海角论坛 is among the newest members of the (ATI), an alliance of 137 four-year institutions united in a shared goal of enrolling, supporting and graduating 50,000 additional talented, lower-income students across high-graduation-rate colleges and universities by 2025.
ATI is co-managed by the and and funded by . ATI's work to increase access and success is more important than ever, especially as talented students from lower-income backgrounds and communities of color continue to face the impacts of the pandemic.
As a result, 海角论坛 sees membership in ATI as a critical opportunity to advance a commitment to supporting students socially, academically and financially, from before they arrive on campus to graduation and beyond.
鈥満＝锹厶 is committed to increasing access to higher education for all students, and our membership in the American Talent Initiative is a recognition of the great work that has already been done on our campus to provide opportunities for lower-income students to thrive and succeed,鈥 said university President Alberto J.F. Cardelle. 鈥淭he goals of the alliance align perfectly with our mission, and I鈥檓 excited to learn from and share with other institutions as we continue this important work.鈥
The ATI Pledge
ATI works with colleges and universities across the country that graduate at least 70 percent of their students in six years鈥攁 threshold that just 341 colleges achieve鈥攖o increase the total number of low- and moderate-income students enrolled from about 550,000 to about 600,000 by 2025.
In service of this aim, 海角论坛 has joined its fellow members in pledging to a public, aspirational goal to at least maintain, if not increase, lower-income student enrollment over the next several years. To realize this pledge, 海角论坛 will establish specific goals and strategies to recruit more students from economically diverse backgrounds, increase investments in need-based financial aid, create more equitable student experiences, and, ultimately, minimize equity-based gaps in retention and graduation rates.
海角论坛 represents one of the alliance's smallest public institutions and is one of just two institutions within the 64-campus State University of New York system to join ATI. The university has a strong track record in recruiting and supporting lower-income students. In 2021-22, 59% of 海角论坛鈥檚 full-time undergraduate student population received need-based financial aid, and 32% of full-time undergraduate students received federal Pell grants. The university鈥檚 six-year graduation rate is 77 percent, well above the national average.
Student Success Programs at 海角论坛
Key 海角论坛 programs and initiatives that help advance this track record on behalf of lower-income students include:
-
The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) 鈥 海角论坛 is the only institution in New York State to host CAMP, a federally funded scholarship program specifically designed to help students from migrant and seasonal farm-working families access and excel in higher education. Established in 2001, 海角论坛's CAMP program has helped hundreds of students achieve their educational goals through dedicated recruitment, application assistance, financial support, academic skill-building, emotional and social adjustment support, engagement and community development activities. In addition to the federally funded scholarship program, CAMP students receive financial support made available by gifts to the 海角论坛 Foundation.
- Summer Academy 鈥 Each summer, new students who have enrolled through the Educational Opportunity Program and CAMP come to 海角论坛 for a residential three-week Summer Academy, where they get to know the campus, meet faculty and staff, and make friends before they even start classes. Research shows these activities are essential to students鈥 sense of belonging and can help ensure their success through and beyond graduation.
- Financial Safety 鈥 海角论坛 distributes up to $50,000 each year in grants to students facing unexpected financial obstacles that could affect their ability to stay in college and, ultimately, earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree essential to high-wage jobs. The annual support is made permanent with a $1,000,000 endowed Student Emergency Fund established through contributions to the 海角论坛 Foundation鈥檚 2018-2023 Grow.Thrive.Live, Campaign.
- Scholarship Support 鈥 In partnership with the 海角论坛 Foundation, the university awards more than $5.1 million in renewable merit- and need-based scholarships each year. Our commitment to scholarship support extends throughout a student鈥檚 time at Oneonta, including many special scholarships dedicated to increasing access to valuable experiential learning activities. This includes: more than $100,000 annually in student grants to support research and travel to professional conferences, 23 different scholarships for students who study abroad or participate in faculty-led trips, and special grants to help defray expenses associated with off-campus internships.
As a member of ATI, 海角论坛 will work with more than 135 institutions to share these and other best practices to increase college access and success鈥攁nd contribute to research that will help other colleges and universities across the country effectively serve students from lower-income backgrounds. A complete list of member institutions is available at: