Part 2: Background – 2017 Survey of New Students (SONS), Transfer Students

Concern about Cost & Food Security

How concerned are you about paying for your undergraduate education NEXT YEAR? (Next year is defined as Fall 2018 and Spring 2019.)

Response	Number	Percent
Not concerned	241	17%
Somewhat concerned	467	32%
Concerned	298	20%
Very concerned	458	31%

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)	837
Applied for financial aid (including work-study)	55%
Asked financial aid office to reevaluate my application	268
Asked financial aid office to reevaluate my application	18%
Plan to buy fewer books than required, buy cheaper used books, borrow/read books on reserve, rent books	764
	50%
Will take more courses per term to complete on-time or early	396
	26%
Will take fewer courses so I can work for pay	132
Will take fewer courses so I can work for pay	9%
Will accept AP or similar credit instead of taking the course	172
	11%
Will take or have taken a community college course because community college courses are cheaper	537
	35%
Will take or have taken an online course because online courses are cheaper	128
	8%
Worked for pay to save for college	554
Worked for pay to save for college	37%
Plan to work for pay at least my first year	405
Plan to work for pay at least my first year	27%
Requested a triple (3-person room) to save money	162
Requested a triple (3-person room) to save money	11%
Will live at home to reduce expenses	194
Will live at home to reduce expenses	13%
Don't expect cost to be a significant problem	248
Don't expect cost to be a significant problem	16%
Applied for outside scholarships/grands	620
Applied for outside scholarships/grands	41%
Other (please specify) *[Contact OPA for more information]*	56
	4%

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	608	42%
No	849	58%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	522	36%
No	932	64%

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	133	9%
Disagree	128	9%
Somewhat disagree	206	14%
Somewhat agree	453	31%
Agree	371	26%
Strongly agree	166	11%

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	481	33%
No	967	67%

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

	Selected
Housing	204
Housing	42%
Food	333
Food	69%
Books	272
Books	57%
Health care	143
Health care	30%
Other (Please explain below) *[Contact OPA for more information]*	41
	9%

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.	118	429	883
	8%	30%	62%
I couldn't afford to eat balanced meals.	180	432	817
I couldn't afford to eat balanced meals.	13%	30%	57%

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	976	68%
Yes, almost every month	156	11%
Yes, some months, but not every month	196	14%
Yes, only 1 or 2 months	116	8%

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	1052	73%
Yes	396	27%

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	1136	79%
Yes	312	22%

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]

Indicate which of the following technological tools you currently OWN. (Please answer NO if you are borrowing or renting a device):

	Yes, I own this device	No, I do not own this device
A laptop or a convertible computer (PC, MacBook, Linux, Surface, etc.)	773	72
	92%	9%
A Chromebook	72	641
A Chromebook	10%	90%
A Smart phone	800	30
A Smart phone	96%	4%
A tablet or pad (with mobile operating system)	228	516
A tablet or pad (with mobile operating system)	31%	69%
A Desktop computer	123	600
A Desktop computer	17%	83%

Family & Culture

When did you come to the United States to live?

Response	Number	Percent
I was born in the U.S.	811	56%
1997 or earlier	53	4%
1998	12	1%
1999	8	1%
2000	18	1%
2001	10	1%
2002	13	1%
2003	6	0%
2004	5	0%
2005	11	1%
2006	7	1%
2007	13	1%
2008	14	1%
2009	13	1%
2010	23	2%
2011	25	2%
2012	47	3%
2013	80	6%
2014	130	9%
2015	131	9%
2016 or later	14	1%

When did you learn to speak English?

Response	Number	Percent
English is my native language	719	50%
Before I was 6 years old	272	19%
When I was 6-10 years old	190	13%
When I was 11-15 years old	135	9%
After turning 16 years old	125	9%

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	494	937	4	0
Parent/Guardian 1	34%	65%	0%	0%
Parent/Guardian 2	444	948	9	0
Parent/Guardian 2	32%	68%	1%	0%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Zero	282	20%
One	77	5%
Two	179	12%
Three	56	4%
Four	848	59%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Wealthy	30	2%
Upper-middle or professional-middle	223	15%
Middle-class	520	36%
Working-class	398	28%
Low-income or poor	273	19%

Are you a financially independent student?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	443	31%
No	994	69%

To the best of your knowledge, which category includes the total annual combined income of your parent(s) before taxes in 2016?

