Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

SU among first in nation to issue new Financial Aid Shopping Sheet to accepted students

Thursday, December 13, 2012, By News Staff
Share

High school students applying early decision to Syracuse University will be among the first in the nation to receive a new Financial Aid Shopping Sheet designed to help students and families better understand their costs before making a final decision on where to enroll.

Endorsed earlier this year by the Obama Administration, the new standardized financial aid letter seeks to help families easily compare aid packages offered by different institutions. SU was one of 10 initial colleges and universities committing to include the sheet with acceptance letters for the fall 2013 incoming class, and is among the first to implement it. Shopping Sheets for early decision admits will be delivered electronically on December 17.

“We think quite differently about student and family debt here at Syracuse University,” says Don Saleh, vice president for enrollment management. “Not only do we strive to meet full student need with institutional aid and grants, but we also work very hard to ensure our students and families limit their risk of excessive indebtedness once they enroll here.”

In July 2012, Education Secretary Arne Duncan published an open letter to college and university presidents asking institutions to adopt the Shopping Sheet for use during the 2013-14 school year. As of November, more than 500 institutions have voluntarily adopted the Shopping Sheet, representing institutions nationwide from all sectors of higher education.

“We’re happy to be among the early adopters of the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet,” says Ryan Williams, associate vice president for financial aid and scholarship programs at Syracuse University. “It’s just one more sign of our commitment to making the financial aid process more transparent while we focus on reducing student indebtedness.”

In fact, Syracuse University already employs a number of tools and resources designed to help students and families better afford college.

The University’s award-winning Money Awareness Program (MAP), for example, replaces qualifying loan debt with grant funding. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs will identify and invite eligible students who have borrowed federal and alternative student loans to participate in the program.

Students enrolled in MAP must sign a contract and agree to attend a financial literacy session every semester. Here students learn how credit works, along with some basic money management skills. More than 200 students have participated in the MAP program since its inception in 2009. The average MAP student has saved $12,000 through the conversion of loans to grants.

“The MAP program is truly unique among colleges and universities in the U.S.,” says Williams, a former executive with the College Board. “And it’s in line with our strategy of maximizing grant awards whenever possible.”

Another way Syracuse University seeks to educate students about finances is through its “I Otto Know This” program. Named for the University’s beloved mascot Otto the Orange, this multilevel financial literacy program provides undergraduate and graduate students with the skills and resources necessary to successfully manage their money while they are enrolled in college and beyond.

Williams says an annual, comprehensive financial aid review of the entire student body is critical to the success of the University’s programs. “We don’t just look at what students have borrowed in the current year, but we look at prior years, too,” Williams explains. “We identify those whose debt appears excessive relative to family circumstances and we’ll reach out to them to help.”

 

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19 Share a Love of Sportscasting and Storytelling (Podcast)
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By John Boccacino
  • Blackstone LaunchPad Founders Circle Welcomes New Members
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By Cristina Hatem
  • Syracuse Stage Concludes 2024-25 Season With ‘The National Pastime’
    Wednesday, June 4, 2025, By Joanna Penalva
  • Japan’s Crackdown on ‘Shiny’ Names Sparks Cultural Reflection
    Tuesday, June 3, 2025, By Keith Kobland
  • Newhouse Professor Robert Thompson Featured on ‘NBC Nightly News’ for Pop Culture Lecture Series
    Monday, June 2, 2025, By Keith Kobland

More In Campus & Community

Blackstone LaunchPad Founders Circle Welcomes New Members

Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad welcomed 34 graduates of the Class of 2025 as new members of the Founders Circle. They were selected in recognition of launching or leading ventures at the University while students, as well as contributing to…

Neal Powless Inducted Into American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame

You could say that lacrosse is in Neal Powless’s blood. Powless G’08, the University ombuds, is a member of the Onondaga Nation Eel Clan. He is the son, grandson and brother of legendary lacrosse players. Powless picked up a lacrosse…

The Milton Legacy: Romance, Success and Giving Back

Growing up, Stacey Milton Leal ’75 and Chris Milton heard countless stories about how Syracuse University brought their parents together in what would turn out to be a fairy tale romance with a happy forever ending. So it was no…

Syracuse University Libraries’ Information Literacy Scholars Produce Information Literacy Collab Journal

Earlier this month, Syracuse University Libraries’ Information Literacy Scholars published their first open access information literacy journal, Information Literacy Collab (ILC). It is available on SURFACE, the University’s open access institutional repository. ILC is a diamond open-access publication by and…

Trip to Atlanta Gives Falk Students ‘Real-World’ Opportunities and Connections

The city of Atlanta is home to professional sports franchises in major leagues: Atlanta United FC (Major League Soccer), the Braves (Major League Baseball), Dream (WNBA), Falcons (NFL), and Hawks (NBA). Atlanta also features professional teams in lacrosse, rugby, and…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.