On Sept. 19, the University of St. Thomas announced the largest-ever scholarship gift in the history of Minnesota. Numerous media outlets covered the news. From the Pioneer Press: The St. Paul-based Catholic university says a gift from the Schoeneckers Foundation will fund scholarships for 250 undergraduate students every year based on need. They expect the… The post In the News: University of St. Thomas Receives Minnesota’s Largest-Ever Monetary Gift for Scholarships appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
Close Financial Gaps for Students
St. Thomas will be a leader among peers in closing the affordability gap for students with financial need. Through robust scholarships and need-based aid, we will remove financial barriers to attending and succeeding at St. Thomas. This includes adjusting our financial aid model to meet more need, providing more donor-funded hardship scholarships for incoming and current students, and developing creative tuition and aid models that respond to increasing financial needs of students.
We also will address other financial barriers to holistic experiences such as study abroad, research and internship opportunities that otherwise might be unaffordable.
Related Themes
2025 Strategic Plan | Build Belonging and Promote Equity | Ensure Access, Achievement, and Outcomes for All | Lean In to Our Catholic Mission | Widen the Circle of Impact |
---|---|---|---|---|
Close Financial Gaps for Students | Priority | Priority | Priority | Priority |
See how the Themes and Priorities of the 2025 Strategic Plan interweave.
Measuring Progress
Success Metrics
- Increase the number of economically diverse students enrolled at St. Thomas.
- Increase the number of Minnesota State Grant-level eligible (including out of state) students from 30 percent to 35 percent of the First Time First Year (FTFY) class by 2025.
- Increase the total number of Pell-eligible students from 18 percent to 20 percent by 2025.
- Increase the percentage of financial need met at St. Thomas.
- Increase the percentage of the unmet financial need awarded to Minnesota State Grant-level (including out of state) students in the incoming (FYFT) class, from 75 percent to 85 percent by 2025.
- Increase the economic and racial diversity of students who study abroad so that the profile of those studying abroad is as diverse as the St. Thomas student body as a whole.
- Improve the overall first to second year (fall-to-fall) overall retention rate from 87 percent to 90 percent by 2025. Continually work to reduce the gap in retention rates for students of color, first-generation, out-of-state, low-income and commuter students through targeted intervention and by ensuring participation of all students in high-impact retention practices.
- Achieve five-year fundraising goal of $125 million for new scholarships and housing grants.
Progress Update, February 2022
The St. Thomas 2025 Strategic Plan debuted in February 2021. We continually track and report on our progress; here are key developments from the past year, as of February 2024:
We have a renewed focus on the importance of retention. Our goals are to: (1) improve the overall first to second year (fall-to-fall) overall retention rate from 87 percent to 90 percent by 2025; and (2) continually work to reduce the gap in retention rates for students of color, first-generation, out-of-state, low-income and commuter students through targeted intervention and by ensuring the participation of all students in high-impact retention practices.
We experienced a nearly 1 percentage point increase in overall fall-fall retention rates for the Fall 2022 cohort compared to the Fall 2021 cohort. Given the cohort's size, this resulted in nearly 150 more students being retained than the previous one. (Fall 2021 Cohort Fall-Fall Retention: 85.6%; Fall 2022 Cohort Fall-Fall Retention: 86.4%)
As we continue to work to identify ways to better support our St. Thomas students, it is critical that we understand who our students are. St. Thomas is currently completing its final year of the Student Success Academy through the Higher Learning Commission in which we have spent three years engaging in institutional inventories to understand our students and where our areas of opportunity are in terms of improving support. Our data inventory has revealed the upward trend of enrollment of first-generation, BIPOC and low-income students and the retention and graduation gaps that exist.
In January of 2023, a mapping exercise was conducted to determine the number of first-gen students served by existing programs, initiatives and resources. Efforts were implemented to increase the number of first-gen students served through our existing programs. In fall of 2023, 72% of our first-gen students were served with an existing program or high impact practice. This has resulted in a nearly 40 percentage point increase of intentionally supported first-gen students for the Fall 2023 cohort compared to the Fall 2022 cohort.
Key Leaders
- Omar Correa, Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management (Primary)
- Lisa Waldner, Associate Vice Provost for Student Achievement (equity in high-impact best practices)
- Tonia Jones Peterson, Director of Retention and Student Success (equity in high-impact best practices)
- Tim Lewis, Associate Vice Provost for Global Learning and Strategy (measuring equity in study abroad)
- Erik Thurman, Vice President, University Advancement (scholarships)
Success Metrics
Success Metrics
- Increase the number of economically diverse students enrolled at St. Thomas.
- Increase the number of Minnesota State Grant-level eligible (including out of state) students from 30 percent to 35 percent of the First Time First Year (FTFY) class by 2025.
