MSCHE/ACOE Self Study

on the importance of setting up and keeping a budget. Students are also provided with general information regarding their rights and responsibilities as well as an introduction to debt management. Canadian and foreign students are notified of specific programs that apply to them. The financial aid office sends entering optometry students letters with relevant financial aid information and additional information (Appendix E-13). Once the student is evaluated for aid, he/she is sent an award letter stating his/her financial aid eligibility, budget and program eligibility. Prior to graduation, each student receives another training session known as the exit interview. This session is conducted at the Mapping your Future website and is used to meet the federal government’s requirement for exit interview counseling. Mapping Your Future, a free resource for career, college, financial aid, and money management information, is designed to help students and families understand their rights and responsibilities as borrowers and also achieve life-long financial stability. The service also provides budget and loan repayment calculators. Upon completion of this program, students are invited to meet with the Director of Financial Aid for follow-up counseling sessions, as is deemed necessary.

More than 84% of students (2010 Professional Student Survey) strongly agree or agree that “The Financial Aid Office adequately helped me through the financial aid process.”

80% strongly agree or agree with the statement “So far, I have received adequate financial aid.”

For the SUNY Class of 2010 the average debt across all students was $98,823, while the average debt for those students who took out loans was $110,987. (Figures refer to debt for optometry school only.) This compares favorably with

82