BR!TON B!TS
short takes
Two Minutes with . . . Ann Whitmer By Jake Weber
Io Triumphe!: What are the most common misperceptions people have about financial aid? Whitmer: A lot of parents don’t think they’ll qualify for financial aid, but most Albion families are in fact eligible for aid. There’s a common misperception that loans are not part of financial aid, but they’re actually the largest form of financial aid that the federal government provides. Also, applying for aid is a fairly simple process. I just registered my son for the ACT, and there were more steps to that than completing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Come again? I’ve heard horror stories about completing the FAFSA. The federal government has done a lot to streamline the FAFSA—for instance, some of the information fills in directly from IRS data. Okay, if applying for aid is so easy now, where does your office come in? One thing we do is translate financial aid jargon into “real” English. One of our biggest roles is helping families understand what resources are available. We know paying for college can be confusing—we spend a lot of time working individually with families to develop their own personal plan so they realize how affordable Albion can be. Also, there are families with unique circumstances—financial data they provide on the FAFSA might not reflect a job loss, taking care of elderly parents, or a medical emergency. We can understand when a family’s financial picture isn’t reflected on the FAFSA, and we have resources to help.
8 | Io Triumphe!
You’re a serious runner—marathons and triathlons. What keeps you going? I coach a running team with over 300 members, and my son is an all-state track and cross country runner. I see running from different perspectives with each person’s challenges and goals, which I help them reach. I also set my own goals to accomplish. I wouldn’t say I love running, but I’m passionate about the running culture. It’s a big part of my life. I have a lot of dust bunnies because of it. You also helped coach Albion’s FITT Brits this year. That’s a cool story. We had 27 Albion people participate in the Borgess Kalamazoo Marathon and related running events the day after the College’s commencement. A number of those folks ran the half marathon for the first time. That group came from Albion College’s Year of Wellness activities. Our graphic designer, Katherine Hibbs, and I started sharing our running stories, and it grew from there. We tell people it doesn’t cost much more to go to Albion than to a state school. Is that really true? When you look at the financial resources that Albion provides, as well as the federal government, we end up providing larger scholarships and grants. Public universities usually don’t offer many grant resources, and the scholarships we provide are pretty phenomenal. We reward those students who work really hard. Add in grants, work-study, loans—we get pretty close to what a student would pay at a public institution. When you consider our small classes and the quality of an Albion education—we’re a good value.
D. LAWRENCE PHOTO
Ann Whitmer is Albion’s director of financial aid.
When Ann Whitmer is not in the Financial Aid Office, you’ll probably find her out running. She has competed in six marathons/ ultra marathons, over 20 half marathons, and five triathlons, including the Borgess Kalamazoo Marathon May 6. She also provides encouragement for the many other College staff members who run or walk competitively through Albion’s FITT Brits program.