Sitting, Waiting, Wishing :

In a time where USU Eastern is revamping student services and trying to implement new strategies to boost enrollments, it is not helping the cause by its latest tactic with scholarship offers. As of February 27, 2012, USU Eastern has sent out zero scholarship offers to prospective students which raises concerns in that all but one other school in the state has yet to send offers out.
Southern Utah University and Utah State University in Logan started sending out their academic scholarships in November, Westminster in December.
Most high school students and even transfer students have two or three scholarship offers by now. “This is a critical time for my future and I have yet to hear anything back from USU Eastern. On the other hand, other schools I have applied too already sent me scholarship offers,” stated a high school student from Pleasant Grove, Utah, who is considering attending the Price college.
Previously at USU Eastern, recruiters were able to offer scholarships on the spot on recruitment tours. This has not been the case for a few years now and could be the reason why enrollment is down.
“I have seen colleges talk to a prospective student just shortly after the tour in mid-November, and hand them a scholarship offer on the spot,” stated Terry Johnson who is head of the Ambassador program. Now don’t be quick to be part of the blame game as student services was recently re-organized.
“It is frustrating for me to recruit student-athletes who are academic kids right now because nothing has been done. A year from now when enrollment is down even more we will all sit and wonder why,” stated KC Smurthwaite, assistant baseball coach/recruiting coordinator. As high school students prepare to choose where they will be spending their money and time the next four years–USU Eastern currently is not in the student’s conversation because nothing has been sent on paper.
Amongst the faculty, uneasiness grows on the situation. One faculty member whose job depends on how many students are on campus stated, “I was at a community event last week and a concerned parent came up to me and asked why her child has been getting stuff from other schools but Eastern has yet to send her a scholarship offer.” In a time where community colleges are supposed to be thriving we have one that is dieing in a sense. Snow College is the last school in Utah to send out scholarship offers. They will start sending out scholarship offers on March 1. By the time this article is published Snow will have sent out thousands of letters in the mail with scholarship offers.
Many have a positive outlook on the situation. Alex Herzog, Edd., commented “While our timing is off due to the student services transition that occurred this year, I am confident the staff in Financial Aid will get the job done. The staff is looking to take a very labor intensive manual system and using technology to automat and reduce the time to award scholarships.” Kim Booth, director of financial aid and scholarsahips also added “ We will be getting the current list out to the departments this week and index awards should be offered within the next two weeks. We have just installed a new scholarship program to help automate the process so we will be able to get awards out as early as December next year. This will help us this year as well.”
The good news is there is still time to send ou these offers but it makes us think what could have been if it was done earlier? The new system will be in place to help build enrollment at USU Eastern for years to come.