American Talent Initiative

Mason one of 28 schools leading the way by admitting and graduating low-income, high-achieving students

Colleen Rich — Fri, 26 May 2023 17:03:38 +0000

Mason one of 28 schools leading the way by admitting and graduating low-income, high-achieving students Colleen Rich Fri, 05/26/2023 - 13:03

��ӽ紫ý has earned the American Talent Initiative (ATI) High-Flier distinction as one of 28 colleges or universities that provide “transformative leadership in college access and success for lower-income students, serving as a model for colleges and universities across the country.”

Mason graduates at Spring Commencement 2023. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Mason is the only Virginia university to receive the honor, announced Tuesday by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Among the criteria were Mason serving students who receive Pell Grants and innovative recruitment, enrollment and retention practices that ATI will highlight to other four-year colleges and universities.

About 29% of Mason students qualify for federal Pell Grants because of financial need. The press release about the High-Flier recognition notes that since joining the ATI in 2019, Mason has “maintained one of the highest Pell shares among its 137 peers.”

“We share the urgency of ATI’s mission to prioritize access and outcomes,” Mason President Gregory Washington said. “We must provide opportunities for students of all backgrounds and then work with them so they graduate poised for success. It’s not just about getting them in, it’s about getting them out.”

The 28 high-flier universities include institutions of varying sizes, among them Princeton, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, the University of Michigan and the University of Texas.

The ADVANCE partnership with Northern Virginia Community College, the Mason Virginia Promise (and MVP Grant), and the Early Identification Program are among Mason initiatives that support enrolling and graduating students from low-income families and closing equity-based retention and graduation disparities.

“��ӽ紫ý has worked hard to achieve these outcomes for students, and we are launching new programs to enhance these efforts, such as Direct Admission, where we partner with area high schools to offer admission to qualified students without a formal application,” said David Burge, Mason vice president for enrollment management. “The High-Flier recognition from ATI is further validation that Mason is a bridge of opportunity that connects potential with academic and career success.”

In 2021, ATI cited Mason for growing its number of Pell Grant-receiving students by the fifth-largest total in the country over a five-year period. ATI is a partnership among Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program and Ithaka S+R.

"The economic fallout from the pandemic has made it even more important for schools across the country to adopt innovative new ways to attract and retain students from under-represented backgrounds," said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City, in the High-Flier press release.

“I applaud ATI's 28 High-Fliers for leading the way in this work and increasing the diversity of their campuses,” Bloomberg continued. “We hope their efforts serve as an example for other schools that are committed to creating opportunity for more lower-income students, so we can accelerate national progress on this critical challenge.”

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Increased Pell Grant student enrollment exemplifies Mason’s commitment to access

Colleen Rich — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 18:12:09 +0000

Increased Pell Grant student enrollment exemplifies Mason’s commitment to access Colleen Rich Wed, 07/07/2021 - 14:12

��ӽ紫ý grew its number of Pell Grant-receiving students by the fifth-largest total in the country over the past five years, the American Talent Initiative announced last week in a progress report that tracks enrollment of lower-income students at the ATI’s 130 member institutions.

Between Fall 2015 and Fall 2019, Mason increased Pell enrollment by 1,303 students. Mason also was one of only 31 ATI institutions to increase its number of Pell recipients in Fall 2020 amid the pandemic. Pell Grants support students in exceptional financial need.

“Expanding opportunity for students from underserved communities is fundamental to ��ӽ紫ý’s mission as the largest and most diverse university in Virginia,” Mason President Gregory Washington said. “We are successfully identifying and developing talent and in turn boosting the economic mobility of our graduates to the great benefit of our region and state workforce.”

The report from the ATI, a group of four-year colleges and universities with six-year graduation rates of 70% or higher who have committed to advancing equity in college enrollment, noted that Mason, the University of California–Merced, the University of Michigan, the University of Illinois, and the University of California–San Diego each increased their Pell enrollments by 1,300 to 1,500 students between 2015 and 2019. The sixth university on the list enrolled fewer than 900 additional Pell-eligible students.

The ATI, formed in 2016, set a goal to enroll an additional 50,000 lower-income students by 2025. COVID-era declines, however, have nearly returned Pell enrollment among ATI members to 2015-16 levels, the report states. Mason is an exception. According to university figures, Pell students grew to 7,825 in Fall 2020 from 7,633 in Fall 2019.

“Mason has long served students largely blocked out of other institutions of higher learning—whether through ultra-selective admission standards or prohibitive costs,” said David Burge, Mason vice president for enrollment management. “These students are welcomed here and are incredibly successful.”

The ATI previously recognized Mason for its transfer pipeline closing equity gaps in degree attainment. This latest recognition highlights Mason’s role as a state leader in access to higher education for lower-income students. According to Fall 2019 data from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, 31.8% of Mason’s undergraduates received Pell Grants, which is more than the state average of 26.6% for public four-year institutions. It is also more than double the percentage of Pell-eligible undergraduates at William & Mary (12.4%), the University of Virginia (13.9%), Virginia Tech (14.7%) and James Madison University (14.7%).

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Mason lauded for programs that make transferring easier, more accessible for students

Colleen Rich — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 20:00:44 +0000

Mason lauded for programs that make transferring easier, more accessible for students Colleen Rich Wed, 02/19/2020 - 15:00

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