Secondary School Outreach Programs Ensure Student Participants Have FAFSA on File
Michael Abboud, Associate Director, U of L Student Financial Aid Office, giving insightful information to a room filled with first-generation students
Submitted by Erica Gray, Academic Counselor, Talent Search Program
On Saturday, January 10, 2015, the Upward Bound and Talent Search programs hosted a FAFSA Workshop for their student participants. Parents and their high school seniors arrived, anxious, to hear what Mr. Michael Abboud, Associate Director, University of Louisville Student Financial Aid Office, had to say.
Mr. Abboud was thorough and informative, answering questions such as, “What do I select if I have no assets to report,” and “What if I am a recently divorced parent?” He and his staff were equipped with information and answers for families with specific scenarios. One of the most important facts relayed was that regardless of circumstances, the FAFSA needs to be completed by everyone in order to determine eligibility for student loans, federal work-study, and to meet scholarship requirements.
The Office of Secondary School Outreach Programs equips student participants and their parents with workshops and information needed for postsecondary preparation, enrollment, and counseling. Resources and utilization are how students navigate through the college experience. The knowledge and experience that a participant in an SSOP project acquires enhances their preparedness postsecondary persistence.
For additional information on the Talent Search Program, contact Erica Gray or Tish Duvall with Secondary School Outreach Programs at 502-852-6719.