First Year Experience

1
First Year Experience

• Office of Student Financial Aid

2
Access

• Through financial aid programs, we make the UW
  affordable to low and middle income families who
  would not otherwise be able to attend.

3
Diversity

• Financial aid programs help the UW accomplish
  diversity goals
• Socioeconomic diversityour best funds are
  focused on the lowest income students
• We administer Diversity Scholarships and the
  University Opportunity Grant program to award
  targeted funds to diverse populations.

4
First Year starts before they get here

• We reassure parents and students that aid is
  available
• We try to make them believe it is possible to
  attenddont rule us out!
• Were present at high school nights, college
  fairs, Minority Student Invitational sessions,
  Diversity Scholars sessions, Plan a Transfer Day

5
Financial Aid Awards

• Financial Aid award letters are sent to students
  4-6 weeks before the May 1 response deadline.
• Negotiations beginreally a second look at
  student and parents financescan we better
  reflect their ability to pay and adjust their
  award accordingly?
• We rush to provide the best information we can
  before May 1.

6
For our parents and students--

• One of our goals is to remove and alleviate
  financial burdens and anxieties so students can
  concentrate on their academics and
  extracurricular activities at the UW.

7
New Student Counseling

• First year counseling is more about process at
  the UWhow does aid work, how is aid disbursed,
  how much can I get?
• Provided through individual counseling as
  convenient for studentin person, phone or email
  counseling available.
• Loan counseling is available, but not as much
  interest from students until their later years.

8
Parents!

• Parents are an important part of the first year
  experience.
• Our counselors spend many hours of individual
  counseling time answering parents questions
  about financial aid and their students
  eligibility.
• For families out of the area, we provide
  comprehensive information via our web page, email
  and phone service.

9
Scholarship Program Coordination

• Coordinate award notification of scholarships
  with Admissions, Space Grant and Honors programs
• Provide eligibility information to Gates
  Millennium, WEF Achievers
• Counsel Achievers throughout the years on
  financial matters
• Assist in private scholarship search

10
Work Study Opportunities

• We administer the work study program to provide
  work opportunities (primarily on-campus) to new
  freshmen and transfer students.
• On campus work study helps students connect with
  the campus, provides meaningful job experiences,
  and helps finance their higher education costs.

11
Satisfactory Academic Progress

• We monitor students academic progress each
  quarter, on an annual basis and for length of
  time to complete degree.
• We review appeals from first year students who
  did not meet the financial aid satisfactory
  academic progress requirements.
• Counsel students in where to get help on campus
  with their personal and academic issues that are
  preventing academic success.

12
Other First Year Activities

• Parent Orientation sessions
• DAWG Days Orientation sessions
• SSS/Trio Welcome sessions
• Provide funding for Early Fall Start participants