By Cynthia Whitely, sophomore

Postcard sample courtesy of the Friends University communications office

With students struggling to find a job, parents being laid off and institution costs going up, Friends University students are restlessly looking elsewhere. In times like these, it is crucial for a university to make sure that a retention system is in place.

“I think we’ll see more and more students struggling, but hopefully we can help them with professional judgment,” said Brandon Pierce, the director of financial aid at Friends.

Friends has an 80 percent retention rate each year, meaning that on average 20 percent of the students leave after their first year.

 Officials are now implementing an Affordability Campaign, which will inform students and families of the costs and affordability of Friends University compared to other institutions.

“Many people make assumptions about the cost of an independent education based on sticker prices. We invite you to go beyond assumptions and find out for yourself that a Friends University education is affordable, a great value and a smart investment,” said the campaign Web site.

Carole Oberymeyer, vice president of Student Affairs, and Biff Green, president of Friends University, lead the retention program. Their goal is to determine where students are getting held up in the process and help them in any way possible.

Green and Stephanie Hargrave, director of Research and Assessment, also work together every morning reviewing who has finished their financial aid information and who is planning to come back next year. They then create a spreadsheet with the information and notes on it, which enables the staff to contact students and help them get things in order.

There will also be postcards sent to students and parents, which are intended to raise awareness and put some students’ uneasiness to rest. One post card states that the average debt a Friends graduate pays on a Stafford Loan over the 10 year time span equals $7.36 a day.

The postcards will also show statistics that compare Friends to neighboring institutions. Although it would seem that schools such as Wichita State University would be cheaper and more convenient to attend, many students don’t realize the opportunities and scholarships that Friends has to offer.

“Make an educated decision; don’t just assume it will be better,” Obermeyer said. She encourages students to research the schools they are thinking of transferring to and talk with someone before making their decision.

The problem is that students don’t know who to speak with. Obermeyer takes care of social and community problems, whereas Pierce deals with financial aid problems. Students need to be aware of these officials and seek help.

“A lot of times students won’t tell us until it’s too late,” Pierce said.

This year Pierce has seen an increase in students with financial problems because their parents have been laid off.
Studies have found that Friends students leave with the least amount of debt, Pierce said.

Out of 18 private schools in Kansas, Friends University’s cost is right in the middle at ninth or 10th, he said. The most expensive school, as far as tuition, is Baker University and the cheapest is Donnelly College.

One of the differences between competing colleges and Friends is that this institution has a superior one-on-one program with staff that cares about keeping students here, Pierce said. Schools like WSU are so big that they don’t have the time to sit down with students in the same way. Once a student enrolls at WSU it will be unlikely that they will ever see a financial adviser; often WSU students call Friends’ financial aid department for help, he said.

Students say it’s a problem to afford any university, Pierce said.

“Life is very expensive,” said sophomore James Reiss. “I'm maxed out on loans, so that’s the reason I have to have a job.” Reiss works the night shift as a security guard. Due to the current economic crisis he had to pick a job that offered regrettable hours.

Many students are being faced with the challenge of not only finding and holding a decent job to pay for college but also maintaining grades with a full load of classes while doing so.

“Living off the income I get from working when I'm not in class while paying all my bills and trying to get sleep just isn’t working,” Reiss said.

Reiss is now looking to transfer to Liberty University or WSU. When he shared this with one of the Friends financial aid representatives, he received little support to stay, he said.

Sophomore Erin Tombaugh has a few friends thinking about transferring and it makes her sad they can’t stay, she said. However, she is excited and staying positive about continuing her education at Friends.

 Tombaugh will be the president of Falcon Student Organization next year and will continue being involved in Concert Choir, Kantorei, the recycling committee and working on campus in the Academic Affairs office.

Being a music education major, she might not make the most money as a high school choir teacher, but she knows that God will provide, she said.

“I know that I'm going to have quite a bit of loans to pay off,” Tombaugh said, “but teaching and music are things that I'm passionate about and I can’t imagine doing anything else.”