The Student Awards and Financial Support department continues its uphill struggle to get the necessary resources to make the service improvements that students need in the face of the increasing cost of education.

In the Student Budget Consultation, students identified Student Awards and Financial Support as a priority for improvement for two years in a row. Key issues include increasing awareness of what financial aid is offered, improving the service experience, and integrating Student Awards and Financial Support with other departments that students access. More broadly, TRU must ensure that its financial aid offerings match students’ needs so nobody is left out or left behind.

Unfortunately, Student Awards and Financial Support has struggled to keep up with increased pressures. Some pressures, such as increased awards from donations and campus development revenue or tuition fee waivers for adult basic education, ESL, and former youth-in-care are positive. At the same time, students overall face rising fees and other costs that create more need for financial support. Both changes require more resources to better serve students. Unfortunately, requests for those resources have been denied in the past two university budgets.

Nonetheless, the Student Awards and Financial Support department remains dedicated to their important role and has made the following commitments:

• Requesting new budget support for a new Awards Coordinator position to increase resources for service delivery (decision pending)
• Hired an external consultant to review the organization and processes of the Student Awards and Financial Support office to be more efficient and better serve students
• Continuing to audit financial aid offerings and prospective student need to make better alignment of aid and need possible

The impact of these commitments are largely dependent on the success of the budget request for the staff position to undertake the work. Fortunately, the University Registrar reports that this position is his top budget priority. The Student Caucus will report on final decision when it is available.

To stay up-to-date on all of TRU’s responses to your priorities, check out the Student Budget Consultation webpage!

Full Response on Student Awards and Financial Support

To see the full response to your priorities on Student Awards and Financial Support, click here. 

For more information, contact: