2016 SONS Freshmen - Part 2: Background & Personal Characteristics

Concern about Cost & Food Security

How concerned are you about paying for your undergraduate education NEXT YEAR? (Next year is defined as Fall 2017 and Spring 2018.)

Response	Number	Percent
Not concerned	672	31%
Somewhat concerned	668	31%
Concerned	389	18%
Very concerned	419	20%

Which of the following have you done in the past year or do you plan to do this year to meet anticipated college expenses?

	Selected
Applied for financial aid (including work-study)	929
Applied for financial aid (including work-study)	43%
Asked financial aid office to reevaluate my application	221
Asked financial aid office to reevaluate my application	10%
Plan to buy fewer books than required, buy cheaper used books, borrow/read books on reserve, rent books	1302
	60%
Will take more courses per term to complete on-time or early	517
	24%
Will take fewer courses so I can work for pay	83
Will take fewer courses so I can work for pay	4%
Will accept AP or similar credit instead of taking the course	1028
	47%
Will take or have taken a community college course because community college courses are cheaper	337
	16%
Will take or have taken an online course because online courses are cheaper	138
	6%
Worked for pay to save for college	565
Worked for pay to save for college	26%
Plan to work for pay at least my first year	478
Plan to work for pay at least my first year	22%
Requested a triple (3-person room) to save money	804
Requested a triple (3-person room) to save money	37%
Will live at home to reduce expenses	73
Will live at home to reduce expenses	3%
Don't expect cost to be a significant problem	695
Don't expect cost to be a significant problem	32%
Applied for outside scholarships/grants	1127
Applied for outside scholarships/grants	52%
Other (please specify) *[Contact OPA for more information]*	55
	3%

Have you heard about the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, which ensures that scholarships and grants will cover fees for U.S. students from families making less than $80,000 a year, with financial need?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	725	34%
No	1413	66%

Have you heard about the UC Berkeley Middle Class Access Plan (MCAP), a new financial aid program available to families in the $80,000 - $150,000 annual income range?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	645	30%
No	1489	70%

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement: Given the grants and scholarships, if any, that you receive, the total cost of attending UC Berkeley is manageable.

Response	Number	Percent
Strongly disagree	163	8%
Disagree	166	8%
Somewhat disagree	332	16%
Somewhat agree	683	32%
Agree	593	28%
Strongly agree	198	9%

Since you have come to UC Berkeley, have you encountered a situation where lack of financial resources kept you from having basic student necessities (housing, food, books, healthcare, etc.)?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	243	11%
No	1895	89%

Please select from the following list all basics you have foregone as a result of finances.

	Selected
Housing	34
Housing	14%
Food	147
Food	61%
Books	162
Books	67%
Health care	66
Health care	27%
Other (Please explain) *[Contact OPA for more information]*	16
	7%

For the following statements, please indicate whether the statement was often true, sometimes true, or never true for you in the 12 months before coming to UC Berkeley.

	Often true	Sometimes true	Never true
The food that I bought just didn't last, and I didn't have money to get more.	54	263	1802
	3%	12%	85%
I couldn't afford to eat balanced meals.	68	272	1769
I couldn't afford to eat balanced meals.	3%	13%	84%

In the 12 months before coming to UC Berkeley, did you ever cut the size of your meals or skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1895	89%
Yes, almost every month	67	3%
Yes, some months, but not every month	86	4%
Yes, only 1 or 2 months	75	4%

In the 12 months before coming to UC Berkeley, did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn't enough money for food?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1860	88%
Yes	260	12%

In the 12 months before coming to UC Berkeley, were you ever hungry but didn't eat because there wasn't enough money for food?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1912	90%
Yes	203	10%

Is there anything else that you would like to tell us about the impact of the cost to attend on your educational experience at UC Berkeley?

[Contact OPA for more information]

Family & Culture

When did you come to the United States to live?