- Increase the total number of Pell-eligible students from 18 percent to 20 percent by 2025.
- Increase the percentage of financial need met at St. Thomas.
- Increase the percentage of the unmet financial need awarded to Minnesota State Grant-level (including out of state) students in the incoming (FYFT) class, from 75 percent to 85 percent by 2025.
- Increase the economic and racial diversity of students who study abroad so that the profile of those studying abroad is as diverse as the St. Thomas student body as a whole.
- Improve the overall first to second year (fall-to-fall) overall retention rate from 87 percent to 90 percent by 2025. Continually work to reduce the gap in retention rates for students of color, first-generation, out-of-state, low-income and commuter students through targeted intervention and by ensuring participation of all students in high-impact retention practices.
- Achieve five-year fundraising goal of $125 million for new scholarships and housing grants.
Progress Update
Progress Update, February 2022
The St. Thomas 2025 Strategic Plan debuted in February 2021. We continually track and report on our progress; here are key developments from the past year, as of February 2024:
We have a renewed focus on the importance of retention. Our goals are to: (1) improve the overall first to second year (fall-to-fall) overall retention rate from 87 percent to 90 percent by 2025; and (2) continually work to reduce the gap in retention rates for students of color, first-generation, out-of-state, low-income and commuter students through targeted intervention and by ensuring the participation of all students in high-impact retention practices.
We experienced a nearly 1 percentage point increase in overall fall-fall retention rates for the Fall 2022 cohort compared to the Fall 2021 cohort. Given the cohort's size, this resulted in nearly 150 more students being retained than the previous one. (Fall 2021 Cohort Fall-Fall Retention: 85.6%; Fall 2022 Cohort Fall-Fall Retention: 86.4%)
As we continue to work to identify ways to better support our St. Thomas students, it is critical that we understand who our students are. St. Thomas is currently completing its final year of the Student Success Academy through the Higher Learning Commission in which we have spent three years engaging in institutional inventories to understand our students and where our areas of opportunity are in terms of improving support. Our data inventory has revealed the upward trend of enrollment of first-generation, BIPOC and low-income students and the retention and graduation gaps that exist.
In January of 2023, a mapping exercise was conducted to determine the number of first-gen students served by existing programs, initiatives and resources. Efforts were implemented to increase the number of first-gen students served through our existing programs. In fall of 2023, 72% of our first-gen students were served with an existing program or high impact practice. This has resulted in a nearly 40 percentage point increase of intentionally supported first-gen students for the Fall 2023 cohort compared to the Fall 2022 cohort.
Key Leaders
Key Leaders
- Omar Correa, Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management (Primary)
- Lisa Waldner, Associate Vice Provost for Student Achievement (equity in high-impact best practices)
- Tonia Jones Peterson, Director of Retention and Student Success (equity in high-impact best practices)
- Tim Lewis, Associate Vice Provost for Global Learning and Strategy (measuring equity in study abroad)
- Erik Thurman, Vice President, University Advancement (scholarships)
Related Stories from the Newsroom
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September 20, 2024
The upper quad was filled with excitement Sept. 19 as the University of St. Thomas revealed a monumental scholarship gift that will open the door to higher education for generations of future Tommies. At a special event on the St. Paul campus, President Rob Vischer and the Board of Trustees announced Minnesota’s largest-ever university scholarship… The post Sights and Sounds: Revealing the Schoeneckers Foundation’s Historic Gift appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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September 19, 2024
A historic gift from the Schoeneckers Foundation will create scholarship funding for 250 undergraduate students every year to Minnesota’s largest private university. The University of St. Thomas today announced the single largest monetary gift for scholarships ever given to a Minnesota university, thanks to the generosity of one of its longest-standing benefactors. The transformative gift… The post St. Thomas Celebrates Minnesota’s Largest-Ever University Scholarship Gift appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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July 23, 2024
Buffy Smith, dean of the University of St. Thomas Dougherty Family College, recently spoke with Forbes about intentionally addressing systemic barriers to success in higher education. From the story: According to Buffy Smith, dean of Dougherty Family College and a professor of sociology, “We work hard to intentionally address some of those structural barriers. (Our approach)… The post In the News: Dougherty Family College’s Model for Student Success Featured by Forbes appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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May 23, 2024
How to pay for tuition toward a bachelor’s degree is top of mind for many students. For Isabel Inga Dutan, a first-generation college student graduating with her associate degree from the Dougherty Family College in Minneapolis, she doesn’t have to stress. She’s one of 15 scholars from DFC’s 2024 class who is receiving a full-tuition… The post DFC Excellence Scholarship Sets 15 Recipients on Path Toward Bachelor’s Degrees appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.