1. Student Success from Admission to Graduation
LASA 2
William Posey
Argosy University

2.  The University of Florida Institute of Technology (UFIT)
has been having a freshman drop out rate that has been on
the rise for the past 5 years (2005-2010, increase went up 2%
annually…20%-28%). UFIT has vigorous math and science
courses and it’s understood that the freshmen are
struggling in those subject classes.
 UFIT is the most expensive public school in the country.
Seventy percent of the freshmen come in on a bright
future’s scholarship and you must maintain a 2.0 in your
core math and science classes at UFIT to maintain that
scholarship. Fifty percent of the freshmen enroll from out
of state and the cost to attend UFIT is $700 per credit hour.

3.  Contributing to the expensive cost is the technology at
UFIT. There is top of the world technology used at UFIT
and a lot of research is studied from this school. Every
professor teaches their classes and handles grades and
attendance with the latest technology. The main
communication with students outside office hours for
professors is electronic mail. UFIT professors conduct their
research with outside professors and researchers relying
heavily on state of the art telecommunications (satellites).
UFIT is very much the pilot school when it comes to
incorporating new technologies. The professors at UFIT are
the leading professors in their field. As UFIT’s reputation
grows, they can steadily increase the tuition; achieving a
degree from UFIT has a perceived value, higher than other
private institutions.

4.  Data from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed in 2000 that
one in three Americans drops out of college. This is an
increase from the 1960s when one in five discontinued his
or her studies (Martindale 2010). For some students,
getting accepted to a university is only the first in an uphill
battle toward a degree. Persevering long enough to
graduate can be just as challenging. The freshmen that earn
D’s and F’s the first semester lose their bright future’s
scholarship for their second semester and they have to
come up with the money by loans or by working. Some of
the students’ parents pull them out of the institute after
their first semester if they earn D’s and F’s due to the price
of tuition just alone. Also, 80% of the freshmen surveyed
after the first semester admitted to being homesick.

5.  Some studies indicate that a considerable proportion of
college dropouts come from low-income families
(Martindale 2010). Though research links financial
difficulties to dropout rates, [Martindale] states there are a
number of factors that account for why students decide to
leave school. Students tend to drop out because their
expectations of college—academically, socially, or both—
don’t match up with the reality once they get there. They
also suffer from lack of motivation, inadequate
preparation, and poor study skills. A support program is in
desperate need at UFIT and I believe APSSP is the answer.

6.  APSSP is a ‘scholarship support’ program that
targets low income, incoming 17-19 year old
freshmen and provides them with an opportunity
enhance their college success and experience. The
whole goal of the scholarship program for low
income, incoming 17 to 19 year old freshmen is to
give them enough support so they can become
persistent students and achieve success.

7.  APSSP is a UFIT grant funded program that pays
for coordinators, advisors, counselors, personal
tutors, the first year or first three semesters of
college, which includes books and tuition, the first
year or three semesters of on-campus housing, and
a monthly allowance in a student account card that
can be used for any clothing, retail or dining place
located on campus.

8.  In the monthly allowance, there will be specifically enough
money included to eat at least once a day in a dining hall on
campus, preferably the students choose the buffet style
dining halls. If the monthly allowance is not enough, the
freshmen can apply in writing for an increase. The
incoming freshmen will have to apply for this scholarship
program and their acceptance will be based on their high
school resume, including GPA, test scores, teacher
recommendations, household income and an essay that
explains why they would benefit from this particular
scholarship program.

9.  Race or gender is not a factor; the applicants will all be
looked at equally. The students will have to sign a contract
and will be held accountable with their grades and their
progress. The students will submit their grades to their
personal tutors and if needed the tutors will provide
assistance. The tutors will meet at least once a week with
their student and then provide feedback to the scholarship
coordinators and counselors. The counselors and
coordinators will work with the school academic and
guidance counselors and coordinators to support the
students entering this scholarship program.

10.  The students must attend all of the support programs
(campus orientations, study groups, etc) that the
scholarship program sees as critical to student
development. The scholarship program will work in
accordance with the directors or coordinators of all the
support programs to confirm the students’ attendance.

11.  For research, statistics and filing purposes, the scholarship
program will keep track of all student spending by
obtaining receipts from the monthly allowance card
transactions, transcripts from each semester, book fees and
tuition statements, letters of complaints and of need,
entrance essays, resumes, high school transcripts,
tutor/coordinator/counselor letters, attendance
documents. Our assessment of APSSP students will not
only consist of their academic progression but of their
social progression too.

12.  The personal tutors, coordinators, advisors and
counselors will have access to every grade and
syllabus of their student. During the student and
personal tutor meetings, the student will inform
the tutor what organizations or clubs they have
interest in and what other activities are keeping
them socially healthy. There will be a student
feedback form given to the tutors and coordinators
to see how effective the tutor was or how
ineffective they were and in what areas they can
improve in to become more effective.

13.  When the students leave APSSP and continue their
schooling at UFIT, we will request them to fill out
surveys on APSSP improvement. We will also ask
for volunteers to give out their contact information
just in case the incoming freshmen have more
questions about APSSP or UFIT and they can’t get
a hold of any of the counselors, tutors, advisors or
coordinators.

14.  Low income, incoming 17-19 year old
freshmen not only have to deal with financial
issues but developmental issues as well.
College is a setting where many students find
themselves or better realize who they are.
Transitioning from high school to college is
not only a challenge academically but it can be
a challenge emotionally, socially, financially
and even spiritually. All students progress or
mature at a different rate but the goal is to
make sure they have the support there when
needed.

15.  Institutions have opportunities to design
environments and activities that are
supportive of particular subpopulations, such
as first generation and low income students.
Since many students in this population tend
to be at greater risk for attrition, effective
programs may play a strategic role in an
institution’s overall retention strategy.
 [Students] from families in lower income
quartiles are far less likely than those in
higher income quartiles to earn a bachelor’s
degree by the age of 24. (Thayer 2000).

16.  90% Retention
 20% Recruitment
 70% Graduation

17.  The whole goal of the scholarship program for low income,
incoming 17 to 19 year old freshmen is to give them enough
support so they can become persistent students and
achieve success. With this there are positive retention,
graduation, and recruitment rates. Retention rates
commonly measure the percentage of freshmen that re-
enroll the next academic year as sophomores.
 The primary reason that retention rates, along with
graduation rates, are important is that retention rates are
perceived as indicators of academic quality and student
success. In addition to retention, persistence, a student’s
continuation behavior leading to a desired goal, helps
describe processes related to student goal achievement
(Arnold 1999).

18.  Our yearly budget is $100, 000
 Our personal tutors will make their income from
this allotted money. The counselors, advisors and
coordinators get their salaries and incentive pay
from UFIT. Only the personal tutors receive their
pay from the $100,000. The majority of the budget
is focused on the students.

19.  The scholarships pay the first year or first three
semesters of college, which includes books and
tuition, the first year or three semesters of on-
campus housing, and a monthly allowance in a
student account card that can be used for any
clothing, retail or dining place located on campus.
 In the monthly allowance, there will be specifically
enough money included to eat at least once a day
in a dining hall on campus; preferably the students
choose the buffet style dining halls.

20.  Part of the money that’s focused on the student goes
toward laptops and printers. Each year the coordinators
work with Best Buy and Apple Inc. to purchase laptops for
at least 40% off of the price. The two companies willingly
assist with the plan and appreciate helping a top rated
university and its incoming students.
 The laptops and printers are then brought to the attention
of the target group and whoever needs it buys it. With the
laptops the freshmen can have easier and quicker access to
their emails and support websites.