Financial Aid and Scholarships Interview with Mark Levine

Financial Aid and Scholarships: Interview with Mark Levine Mark is the Director of Financial Aid at Alverno College. This nationally-renowned independent, liberal arts, Catholic college for women is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school's establishment of an abilities-based, assessment-driven undergraduate curriculum for women and a graduate curriculum for women and men has earned it top honors from the U.S. Department of Education, the coveted National Survey of Student Engagement and U.S.News World Report along with features in USA Today and Time Magazine, among others. Mark has been in the financial aid industry since 1988, moving to the Director of Financial Aid position in 1993. He entered the industry to make sure that students and families are getting the straight story on the financial aid maze. LoveToKnow (LTK): What is your personal experience with financial aid and scholarships? Mark Levine (ML): Having been in the financial aid industry for close to 20 years, I have seen many changes good and bad over the years. We are at a point in history where many of those students who apply for financial aid feel it is an entitlement. Quite the opposite is true. There are forms of financial aid that most students will qualify for, but there are other forms of aid that a student must put some work into in order to qualify or obtain it. One of the reasons I got into financial aid is that when I went to school, I felt I didn't get much counseling on the financial aid process and what to expect. Financial aid should be a joint process between the student and their family and the Financial Aid Office. Financial aid professionals should be willing to assist students by providing them with accurate and insightful information that will allow students to apply for all types of financial aid they may be eligible for. LTK: What concerns does the average student who comes into your office have about paying for a college education? ML: When students comes into meet with someone in financial aid, their number one conce rn is loan debt. Many students nowadays want to go to school and not take out any student loans to assist them with their costs. Unless a student is coming from an affluent family, this is becoming impossible to do.