculty connect with students to get ideas and thoughts, and as a collaborative effort, create more awareness and connection."
Senate members tabled outside of Mrs. E's on Tuesday afternoon and again at Wescoe Beach on Wednesday afternoon.
Student Senate Outreach Board Chair Chance Maginness said outreach will continue throughout the rest of the semester as well, but on a more personal level.
yond outreach week and table throughout the rest of semester." Maginness said. "We will also work on individual outreach times to start meeting with on-campus entities and student organizations to make sure they're getting the resources they need and really start doing more personal outreach."
"We want to be present be-
- Edited by Leah Sitz
Monday $3.00 Domestic Bottles
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Jumbo Wing Night!
$1.00 Jumbo Wings (4pm-close)
$3.50 Craft Cans
Wine and Dine! $5 bottle of house wine with purchase of large gourmet pizza
Thursday
Papa's Special:
Large Papa Minsky - $14.99
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