In a move to help students plan for the cost of college and manage their financial obligations, Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven has created a position devoted specifically to financial literacy and planning for current and prospective students and their families.
Lew DeLuca, who served in the SCSU Office of Financial Aid for 10 years and previously ran undergraduate admissions at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, has been tapped for the job of coordinator of student financial literacy and advising.
He will work with students and parents to raise awareness about financial literacy, student aid programs, scholarships and the advantages of timely completion of a degree.
The school noted that student loan debt in America exceeded $1 trillion in 2014.
“Southern is excited to provide financial planning services to our current and future students and their parents to help ensure our students are informed and prepared for the full cost of the degree, not just for one semester or year,” said Kimberly Crone, associate vice president for enrollment management, in a university press release.
“Financial aid departments in colleges and universities have people who talk with students, but generally not in the kind of depth that we will be able to provide on a consistent basis,” DeLuca said in the press release. “And we are available to talk with high school students and potential transfer students, as well.
“There was a clear, demonstrated need to help students gain financial literacy,” he said.
