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The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today created of the SIU System Commitment, a system-wide initiative beginning fall 2021 that will cover tuition and mandatory fees for new four-year undergraduate students who have a family income of less than $63,575 and meet basic requirements.

SIU System President Dan Mahony said the program would fill the gap these students might have after other financial aid and scholarships have been applied.  The program will be available to new students at both the Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses.

The amount paid from the SIU System Commitment will not exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees, and will not cover other costs, such as housing, meals, course fees, books and supplies. It will apply to new, full-time undergraduates beginning in fall 2021 and will cover eight semesters of continuous enrollment. Participants must maintain satisfactory academic progress in order for the program to be renewed.

To be eligible, participants must have an annual family income less than $63,575 with assets less than $50,000 based on a submitted Free Application for Student AID (FAFSA). They must be an Illinois resident who attended an Illinois high school, apply for admission by the priority deadline of March 1 and enroll in a baccalaureate degree program.

 “From our Board of Trustees all the way through our system and campus leadership, this has been a priority, and it signals an important message we want to send to students and their families that the SIU campuses are doing all they can to make college available, especially for those who have the most challenging time paying for it,” said Mahony.

Mahony noted a 2017 report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) that found that students from lower income backgrounds could only afford 1 to 5 percent of the 2000 colleges included in the study.

“A student’s zip code or economic status should not prevent them from achieving their goal of obtaining a college degree,” Mahony said.

“I want to commend President Mahony, Chancellor Lane, Chancellor Pembrook and their enrollment management teams who have worked very hard to ensure we have this opportunity ready to offer prospective students and their parents as they begin looking at college choices,” said SIU System Board of Trustees Chair Phil Gilbert. “This is a great announcement coming on the heels of the important enrollment and retention gains our campuses made this fall. This is one more example why an SIU campus should be a top consideration for students across Illinois.”

“Higher Education changes lives, but access to higher education can be limited because of financial challenges,” said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook. “The SIU System Commitment program will provide that access and open doors for future SIUE students.  We are excited to be part of this transformational initiative.”

Another important item on the board’s agenda was the presentation of the annual Underrepresented Groups Report, which will become part of the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s (IBHE) annual report to the governor and General Assembly on the status and participation of underrepresented groups in higher education. Students identifying as African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Alaska Native, or an individual with a disability are covered in the report.

According to IBHE, the report examines trends, challenges and achievements regarding the status of post-secondary underrepresented student groups through data on student services and participation, including support programs that promote successful outcomes of underrepresented student groups provided by Illinois higher education institutions.

SIUE highlights of the SIU System report include:

• For the fall 2020 student cohort, the proportion of under-represented students is the highest in SIUE’s history.
• The Strategic Hiring Initiative was used to support a cluster hire of four Black female faculty and two Black male faculty in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior. This cluster represents 38% of the new faculty hires for fall 2020.
• Graduation rates of African American students are lower than those of their white peers; new Associate Dean of Students for Diversity and Inclusion and Social Justice Scholarship program are among the initiatives focused on improving this graduation rate.

“The Southern Illinois University campuses have a distinguished record of service to underrepresented groups and it takes a multiplicity of campus offices and dedicated employees to serve our students,” said Gireesh Gupchup, SIU System vice president for academic Innovation, planning, and partnership. “This report shows the extraordinary work of so many on our staff who contribute to the success of our great students.

“The information used in this report helps faculty and administrators better shape programs targeted at   underrepresented groups and provides our statewide policy makers with information to monitor our successes and challenges,” said Dr. Ed Hightower, Vice Chair of the SIU Board of Trustees.

Photo: SIU System President Dan Mahony.