Prospective and admitted students dive into UMB programs, unveiling opportunities for collaboration and financial aid insights.
On a brisk Saturday morning, more than 500 prospective and admitted students received a glimpse of their respective programs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), where two attendees walked away with a $1,000 scholarship.
The University Open House on April 6 offered tours, a financial aid seminar, and a resource fair where admitted and prospective students could learn about services at UMB such as Parking and Transportation and Educational Support and Disability Services. All seven schools participated in the event, tailoring the experience for each program.
UMB Provost and Executive Vice President Roger J. Ward, EdD, JD, MSL, MPA, highlighted to students that the differentiator between UMB and peer institutions is the opportunity for interprofessional collaboration among UMB’s seven schools.
“I would encourage you when you get here, just don’t be siloed in your own school,” Ward said. “Use the opportunity to get to know the students and work with students from the other six schools. It’s going to make your experience a lot more meaningful, richer, and better prepared for what you’ll do once you get out of here.”
It also paid to know how a university functions — or at least be brave enough to speak up with a creative answer. Ward put 20 seconds on the clock and asked students to answer: What does a university provost do?
Without the assistance of phones, two students responded.
“What you all do, inevitably, is change lives,” said Robert A. Skrobarczyk III, a prospective student for the University of Maryland School of Dentistry Doctor of Dental Surgery program.
The Elm Ballroom erupted in good-natured laughter, including from Ward.
“It’s funny that you say we change lives because my personal mission as provost is to change lives through education,” Ward said. “You must have eavesdropped on one of my presentations somewhere along the line.”
Ugobelu Aniukwu, a prospective student to the University of Maryland School of Medicine MD/PhD program, said the provost organizes the schools on campus.
Ward deemed this a “tie” and awarded a scholarship to both.
The correct answer: The provost of the University is the chief academic officer supporting the deans and students.
The winning students will have to be admitted and enrolled for the scholarship to be applied.
Students also learned how to finance their education through a presentation led by Patricia Scott, University registrar and assistant vice president for enrollment administration. The most urgent topic was the delay in learning financial aid awards as a result of changes made by the federal government to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program.
Scott shared that admitted students and students awaiting to be admitted for fall 2024 should add aidtalk@umaryland.edu to their email contacts to ensure that they receive the latest information about financial aid decisions and to be able to respond for additional information.
“When we are able to load your FAFSA information, if we need additional information from you, we are going to have to turn that around quick, fast, and in a hurry because our goal is to have award notifications out to incoming students the middle of May,” Scott said.
Scott said she hopes the FAFSA application cycle will open as normal on Oct. 1 for students applying for future academic years.
“We’re hoping that all of the simplification bugs are out of the way, and we can return to business as usual,” Scott said.
FAFSA information can be found at www.studentaid.gov. For UMB-specific financial aid information, visit www.umaryland.edu/fin. UMB has a priority FAFSA filing date of March 1.
Prospective students seeking in-state tuition should also complete an application on the registrar’s website to verify eligibility at www.umaryland.edu/registrar/residency.