Emergency aid at colleges is a tricky topic. Where do the funds live, who is funded, what is funded, and how can students access the funds? These are all questions Williams College tackled when overhauling and streamlining their critical needs funding process. Come learn about wraparound support given to students starting with pre-enrollment funding and ending at post-graduate resources. Contribute to the growing conversation about the varying needs of students and examine some early results showing how additional resources are helping students enroll, persist, and graduate.
Guiding Questions:
1) What costs beyond the traditional billed items do students face when they enroll in college and how responsive are colleges in considering those costs?
2) How and to whom do students advocate for resources to cover costs that may not be considered as part of a traditional financial aid award?
3) What costs are particularly prohibitive to students enrolling and persisting?