Financial Aid Directors in the News

Here are recent articles featuring insights from the financial aid community:

• University of Wisconsin is making experts available to discuss the impact of the stimulus package on UW students
  
  • Susan Fischer, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, can discuss how the stimulus package might benefit UW-Madison students. She can be reached at 608-262-2087, susan.fischer@finaid.wisc.edu.
• Michigan State University offering assistance program for disabled veterans
  • “Veterans’ benefits from the federal government don’t cover the full cost of an education here,” said Rick Shipman, MSU’s director of the Office of Financial Aid. “We want to ensure that these students don’t have to worry about money to complete their undergraduate educations.”
• York College financial aid director, Calvin Williams offers this advice to high school seniors:
  • "Don't panic. There are still sources of aid available. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (form), see what aid is offered and let their financial aid office at their school know of any financial situation that develops (such as) if their income is going down for whatever reason."
• Canisius College Executive Vice-President John Hurley on the impact of declining endowments:
  
  •  "That means something else will be cut,” Hurley said, “but we need the financial aid to get the students here."
• UCLA's financial aid office director Ronald Johnson on the importance of planning ahead for scholarships
  • "Scholarship seekers shouldn’t hesitate to get started early so they have time to do mandatory preparatory work like getting recommendations and writing an essay, Johnson said.  We encourage students to investigate not necessarily at the time they need to apply but almost a year in advance so they can start putting together everything they need,” he said.
• UConn's director of financial aid, Jean Main, commenting on impact of stimulus package:
  • Increased funding for Pell grants, Stafford loans and work-study programs would be "a gigantic help" to college students and their families.
    
    •  About 3,000 Pell Grant recipients are at the Storrs campus.