Five Ways We're Shrinking the Opportunity Gap for Talented Students

By Eric F. Spina, President, and Jason Reinoehl, Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management, University of Dayton

Colleges and universities are in a race for talent, a race the University of Dayton is determined to win.

Many colleges and universities have been slow to remove barriers to a high-quality college degree for talented, low- and moderate-income students. At the University of Dayton, we’re squarely focused on ensuring access for talented students no matter their ZIP code.  

We are very proudly a member of the American Talent Initiative (ATI), a collaborative of more than 100 high-graduation-rate colleges and universities who are working to graduate an additional 50,000 low- and middle-income students from our institutions by 2025. Launched two years ago with seed funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies and intellectual capital from the Aspen Institute and Ithaka S+R, the initiative is seeing early success as evidenced by an increase in enrollment of 7,291 Pell Grant-eligible students— or 3.5 percent — across partner universities and colleges, according to a December 2018 ATI report.

That progress report speaks well of our efforts, too. Last fall, the University of Dayton enrolled a record number of students from under-represented racial and ethnic populations, with more than 15 percent of the first-year class eligible for the federal Pell grant.

It’s too early to celebrate, though. Increasing socio-economic diversity is not an easy task, particularly for universities with modest endowments and tuition-dependent operating budgets. As fewer students comprise the traditional college-age pipeline and a greater share of those students are from first-generation college-going families or historically under-represented backgrounds, many colleges are wrestling with how to create a financially sustainable model for enrolling and graduating talented students.

We believe there is promise in an adaptive, diversified enrollment strategy that focuses on being true to our mission while also considering the financial sustainability of our institution’s operating model. As we navigate through higher education’s complex and competitive landscape, our model relies marginally less on recruiting the prototypical student fresh out of high school. Instead, we’re intent on increasing retention and graduation rates, boosting private support for scholarships for access, and building innovative new partnerships, particularly with community colleges. Some key components:

1. Transparency. Under our four-year “fixed net tuition plan,” which has received national acclaim, a student's scholarships and grants increase each year to offset any tuition increases. We've eliminated ALL FEES and given every student a $4,000 textbook scholarship and a $3,000 study-abroad scholarship. The result? Record retention and graduation rates — and no surprises for cost-conscious families, who are now borrowing 28 percent less than they were prior to this plan being instituted.

2. Accessibility. Our new "Flyer Promise" program, which aims to enroll 50 additional Pell-eligible students each year, removes financial barriers for high-achieving, highly motivated students from a thoughtfully identified set of partner high schools. Every student in the first cohort of Flyer Promise Scholars returned for the sophomore year, which affirms that there is no talent gap — only an opportunity gap. Private support for these types of scholarships is our highest fundraising priority as we expand access and opportunity for more talented students.  Donors are very excited about this and other similar programs.

3. Non-traditional pathways. The “UD Sinclair Academy,” now in its third year, is opening doors for students from various racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds, including many first-generation college students — at half the cost of a traditional four-year degree even before any financial awards are provided. For the first two years, students pay one of the lowest tuition rates in Ohio at one of the top community colleges in the nation, saving approximately $50,000. Once they earn their associate’s degrees, these students seamlessly embark on their junior year at the University of Dayton, with their net tuition at the rate in effect when they entered the Academy. And these students are UD *and* Sinclair Community College students from day one, as proven by current Academy students studying at Sinclair and also marching in our band or conducting research with a UD professor. Belonging matters!

4. Global partnerships. Two new partnerships are changing the face of the UD student body. Through a partnership with Shorelight Education, we launched “UDayton Global” and are attracting more international students from a growing number of countries. We’re also working with 2U to re-imagine and deliver digital education with a human touch in graduate degree programs in business, law and education to students anywhere in the country. Of the more than 400 students in the hybrid online MBA@Dayton program, 29 percent are from historically under-represented backgrounds. These students reflect the growing diversity of the market and of the workplace.

5. Diversified revenue streams. As one of the most highly residential comprehensive research universities in the country, the University of Dayton owns hundreds of homes in the neighborhoods surrounding campus — as well as townhouses, apartments and traditional residence halls. GE Aviation and Emerson have built research and innovation centers on campus. Revenue from campus housing, dining services and corporate partnerships gives the University of Dayton a diversified financial base that enables strategic investments in new initiatives intended to support lower- and middle-income students.

Some colleges and universities have determined that they cannot afford to enroll more first-generation or lower- and middle-income students because their financial aid budgets cannot sustain the necessary aid packages. But at Dayton we believe that it is possible to develop a sustainable financial model for enrolling these high-achieving students and providing them with the highest quality educational experience every year.

While we’re in the early stages of closing the opportunity gap, and we have much work to do, we believe we are on a promising path toward giving more talented students a real shot at achieving their dreams.

 (For more on the University of Dayton’s efforts, click here.)