Creating a genuinely successful higher education experience requires a holistic approach—one that ensures that students have access to financial support, secure sources of housing and food, mental health support, and connections that catalyze their social mobility.
UC Santa Cruz’s Student Success Initiative increases financial support for undergraduate and graduate students. It provides access to the guidance and experiences fundamental to their education and successful careers as UCSC alumni.
The Student Success Initiative has three overarching priorities:
Reducing Financial Barriers
The cost of higher education should not be a barrier or cause of distress for any student. We believe that all students should have access to the full range of educational and research experiences that amplify professional and social capital. We’re creating educational equity and building generational potential by providing financial support for students—through scholarships for undergraduate students and graduate student fellowships—to help cover their educational costs and research opportunities.
Undergraduate scholarships help replace the student loan portions of the financial aid package, which many students meet by working multiple jobs. This critical financial support allows students to better focus on their studies, encourages retention, and may reduce time to graduation.
Graduate fellowships and summer stipends give graduate students the freedom to focus on their research and studies rather than taking unrelated work just to make ends meet, which allows more time for creativity, collaboration, and innovative ideas. This financial support can help reduce time to degree, which may cut down overall student cost and potential future debt.
Navigating University Life
Navigating the complexities of university life can feel daunting and overwhelming, particularly for students from less-resourced backgrounds. We seek to provide a roadmap for students to help guide them through their college experience. We’ll increase access to vital programs—through resource centers, mentor networks, and social and emotional support services—that give students a sense of confidence and direction and maximize students’ social capital. These programs will be developed to scale —maximizing impact on student satisfaction, retention and graduation rates, research skills, professional and career development, and future success.
Beyond the Classroom
Some of the most remarkable aspects of a UC Santa Cruz education happen outside of the traditional classroom. UC Santa Cruz is known for its holistic approach to learning that encourages students to embrace life-changing experiences and provides them with a well-rounded educational background. UC Santa Cruz will expand its experiential learning and co-curricular opportunities and seek funding to expand paid community and campus internships and research programs.
Experiential learning opportunities—including paid internships as well as more comprehensive programs like the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program—provide students with life-changing experiences, social capital, and a well-rounded educational background. These vital learning experiences that occur beyond the classroom help students develop work and life skills, as well as explore career possibilities.
Philanthropic support will help to scale the number of opportunities available to students and deepen their community impact.