Response	Number	Percent
Less than $10,000	58	6%
$10,000 to $19,999	74	8%
$20,000 to $34,999	115	12%
$35,000 to $49,999	77	8%
$50,000 to $64,999	90	10%
$65,000 to $79,999	85	9%
$80,000 to $99,999	110	12%
$100,000 to $124,999	111	12%
$125,000 to $149,999	80	9%
$150,000 to $199,999	60	6%
$200,000 to $499,000	54	6%
$500,000 or more	17	2%

To the best of your knowledge, which category includes your household's total annual combined income before taxes in 2016?

Response	Number	Percent
Less than $10,000	138	32%
$10,000 to $19,999	96	23%
$20,000 to $34,999	76	18%
$35,000 to $49,999	28	7%
$50,000 to $64,999	22	5%
$65,000 to $79,999	14	3%
$80,000 to $99,999	17	4%
$100,000 to $124,999	15	4%
$125,000 to $149,999	5	1%
$150,000 to $199,999	8	2%
$200,000 to $499,000	5	1%
$500,000 or more	2	1%

What is your religious/spiritual preference?

Response	Number	Percent
Spiritual but not associated with a major religion	203	15%
Not particularly spiritual	189	14%
No preference	235	17%
Agnostic	111	8%
Atheist	146	11%
Baptist	22	2%
Buddhist	57	4%
Christian Church (Disciples)	93	7%
Eastern Orthodox	9	1%
Episcopalian	4	0%
Hindu	11	1%
Jewish	28	2%
Lutheran	4	0%
Methodist	4	0%
Mormon	3	0%
Muslim	54	4%
Presbyterian	14	1%
Quaker	1	0%
Roman Catholic	106	8%
Seventh Day Adventist	2	0%
Sikh	9	1%
Taoist	6	0%
Unitarian/Universalist	1	0%
United Church of Christ/Congregational	2	0%
Other Christian	51	4%
Other Religion	25	2%

With which gender do you identify?

Response	Number	Percent
Male	668	47%
Female	737	51%
Trans Male/Trans Man	4	0%
Trans Female/Trans Woman	4	0%
Genderqueer/Gender Non-Conforming	13	1%
Different identity	8	1%

Do you consider yourself to be:

Response	Number	Percent
Heterosexual or straight	1186	83%
Gay or lesbian	60	4%
Bisexual	111	8%
Questioning/Unsure	33	2%
Not listed above, please specify *[Contact OPA for more information]*	35	3%

How would you characterize your political orientation?

Response	Number	Percent
Very liberal	185	13%
Liberal	443	32%
Slightly liberal	197	14%
Moderate or middle of the road	345	25%
Slightly conservative	74	5%
Conservative	54	4%
Very conservative	11	1%
Other, please elaborate *[Contact OPA for more information]*	97	7%

Living Conditions

Where are you living this term?

Response	Number	Percent
Clark Kerr Campus	44	3%
Foothill	5	0%
Bowles	5	0%
Stern	16	1%
Unit 1	11	1%
Unit 2 (excluding Wada Apartments)	13	1%
Unit 3 (including Beverly Cleary Hall)	9	1%
Channing-Bowditch Apartments	56	4%
Martinez Commons	57	4%
University Village Albany (family housing)	51	4%
Wada Apartments	64	5%
New Sequoia or Garden Village Apartments	16	1%
Mills College	10	1%
Living with family	73	5%
Sorority or fraternity	3	0%
Co-op housing	28	2%
International House	18	1%
Living off-campus in a house or apartment	893	63%
I have not (yet) found stable housing	17	1%
Other *[Contact OPA for more information]*	30	2%

How far from campus are you living this term?

Response	Number	Percent
On campus or less than 1 mile	538	38%
1 mile to 2 miles	344	24%
3 miles to 10 miles	292	21%
11 miles to 20 miles	114	8%
21 miles or more	131	9%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Yes - Not sure which plan	45	3%
Yes - Standard Plan (included in housing, 10 meals/wk.)	99	7%
Yes - Premium Plan (included in housing + $350/yr, 14 meals/wk.)	39	3%
Yes - Ultimate Access Plan (included in housing + $750/yr, 19+ meals/wk.)	14	1%
Yes - Non-Resident BLUE (5 meals/wk.)	109	8%
Yes - Non-Resident GOLD (7 meals/wk.)	28	2%
Yes - Non-Resident PLATINUM (10-12 meals/wk.)	35	3%
No	1052	74%

With whom are you living this term?

