Student Financial Support remodels office
During the summer, the Student Financial Support office in the Taggart Student Center was gutted and remodeled. Though the office was still operating remotely, its physical office reopened for students on Aug. 4.
The university invested $390,000 of operational funds for the remodel, which executive director Craig Whyte said is “student support centered and will allow Student Financial Support to provide increased customer service and support.”
The Student Financial Support department includes the Financial Aid Office, the Scholarship Office and the Student Money Management Center. The three offices were reorganized into Student Financial Support in December 2021.
Whyte said the office is designed to be a “one-stop shop.”
“If students have questions on any federal, state or institutional scholarships, or awards or loans, they can come here and we can help with that,” Whyte said. “Then in addition, the Student Money Management Center is all about the financial literacy — to helping students understand budgets, expenses, forecasting, and to really help them understand how they can afford school, whether that’s working or through other scholarships or awards.”
The Student Financial Support office underwent construction this summer.
Before the remodel, the Student Money Management Center did not have a physical location. Whyte said it became clear the center needed a location for students to meet with financial coaches, and there arose an urgency to get a storefront for the center.
The center’s new space is right at the entrance of the Student Financial Support office. It has a receptionist area and two closed-door offices for confidential conversations about students’ financial situations.
Darrell Harris, the director of the Student Money Management Center, said he thinks the remodel will “greatly increase” the number of students they meet with.
“I think just being there on the way to financial aid and scholarships — that’ll give the opportunity for students to just see, ‘Hey, there’s this new center. What is this?’” Harris said. “Then they can talk to the receptionist and learn more.”
In addition to the new storefront for the Student Money Management Center, another remodel change Whyte pointed out was a different concept for the customer service counters in the office.
“Before we had these long counters, and in a way it kind of served as a barrier,” Whyte said. “So we wanted to open up as much as we could to conversation, so that we’re very approachable and able to help students.”
On display in the new office is art by USU alumna Liesl Cannon depicting Utah tourist attractions, as well as the first financial aid award letter offered at the university in 1983.
Whyte said the remodel is beneficial to students because financial restraints are the number one reason students are not able to attend or have to leave universities, and Student Financial Support is there to help connect students with resources.
“Because we’re involved in different federal or state regulations, sometimes there’s some red tape or some complexities, and to go through that yourself can be a little frustrating,” Whyte said “But if students will come visit with us, our team is here and qualified and trained to help students to hopefully have a much more efficient and friendly experience in finding the resources to help pay for school.”
Student Financial Support will be holding an open house outside its office on Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about Student Financial Support, visit usu.edu/financial-support.
— darcy.ritchie@usu.edu
Featured photo by Bailey Rigby