Sarah Platt was out of financial aid, out of scholarships and out of time. She was ready to give up and drop out — again. That is, until one email changed everything.
Platt, a senior in history teaching, was the recipient of the U Futures Scholarship, offered by the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office for students close to graduation but low on money. It’s just one of the many efforts the U is making to boost graduation rates. Currently, the U has a six-year graduation rate of 64 percent, which is higher than the national average of 60.5 percent at other public universities. That number has been on the rise recently, jumping nine points in just five years.
“It’s something very few schools have done,” said Mike Martineau, director of Institutional Analysis. “To move a graduation rate is very difficult.”
So what has made the difference? Martha Bradley, dean of undergraduate studies, attributes it to another statistic: first-year retention rates. The U, at 88 percent, is also above the national average of about 72 percent. That means almost 90 percent of freshmen students return to the U for a second year of college.
The change, driven by President Pershing, came from focusing on improvements in four areas that help students successfully reach graduation: learning communities and cohorts during freshman year, as well as advising and mentoring, financial aid and engaged learning experiences throughout all years.
The Learning, Engagement, Achievement and Progress program, or LEAP, places freshmen in learning groups that focus on critical reading, thinking and writing skills. The cohorts fulfill general education requirements while providing student and faculty support during the first year. Sixty-six percent of first year students are involved in one of those learning communities.
Students can also participate in BlockU, where they can choose a core theme and complete general requirements with a group of similarly-minded students.
The two programs tackle problems many incoming freshman have, such as what major to choose and how to deal with a more rigorous schedule. All of which were problems Sarah Platt faced.
Platt’s college story began with her decision to take a year off after high school graduation.
“That year turned into many years off,” she said.
In 2000, she enrolled at a community college part-time, but wasted some of her credits because she did not know what she wanted to study. After several years of on-and-off school, she graduated with her associate’s degree and transferred to the U in 2010.
Her financial aid began to run dry as she took classes and balanced her family life. At first, she did not qualify for many scholarships or grants, but then she received help from the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.
“I was very happy and surprised when I received the U Futures scholarship,” she said. “It’s a small amount of money, but it’s that much less that I have to pay out of my pocket.”
She received $500 for each semester until she graduates. U Futures scholarships range from $500 to $3,000, based on need.
Sixteen years after she started, Platt will complete her college degree. Her biggest advice to graduating high school seniors is to never take a year off.
“Just jump right in,” she said.
When tuition, fees and books are expensive and students cannot decide on a major, it can be tempting to take some time off. But Platt believes it is better to stick with school.
Bradley said they are trying to increase the amount of scholarships available to students to help raise first-year retention rates to 90 percent — the U’s current goal. As far as graduation rates go, Bradley said most students do finish, but the U is trying to help students graduate in less time.
“There is persistence among the Utah population. Students keep going,” she said. “Our demographics are so different from our peers in the Pac-12.”
Many Utah students are married while in school and one in four of those will have had at least one child.
“Somewhere in their junior or senior year, many of their lives are becoming more complicated,” Bradley said. “They have to work more hours and balance the demands of work and home with continuing in their education. We don’t give up on them.”
While there are many resources to help students persist until graduation, there are still some who get caught up in the whirlwind of fees.
Javier Chavarin was a typical student. He finished high school, went straight to college and tried to find a major to fit his career goals. His first two semesters at the U went smoothly, but then tuition rates increased, as did a need to help his family financially.
“As the years kept going by, tuition got higher and each year I had to work more and more,” he said. “The more I worked, the worse I did in school.”
He applied for 15 to 20 scholarships and received nothing. He reached out to the U’s Counseling Center and came back even more discouraged. He still has a goal of graduating, but he is now working full-time to pay for school.
“I would say my situation is similar or even exact to many students,” Chavarin said.
While the many freshman programs help students once they get here, Mary Parker, associate vice president of enrollment management, believes the U has to look even earlier to boost graduation and retention rates.
“That starts in the very beginning with who we recruit, who we admit,” Parker said. “Being able to look at the whole picture of a student to determine, ‘can these individuals be successful at the U?’”
This means a more holistic application process looking not just at ACT scores and GPA, but considering the student’s high school, what courses were available and what the student was dealing with throughout his or her early education. The U is taking this information into account for the first time.
“Once that student has been admitted, it is our goal at the institution to engage them and provide tremendous learning experiences inside and outside the classroom,” Parker said.
Parker also knows cost is an issue, which is why she is working with various colleges and departments so that more federal, state and institutional aid can be given to those who need it.
“That would give students what they need to be able to come to the U and achieve their education,” she said.
@carolyn_webber