Response	Number	Percent
I was born in the U.S.	1526	73%
1996 or earlier	7	0%
1997	11	1%
1998	54	3%
1999	34	2%
2000	59	3%
2001	41	2%
2002	31	2%
2003	15	1%
2004	17	1%
2005	17	1%
2006	13	1%
2007	13	1%
2008	11	1%
2009	6	0%
2010	17	1%
2011	2	0%
2012	22	1%
2013	18	1%
2014	6	0%
2015 or later	185	9%

When did you learn to speak English?

Response	Number	Percent
English is my native language	1345	64%
Before I was 6 years old	529	25%
When I was 6-10 years old	186	9%
When I was 11-15 years old	45	2%
After turning 16 years old	11	1%

To the best of your knowledge, where were your parents born?

	In the U.S.	Outside the U.S.	Do not know	N/A
Parent/Guardian 1	668	1441	2	0
Parent/Guardian 1	32%	68%	0%	0%
Parent/Guardian 2	622	1462	8	0
Parent/Guardian 2	30%	70%	0%	0%

To the best of your knowledge, how many of your grandparents were born outside of the United States?

Response	Number	Percent
Zero	359	17%
One	104	5%
Two	211	10%
Three	53	3%
Four	1390	66%

Which of the following best describes your social class when you were growing up?

Response	Number	Percent
Wealthy	88	4%
Upper-middle or professional-middle	858	41%
Middle-class	727	34%
Working-class	226	11%
Low-income or poor	216	10%

Are you a financially independent student?
Some students have no contact with their parents, and therefore cannot use their tax information for filing the FAFSA. If you find yourself in this situation and have been formally declared an independent student, then please answer yes.

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	78	4%
No	2033	96%

To the best of your knowledge, which category includes the total annual combined income of your parent(s) before taxes in 2015?

Response	Number	Percent
Less than $10,000	64	3%
$10,000 to $19,999	96	5%
$20,000 to $34,999	136	7%
$35,000 to $49,999	113	6%
$50,000 to $64,999	109	6%
$65,000 to $79,999	95	5%
$80,000 to $99,999	132	7%
$100,000 to $124,999	222	12%
$125,000 to $149,999	185	10%
$150,000 to $199,999	266	14%
$200,000 to $499,000	405	21%
$500,000 or more	79	4%

To the best of your knowledge, which category includes your household's total annual combined income before taxes in 2015?

Response	Number	Percent
Less than $10,000	13	19%
$10,000 to $19,999	4	6%
$20,000 to $34,999	8	11%
$35,000 to $49,999	4	6%
$50,000 to $64,999	7	10%
$65,000 to $79,999	1	1%
$80,000 to $99,999	4	6%
$100,000 to $124,999	7	10%
$125,000 to $149,999	4	6%
$150,000 to $199,999	2	3%
$200,000 to $499,999	13	19%
$500,000 or more	3	4%

What is your religious/spiritual preference?

Response	Number	Percent
Spiritual but not associated with a major religion	204	10%
Not particularly spiritual	286	14%
No preference	256	13%
Agnostic	235	11%
Atheist	276	13%
Baptist	32	2%
Buddhist	34	2%
Christian Church (Disciples)	103	5%
Eastern Orthodox	11	1%
Episcopalian	7	0%
Hindu	100	5%
Jewish	54	3%
Lutheran	9	0%
Methodist	10	1%
Mormon	10	1%
Muslim	35	2%
Presbyterian	53	3%
Roman Catholic	195	10%
Seventh Day Adventist	4	0%
Sikh	14	1%
Taoist	2	0%
Unitarian/Universalist	2	0%
United Church of Christ/Congregational	5	0%
Other Christian	93	5%
Other Religion	25	1%

With which gender do you identify?

Response	Number	Percent
Male	974	46%
Female	1091	52%
Trans Male/Trans Man	5	0%
Trans Female/Trans Woman	2	0%
Genderqueer/Gender Non-Conforming	26	1%
Different identity	2	0%

Do you consider yourself to be:

Response	Number	Percent
Heterosexual or straight	1816	87%
Gay or lesbian	65	3%
Bisexual	107	5%
Questioning/Unsure	61	3%
Not listed above, please specify *[Contact OPA for more information]*	32	2%

How would you characterize your political orientation?

