Financial Aid In High School: Case Study

In high school, I was determined to attend Georgetown University against the wishes of a guidance counselor who warned, “Georgetown doesn’t accept people from schools like ours,” and parents, who not having attended university themselves, weren’t convinced college was a worthwhile expense. This made navigating the application process difficult, and applying for financial aid even more taxing. I was fortunate to receive significant scholarship and need-based aid that allowed me to attend Georgetown, but at the expense of weeks of research, hundreds of scholarship applications, and hours filling out financial aid forms with little guidance. I was frustrated that the process was prohibitive, and—even after receiving my aid package—the choices available were difficult to understand. On campus, I accepted a work-study position in the Student Financial Services Office, where I developed relationships with advisors and administrators. I frequently questioned why no support programs existed to help students find, apply for, and understand aid packages. After soliciting interest from students and pitching the idea for a peer-counseling program in department meetings, the Assistant Director agreed that such a program was needed.
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Many students had limited understandings of credit cards, loans, and budgeting, and even fewer knew how to address employer healthcare plans, 401Ks, and other benefits choices. I pitched another idea to the Financial Services Office and the Georgetown Scholarship Program: a monthly financial literacy series to arm students with the skills necessary to make informed and effective financial decisions. The administrators approved the proposal, I worked with student groups and university offices to secure funding, and we invited professors and alumni to host workshops on budgeting, debt management, investing, and filing