President Freeman Hrabowski, UMBC experts, and several current undergraduate students met with Maryland’s U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski on Thursday, Sept. 4 to discuss the ways loan debt impacts students’ college experiences, future plans, and careers.
The College Affordability Roundtable, hosted by UMBC, gave the Senators an opportunity to hear directly from students about how they are financing their education, their experiences with financial aid programs and services, and the challenges of course and graduate completion related to accumulated debt.
Throughout the event’s open—and often candid—dialogue, UMBC students shared their stories about financing their higher education and explained its impact on their lives and aspirations. Many of the students echoed concerns when dealing with college affordability, such as understanding and navigating complex state, federal, and private financial aid programs.
UMBC experts in financial assistance, advising and counseling offered their perspectives to the group and emphasized the importance of submitting financial aid applications sooner and establishing a plan to ensure students are successful in their degree path.
Interviews from two UMBC students, Chris Harried and Lisa Dang, can be heard in a recent WBAL Radio story covering the event.