Response	Number	Percent
Very liberal	207	10%
Liberal	767	37%
Slightly liberal	430	21%
Moderate or middle of the road	403	20%
Slightly conservative	120	6%
Conservative	70	3%
Very conservative	15	1%
Other, please elaborate *[Contact OPA for more information]*	55	3%

Living Conditions

Where are you living this term?

Response	Number	Percent
Clark Kerr Campus	259	12%
Foothill	306	15%
Bowles	29	1%
Stern	82	4%
Unit 1	486	23%
Unit 2 (excluding Wada Apartments)	431	21%
Unit 3 (including Beverly Cleary Hall)	434	21%
Channing-Bowditch Apartments	2	0%
Martinez Commons	5	0%
University Village Albany (family housing)	1	0%
Wada Apartments	2	0%
New Sequoia or Garden Village Apartments	0	0%
Mills College or Holy Names University	0	0%
Living with family	19	1%
Sorority or fraternity	0	0%
Co-op Housing	1	0%
Living off-campus in a house or apartment	37	2%
I have not (yet) found housing	2	0%
Other *[Contact OPA for more information]*	4	0%

How far from campus are you living this term?

Response	Number	Percent
On campus or less than 1 mile	1764	85%
1 mile to 2 miles	259	12%
3 miles to 10 miles	38	2%
11 miles to 20 miles	13	1%
21 miles or more	13	1%

Do you have a UC Berkeley Meal Plan for this semester?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes - Not sure which plan	41	2%
Yes - Standard Plan (included in housing, 10-12 meals/wk.)	1446	69%
Yes - Premium Plan (included in housing + $350/yr, 12-16 meals/wk.)	414	20%
Yes - Ultimate Plan (included in housing + $750/yr, 19+ meals/wk.)	113	5%
Yes - Non-Resident BLUE (5-6 meals/wk.)	5	0%
Yes - Non-Resident GOLD (7-8 meals/wk.)	2	0%
Yes - Non-Resident PLATINUM (9-11 meals/wk.)	4	0%
No	76	4%

With whom are you living this term?

Response	Number	Percent
No one. I live alone	24	1%
I share an apartment or dorm room with at least one other UC Berkeley student	1989	96%
I share an apartment with peers who are not UC Berkeley students	13	1%
I live with my spouse or domestic partner (with or without others)	3	0%
I live with at least one parent	30	1%
Other *[Contact OPA for more information]*	22	1%

What is the composition of your residence hall or household while attending UC Berkeley this term?

	0 (Zero)	1	2	3	4	5 or more
College students or other adults (count yourself as 1)	-	64	307	715	89	896
College students or other adults (count yourself as 1)	-	3%	15%	35%	4%	43%
Children or teenagers under the age of 18 (do NOT count yourself as 1)	1527	159	86	43	27	121
	78%	8%	4%	2%	1%	6%

Since the beginning of this semester, have you ever been homeless? (Homeless means not having stable or reliable housing, e.g., living on the street, in vehicles, motels, camp grounds, single-occupancy facilities, or couch surfing in other people's homes for temporary sleeping arrangements)

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	22	1%
No	2071	99%

Are you a parent or legal guardian?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1817	87%
Yes	278	13%

IF YES:
How many children or dependents do you care for?

Response	Number	Percent
None	18	82%
1	1	5%
2	1	5%
3	1	5%
4	0	0%
5 or more	1	5%

How many of your dependents are under the age of 18?

Response	Number	Percent
None	20	87%
1	0	0%
2	1	4%
3	0	0%
4	1	4%
5 or more	1	4%

Challenge & Well-Being

During your first year at UC Berkeley, how often do you expect each of the following to be obstacles to your school work or academic success?

