(Former staff member) PSA / Warning to students about Financial aid.

USF is now actively building a student loan marketing project to prospective and pre-existing students to influence them to take out federal and private loans.
Unfortunately I was a staff member at USF who has chosen to resign over this issue.

USF’s enrolment is very low at the moment, and declining every year- this is largely due to the high cost of tuition at USF. Father Paul came to the financial aid department in a meeting and told us we need to start marketing loans to students because the “new generation doesn’t want to invest in their future and take out loans for school.” Unfortunately he believes this is why enrolment is down so bad at USF.

Shamefully, while many institutions are trying to reduce to burden of student loan debt, USF’s financial aid team is now being directed to create advertising focusing on the message that student loans are “good”. We were told to “share the success stories” of alumni who are now earning lots of money, who took out loans to attend USF and thus prosper (while ignoring the larger percent of students who are dealing with ramifications by predatory loans). Father Paul told us to find work study students or people of the younger generation with “pastor characteristics” to influence other students and colleagues on this message. Lastly, he told us how what USF offers is “very ethical” but considering USF cost about as much as Stanford (which is ranked #2 in the US) I don’t believe this is true. I mention USF’s academic reputation because rather than invest in improving the academic here at USF, father Paul is more interested in marketing students loans to prospective students so they more inclined to join USF and bring up their enrolment/ profit. For me, this is completely against the Jesuit values the school preaches (I am not religious) and it really shows how religion is just a business.

I really think students here should be aware of this action as the loan marketing project begins to be rolled out soon, and I don’t think it’s fair to students. I feel very sorry for the students at USF who are getting taken advantage of by USF’s tuition and lack of decent financial aid opportunities.