University administrators are working to ensure that when prospective students learn about both traditions and daily life at the University, they also will learn about Access UVa, the University's new $16 million financial aid initiative.
University spokesperson Carol Wood, who is spearheading the University's plans to market and raise awareness about the initiative, reported on the early stages of those plans to the Board of Visitors' External Affairs Committee last Thursday.
Following intensive discussions between administrators such as Dean of Admissions John A. Blackburn and Student Financial Services Director Yvonne Hubbard, focus groups of current financial aid recipients, and the advice of a marketing firm hired by the University, Wood presented a list containing several strategies and actions the University can take to promote Access UVa.
Before creating the list, the University hired the marketing firm of storandt/pann/margolis, which has worked with the University Health System in the past. Two of the firm's partners came to the University to begin research -- including the student focus groups.
Wood said the marketers left the focus groups sessions "blown away" by student enthusiasm and creativity and that the sessions were very productive.
The students "were extremely helpful in outlining the problem and helping us think through possible and extremely creative solutions," Wood said.
First-year College student Tina Le, who participated in a focus group, said students talked about their experience in coming to the University and how the University could learn from their experience to promote Access UVa.
"It wasn't so much talking about financial aid as about how to attract students to U.Va.," Le said.
Many of the recommended strategies focus on reaching out to students and making them aware of the University's affordability, Wood said. Initially, only Virginia students will be targeted.
Currently, strategies presented to the board include targeting rural areas and inner cities using public service announcements and local media, creating a volunteer network of alumni who attended the University on financial aid and creating a position involving traveling across Virginia talking to guidance counselors, parents, teachers and religious, community and business leaders about Access UVa.
Once students became aware of the program, however, the University needs to ensure they know the details and how Access UVa can help them, Wood said.
"It has to be a combination of getting out there and helping raise awareness, and then we have to be doing it here every time we have someone at the community," Wood said. "There are going to be many ways we need to get this word out."
Closer to home, the list of presented strategies include updating the Financial Services Web site, creating a more compelling admissions tour, creating a CD-Rom about Access UVa and buying air time to promote Access UVa during half-time at University athletic events. These strategies aim to appeal to all prospective students, not just students from lower-income families, said Wood, noting that Access UVa has components to ease the debt load for middle-income students.
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