Student Association is looking to work with Syracuse University officials to make the financial aid process easier and more accessible for students.

Vice President Sameeha Saied outlined SA’s mission to collaborate with SU financial aid offices during her executive report at the organization’s Monday meeting. Saied’s plan includes establishing channels of communication between SA and the university to discuss issues surrounding financial aid.

The organization’s top priorities include the creation of new scholarships, the promotion of existing aid and an increase in communication between the Bursar’s Office and the Financial Aid Office, she said.

“The first step would be looking to see how the scholarships they offer right now can become more visible to students,” Saied said after the meeting. “There are a lot of people that would have opportunities to cover more of their tuition, but they just don’t know that these opportunities are available to them.”

Saied also spoke about pushing for the expansion of the Posse Leadership Scholarship, a program that offers full-tuition scholarships to students from low-income areas throughout the country. SU currently accepts Posse students from Miami and Atlanta, according to the Office of Admissions’ website. Saied said she would like to see the university expand the program to scholars from other cities.

In addition to promoting and expanding scholarship opportunities, Saied hopes to make financial aid resources on campus, including the Office of Financial Aid and the Bursar’s Office, more accessible to students, she said.

Improving communication between students and the Office of Financial Aid regarding work-study is one of Saied’s key concerns, she said. There have been incidents in which students have had work-study opportunities reduced or withdrawn with little to no warning, she said.

“There are a lot of ways that work-study can be improved on campus,” Saied said. “One of the most important aspects of financial aid is improving [work-study] because there are a lot of students who rely on it.”

A close relationship between the Office of Financial Aid and the Bursar’s Office is also important, as both agencies collaborate to manage student finances, Saied said.

Assembly member Sophia Faram spoke about her personal struggles in obtaining financial aid information from the Bursar’s Office. She said there is a need for a more open relationship between students and the university’s financial aid resources.

“I know so many people who have spent countless hours on the phone between the financial aid office and Bursar’s office, and having to call both of them back and forth consistently,” Faram said.

Saied and SA President Mackenzie Mertikas included improving financial aid resources at SU as a key component of their campaign platform during SA’s elections in April.

“One of our (campaign) pillars was financial accessibility since we’ve found that the financial resources of this university are not always accessible to students,” Mertikas said.

Other business

• The Assembly agreed to allow Mertikas and Saied to continue to look into a partnership with Gotcha Bike, a bike share program. Some members expressed concerns regarding the bikes, especially their usefulness during winter weather. 
• SA finalized its plans for Mental Health Awareness Week. The week will begin on Oct. 6.
• The Assembly elected freshmen Yuyin Liu and Bryan Reynoso to the University Senate.

Published on October 1, 2019 at 1:17 am

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu