This article is from the archives of the UB Reporter.
News

Important financial guidance

New program will offer students personalized advice

  • Jennifer Pollard

By JOHN DELLACONTRADA
Published: February 23, 2012

The UB Office of Financial Aid is rolling out a new program to provide personalized financial aid advisement to all students who receive financial aid at the university.

Beginning this week, each student will be assigned a personal financial aid adviser who will work throughout the semester with the student, providing guidance and assistance as the student prepares financial aid applications and makes financial aid decisions.

The new program is modeled after financial aid services and best practices offered at other major universities, says Jennifer Pollard, UB's interim director of financial aid, who is spearheading UB's new approach to financial aid advisement.

“The Office of Financial Aid has been developing this new way to advise students over the past several months,” Pollard says. “With a university of UB’s size, it is very important that students have a personal point of contact for their financial aid needs and that they feel the service and information they receive is efficient and accurate.

“I've had the opportunity to offer this type of service to students at three large universities [Northeastern, Columbia and Jacksonville University] prior to UB, and I have seen firsthand how effectively it works. There will be a period of transition as students and advisers learn to interact in this new way, but I think students and parents will be very happy with our approach to advisement.”

Under the new program, students will have regular and consistent access to a single adviser who is familiar with their case, instead of being assigned advisers on a rotating, first-come, first-served basis, as was the previous procedure, Pollard explains.

This week, all UB financial aid advisers sent an introductory email to their assigned students. The email explains what students can expect of their adviser, and what their adviser will expect of students to ensure timely and efficient financial aid advisement.

The advisers will be in contact with students throughout the financial aid cycle with reminders about important deadlines and to follow up with students as needed, Pollard says. The new advisement program is possible because of the implementation of the HUB Student Center, which enables the university to assign financial aid advisers to all aid recipients and process information in a more coordinated and personalized way.

According to Pollard, UB's Student Response Center and Student Advising Services staff members will continue to be available to answer basic questions about financial aid. However, when complex questions and problems arise, students will immediately be put in contact with their adviser. Students or parents can always make an appointment to speak directly to their adviser.

“The Office of Financial Aid is very excited to provide students with better service, better communication and an overall positive financial aid experience,” Pollard says.

Next semester, Pollard hopes to offer additional services to students, including programs on managing finances while in school and best practices for paying off student loans after graduation. Additional information about UB’s new financial aid advisement program will be available here.