Response	Number	Percent
No one. I live alone	142	10%
I share an apartment or dorm room with at least one other UC Berkeley student	834	59%
I share an apartment with peers who are not UC Berkeley students	122	9%
I live with my spouse or domestic partner (with or without others)	103	7%
I live with at least one parent	130	9%
Other *[Contact OPA for more information]*	88	6%

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)	-	216	301	290	229	315
College students or other adults (count yourself as 1)		16%	22%	22%	17%	23%
Children or teenagers under the age of 18 (do NOT count yourself as 1)	1109	95	45	33	8	18
	85%	7%	3%	3%	1%	1%

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	63	5%
No	1344	96%

Do you have any biological or adopted children who live with you now?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1329	95%
Yes	70	5%

IF YES: How many?

Response	Number	Percent
1	33	65%
2	15	29%
3	1	2%
5	2	4%

Do you have any biological or adopted children who live elsewhere?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1354	97%
Yes	46	3%

IF YES: How many?

Response	Number	Percent
1	16	62%
2	8	31%
3	1	4%
5	1	4%

Do you have primary responsibility for caring for someone else such as a parent, grandparent or sibling?

Response	Number	Percent
No	1283	91%
Yes	123	9%

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

Response	Number	Percent
None	19	28%
1	30	44%
2	17	25%
3	2	3%
5 or more	1	1%

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)	408	228	394	226	118
Job responsibilities (e.g., paid employment)	30%	17%	29%	16%	9%
Family responsibilities	276	304	455	217	114
Family responsibilities	20%	22%	33%	16%	8%
Other responsibilities (e.g., athletics, clubs, internship)	289	295	456	243	80
	21%	22%	34%	18%	6%
Weak English skills	824	193	194	109	44
Weak English skills	60%	14%	14%	8%	3%
Weak writing skills	694	244	247	131	49
Weak writing skills	51%	18%	18%	10%	4%
Weak math skills	648	321	261	95	40
Weak math skills	48%	24%	19%	7%	3%
Inadequate study skills (e.g., knowing how to start, knowing how to get help, organizing material)	410	346	403	158	54
	30%	25%	29%	12%	4%
Poor study behaviors (e.g., wait until the last minute, too much social time, too much web surfing)	334	314	433	208	85
	24%	23%	32%	15%	6%
Poor study environment (e.g., noisy roommate, poor Internet access, inadequate computer or software)	394	399	366	156	60
	29%	29%	27%	11%	4%
Feeling depressed, stressed, or upset	202	258	448	302	163
Feeling depressed, stressed, or upset	15%	19%	33%	22%	12%
Physical illness or condition	500	439	302	80	51
Physical illness or condition	36%	32%	22%	6%	4%
Military deployment	1159	83	90	22	17
Military deployment	85%	6%	7%	2%	1%
Going hungry, not having enough food	766	267	234	74	31
Going hungry, not having enough food	56%	20%	17%	5%	2%
Inconsistent access to housing, or homelessness	1053	141	115	38	19
Inconsistent access to housing, or homelessness	77%	10%	8%	3%	1%
Inability to concentrate on my work	318	296	454	216	90
Inability to concentrate on my work	23%	22%	33%	16%	7%
Reluctance to ask for academic help when I need it	398	339	414	156	68
Reluctance to ask for academic help when I need it	29%	25%	30%	11%	5%

In general, I consider myself...

Response	Number	Percent
(1) Not a very happy person	53	4%
(2)	59	4%
(3)	130	9%
(4)	264	19%
(5)	416	30%
(6)	300	22%
(7) A very happy person	166	12%

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

Response	Number	Percent
(1) Less happy	108	8%
(2)	105	8%
(3)	181	13%
(4)	327	24%
(5)	332	24%
(6)	203	15%
(7) More happy	130	9%

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

	Selected
Friends nearby	766
Friends nearby	52%
Friends who are not nearby (e.g., home or high school friends)	745
	51%
Boyfriend or girlfriend, partner, spouse or significant other	492
	34%
Teachers, coaches	137
Teachers, coaches	9%
Parents, guardians	789
Parents, guardians	54%
Siblings	538
Siblings	37%
Other family	248
Other family	17%
Clergy	31
Clergy	2%
Counselors, therapists	150
Counselors, therapists	10%
UCB student services support staff (counselor, advisor, etc.)	132
	9%
No one (else) / myself only	101
No one (else) / myself only	7%
Other (please specify) *[Contact OPA for more information]*	37
	3%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Very dissatisfied	46	4%
Fairly dissatisfied	75	6%
A little dissatisfied	122	10%
A little satisfied	139	11%
Fairly satisfied	509	40%
Very satisfied	381	30%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Very dissatisfied	63	5%
Fairly dissatisfied	89	7%
A little dissatisfied	123	9%
A little satisfied	211	15%
Fairly satisfied	504	37%
Very satisfied	383	28%

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	874	63%
No	514	37%