	Not at all	Rarely	Occasionally	Frequently	All the time
Job responsibilities (e.g., paid employment)	946	429	450	173	41
Job responsibilities (e.g., paid employment)	46%	21%	22%	9%	2%
Family responsibilities	731	654	481	127	47
Family responsibilities	36%	32%	24%	6%	2%
Other responsibilities (e.g., athletics, clubs, internship)	293	335	792	492	123
	14%	17%	39%	24%	6%
Weak English skills	1525	277	142	62	29
Weak English skills	75%	14%	7%	3%	1%
Weak writing skills	1154	440	295	105	42
Weak writing skills	57%	22%	15%	5%	2%
Weak math skills	1123	439	305	103	65
Weak math skills	55%	22%	15%	5%	3%
Inadequate study skills (e.g., knowing how to start, knowing how to get help, organizing material)	673	556	565	182	68
	33%	27%	28%	9%	3%
Poor study behaviors (e.g., wait until the last minute, too much social time, too much web surfing)	459	476	692	289	126
	23%	23%	34%	14%	6%
Poor study environment (e.g., noisy roommate, poor Internet access, inadequate computer or software)	583	659	577	153	69
	29%	32%	28%	8%	3%
Feeling depressed, stressed, or upset	462	520	639	310	113
Feeling depressed, stressed, or upset	23%	25%	31%	15%	6%
Physical illness or condition	870	765	309	66	23
Physical illness or condition	43%	38%	15%	3%	1%
Military deployment	1840	123	56	11	11
Military deployment	90%	6%	3%	1%	1%
Going hungry, not having enough food	1573	274	151	28	12
Going hungry, not having enough food	77%	13%	7%	1%	1%
Inconsistent access to housing, or homelessness	1825	122	64	17	8
Inconsistent access to housing, or homelessness	90%	6%	3%	1%	0%
Inability to concentrate on my work	646	576	561	188	68
Inability to concentrate on my work	32%	28%	28%	9%	3%
Reluctance to ask for academic help when I need it	625	641	529	181	63
Reluctance to ask for academic help when I need it	31%	31%	26%	9%	3%

In general, I consider myself:

Response	Number	Percent
(1) not a very happy person	31	2%
(2)	76	4%
(3)	156	8%
(4)	335	16%
(5)	624	30%
(6)	613	30%
(7) a very happy person	220	11%

In the past 3 months, compared to most of my peers, I consider myself:

Response	Number	Percent
(1) less happy	80	4%
(2)	146	7%
(3)	264	13%
(4)	454	22%
(5)	530	26%
(6)	382	19%
(7) more happy	194	10%

Whom can you really count on to help you feel better when you are feeling upset?

	Selected
Friends nearby	1497
Friends nearby	71%
Friends who are not nearby (e.g., home or high school friends)	1481
	70%
Boyfriend or girlfriend, partner, spouse or significant other	446
	21%
Teachers, coaches	301
Teachers, coaches	14%
Parents, guardians	1410
Parents, guardians	67%
Siblings	1078
Siblings	51%
Other family	423
Other family	20%
Clergy	50
Clergy	2%
Counselors, therapists	186
Counselors, therapists	9%
UCB student services support staff (counselor, advisor, etc.)	187
	9%
No one (else) / myself only	83
No one (else) / myself only	4%
Other (please specify) *[Contact OPA for more information]*	38
	2%

In general, how satisfied are you with how available these people are to you?

Response	Number	Percent
Very dissatisfied	63	3%
Fairly dissatisfied	93	5%
A little dissatisfied	145	7%
A little satisfied	224	11%
Fairly satisfied	809	41%
Very satisfied	631	32%

Overall, how satisfied are you with the support that you have?

Response	Number	Percent
Very dissatisfied	63	3%
Fairly dissatisfied	89	4%
A little dissatisfied	122	6%
A little satisfied	276	14%
Fairly satisfied	820	40%
Very satisfied	670	33%

Do you know that all UC Berkeley students are eligible for up to 5 free counseling visits at Tang Center-University Health Services regardless of whether they have UC Berkeley SHIP (Student Health Insurance Plan)?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	1320	64%
No	734	36%