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Carl Buck
Vice President, Sales Delivery
Chase
May 2008
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Armed with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications and broadcast journalism earned at Emerson College, Carl Buck has worked in college financial aid at Rutgers, Rice and UCLA, followed by Peterson’s and Chase.
Who attends your financial aid workshops, and why?
People from income levels across the entire spectrum are attending to learn the financial aid process. They want to avoid missing out or making costly mistakes.
What are their top three concerns?
They want to understand the true cost of attendance at the school of choice. They want to understand how a college awards financial aid, which involves an understanding of the mysterious ‘expected family contribution.’ They want to understand the ramifications of having to finance the educations of multiple children, either simultaneously or serially.
What information should be on a college website today and why?
Reach out to families and inform them that it is beneficial to update the financial aid office if and when financial circumstances change. Calculators, particularly intuitive ones, are very helpful, especially when it’s personalized to the school’s costs or the family’s circumstances.
Any other college website suggestions?
Yes, a direct link from the financial aid pages to the bursar is a good idea. Tuition payment plans, deposit dates and acceptable payment formats are very relevant. Be sure the relevant cost of attendance is clearly portrayed on both sites.
When should a college-shopping family visit
campuses and why?
I recommend that they start earlier than the senior year. Families are often in fire drill mode by then. A family benefits by being empowered sooner. The knowledge gained reduces the intimidation involved in the admissions and financial aid process. And they come home with contact information they can relate to a place and a face.
What should be on a family’s checklist during each campus visit?
Does this college have employment or internships that are available to prospective students in the summer prior to enrollment? What other work opportunities and internships are available to enrolled students? Be sure to visit the financial aid office and speak to a counselor, perhaps with an appointment in advance. If the student has chosen a major, be sure to introduce yourself to someone in that academic department.
What aid opportunities or information sources might some families be overlooking?
Look locally. What’s available from the parents’ employers? From your home state? Watch for scholarship announcements in your hometown newspaper. Don’t overlook announcements from service clubs like the Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs. Find the bulletin boards in your own high school that list available scholarships and grants.
What loan availability can a campus FAA or president expect from Chase for fall 2008–09?
Chase is definitely funding loans for 2008–09. We believe student lending is a good business.