The University of Iowa

Faculty Senate

Charter Committee Annual Report to the Shared Governance Council

Committee: Financial Aid Advisory Committee
Report Year: 2024-25

Committee Chair(s)	Irene Lottini (faculty). The student co-chair has not been selected by the Joint Nominations Committee of the UISG and GPSG.
Committee Members	Faculty Katharine Broton, Higher Education & Student Affairs Elena Gavruseva, Linguistics Maxwell Lei Geng, Chemistry Irene Lottini, French & Italian Alexandra Nica, Economics Bruce Nottingham-Spencer, German Staff Rhonda Dietrich, Treasury Operations Jessica Boyle, Division of Sponsored Programs Students Mona Luong Ava Russ Alexia Solis Nanle Gusen Mavis Gyesi Gul Rukh Mehboob Administrative liaisons Brenda Buzynski, Asst Provost, Director of Student Financial Aid Brent Gage,Associate Vice Pres for Enrollment Management Non-voting member Carolyn Colvin, English Education
Committee Charge	The committee shall: (1) review and make recommendations to the President regarding all forms of student financial aid, and (2) assist the Office of Student Financial Aid or other university office administering financial aid in communicating all financial aid policies to the university community.
Current Year Meeting Dates	10/11/2024; 12/13/2024; 2/21/2025; 4/11/2025; 5/09/2025
Please indicate the typical frequency of meetings (e.g., first Tuesday of month at 4 pm). If there are subcommittees, please indicate the frequency of those meetings, too.	The committee has met every 5-6 weeks on Friday afternoons depending on the members’ availability. No subcommittees were formed.
Current Year Activities	All meetings were held via ZOOM. Members of the committee discussed the following topics: The important work of the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA). OSFA staff members organize and/or participate in Financial Aid literacy initiatives, assist students with various types of financial aid, collaborate with UI graduate and professional colleges, and present at conferences. Financial Awards. In the 2024-25 academic year, 83% of UI students (86% of undergraduate students and 69% of graduate/professional students) received some form of financial aid. OSFA is assisting students with filing the FAFSA and has packaged a record number of FAFSAs. Due to changes in the methodology and formula used to calculate the Pell Grant, the number of students receiving a Federal Pell Grant and the average award have increased in the 2024-25 academic year. The Hawkeye Work Grant has had positive outcomes. Research has confirmed that participation in the program has contributed to student retention and success. A new award (The Slater Institutional Need-Based Grant) was implemented in 2024-25. Other new scholarships introduced in 2025-26 include the John Deere Scholarship for 20 new freshmen from the Quad Cities area and the Conway Nursing Scholarship for just over 100 resident students pursing a BSN. Admissions. The University of Iowa has received record numbers of applications. The Office of Admissions is working with all Associate Deans from the Colleges, the Academic Advising Center, and the Office of the Registrar to ensure that the University can effectively serve a large incoming class. Minutes are available upon request.
Topics your committee will address during the coming year	Next academic year, the committee will continue to address the following topics: Financial literacy The number of students receiving some form of financial aid Types of financial aid administered by OSFA Enrollment and application numbers The importance of OSFA to be nimble and adapt to sudden changes The strategies of OSFA to build tools to allow them to be flexible and proactive with helping students
Other issues of concern	Factors contributing to the University’s mission to provide access to higher education by administering financial aid strategically and in a timely manner to all students.
What should we tell applicants for this committee regarding expectations of members (anticipated workload, existence of subcommittees, etc.)?	Anyone interested in learning about policies related to financial aid would be welcomed. Committee meetings focus on the importance of financial aid in supporting UI students as they pursue their academic degrees. Regular attendance at meetings is expected for the effective functioning of the committee. Student participation on this committee is highly valued.
Does your committee have a website? If so, what is the URL?	The committee does not have a website.
What is your process for passing on previous agendas and minutes to the new committee chair(s)?	Minutes have been recorded at each meeting. Agendas and minutes are available upon request (please contact Irene Lottini at irene-lottini@uiowa.edu).
Recommendations, if any, to the shared governance groups.	It is important that the Joint Nominations Committee of the UISG and GPSG selects the student co-chair.