Helping Low-Income Students Navigate Higher Ed with Samantha Hicks

Samantha Hicks, Assistant Vice President of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Coastal Carolina University, joins FYI host Gil Rogers to talk about the complexities of the most recent enrollment cycle, and the challenges this year of the FAFSA delay compounding on students who already dealt with COVID challenges.

Samantha brings into focus yet another vector of challenges that low-income students also have face as they enter Higher Ed. Samantha shares her personal journey from poverty to her current position, offers insights into the unique challenges faced by financially disadvantaged students, and reflects on how COVID-19 and FAFSA changes have impacted their approach both on the student facing side and also on the internal support end of things.

They also explore using strategic planning, communication, and mentorship to better support students moving forward and the value of sometimes just acknowledging that it’s been a tough summer.