BSU's Project Compass Community of Practice (COP) has
gathered data starting with the cohort of first-time, full-time students who
entered in the fall of 2004 to inform their efforts to better serve students of
color, low-income students, and first-generation college students of the
university.
The COP decided to follow the federal standard in looking at first-generation
college students (i.e., neither parent received a four-year degree). Low-income
students are recognized as those eligible for federal Pell grants. Finally,
students of color (SOC) include those students who identify as being Hispanic or
Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Cape
Verdean, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or two or more races.
| COHORT | TOTAL FIRST-TIME FULL-TIME | % LOW-INCOME | % STUDENTS OF COLOR | % FIRST-GENERATION |
| FALL 2004 | 1266 | 18.5% | 9.6% | - |
| FALL 2005 | 1314 | 15.5% | 10.6% | - |
| FALL 2006 | 1321 | 19.1% | 11.7% | - |
| FALL 2007 | 1551 | 21.3% | 10.8% | - |
| FALL 2008 | 1464 | 22.1% | 11.1% | 56.7% |
| FALL 2009 | 1453 | 23.7% | 13.2% | 51.1% |
▪ Low-income student group for fall 2009 is preliminary (it will be finalized once the 2009/2010 award year is closed out)
▪ Data on first-generation college students was not available before the fall 2008 cohort year
▪ Non-resident aliens (international students) were excluded when calculating percentages