Addressing Financial Issues that Confront Students

Student Account Services and The Office of Financial Aid

work together to assist and counsel currently enrolled students who have an unpaid account balance on their university bill. The goal is to make sure these students do not leave/withdraw from school without exploring all of the options available for financing an education at UK.

A few weeks before priority registration begins, an email from the Financial Ombudsman

is sent to students who have a ‘financial hold’ on their account that prevents future registrations and/or the release of transcripts. This email is very personal and offers the students immediate assistance with resolution of the delinquency in order to priority register. Students who have not applied for federal/state financial aid are advised to do so. Students are also encouraged to immediately contact the Financial Ombudsman to obtain financial counseling and/or make arrangements to pay off unpaid accounts. These actions can result in a temporary override of the ‘financial hold’ so the student can register for classes. Over 15,000+ students have been contacted since this effort began in the fall of 2009.

A broadcast email is distributed to all currently enrolled graduates and undergraduate students advising them of the March 15 Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) priority filing date.

This is done first in early February and then repeated in early March of each year.

Students who owe between $20 and $500 have their financial holds temporarily lifted so that they may priority register for upcoming classes.

All students are notified by email and asked to contact the Financial Ombudsman to make payment arrangements. UK is very flexible with such arrangements – UK does this on a student-by-student basis – evaluating each personal situation.

Students who are eligible but who do not priority register for the upcoming semester are contacted

through Hobson’s to remind them of future registration opportunities. UK is very flexible and allows students to register at any time when add/drop is open for all students. At the conclusion of priority registration, colleges are sent a list of their non-registered students and they are asked to make personal contact (by phone or email) with all non-registered students. Those with financial difficulties are encouraged to seek assistance from the Financial Ombudsman. Additional and related efforts have been recommended to the “Student Success Committee” to enhance and fully utilize Hobson’s Retain for Retention.

Broadcast emails as well as postcards are mailed to all currently enrolled students in regard to priority registration and advising

if they are having financial difficulty to come and see our counselors in Financial Aid and our Financial Ombudsman.

Informational sessions have been provided by Enrollment Management to staff in Student Affairs

(Residence Life, UK 101 staff, Housing, Counseling and Testing, etc.) and Undergraduate Education (Undergraduate Studies, Advising, Academic Enhancement, CARES, etc.) in regard to the approach being used in Enrollment Management related to financial support and Financial Ombudsman services.

Financial Aid web sites are currently being updated to include various student cost profiles.

Such information will help all in and out-of-state students better understand the cost to attend UK as well as the overall competitive nature of tuition and fees.