The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid is in the process of hiring a fluent Spanish-speaking counselor to handle questions and concerns directly with parents who don’t speak English.
“Financial aid is complicated enough in English,” said Eric Johnson, the office’s assistant director of policy and communications. “We can’t imagine how hard it is for families that don’t speak English.”
The U.S. Census estimates the Hispanic population in North Carolina grew by 132,000 new residents between 2010 and 2016. At UNC, there are more than 2,000 students who identify as Hispanic. For at least the past three years, reports show Hispanic enrollment has also increased.
Financial aid counselors are at the front line when it comes to communicating with parents and students who have doubts or concerns related to financial aid. This communication could be in person, on the phone or via email.
The department has had counselors fluent in other languages in the past. However, this is the first time that Spanish fluency is required to be considered for the job. Johnson said there hasn’t been a Spanish-speaking counselor for the past few years.
The decision came after the Student Advisory Committee to the Chancellor brought up the lack of linguistic diversity in departments of the University, comparing it to other higher education institutions across the nation.
SACC presented the issue last fall to the administration. When a counselor position opened up in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at the beginning of the spring semester, the committee was told Spanish fluency would be a requirement.
“I was so excited when we found out,” said Alec Di Ruzza, a senior and chairperson of the committee. “If there’s anything that we’ve accomplished through SACC, this is it. It meant a lot to some of the members in the committee.”
SACC, comprised of 13 to 15 undergraduate and graduate students, meets with the Chancellor Carol Folt and other administrators every month for an hour.
