President's Blog: From the Heart

By Eric F. Spina

Choosing the right college, where you feel a true sense of belonging, is always a moment filled with excitement and some level of anxiety. However, this year, ongoing delays in the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) at the federal level have complicated the college choice process for many families.

To our admitted students grappling with these challenges, I want to assure you of a few important things: At UD, we support you; we are poised to work as quickly as possible for you; you will have a clear picture of your costs over four years to help you make your decision; and, most importantly, you already have a home here.

We are closely monitoring the latest FAFSA information, and have created a plan to process FAFSA information as quickly as possible once we receive it to provide families time to make the best decision.

Based on the latest information, we have extended the May 1 deadline to confirm enrollment to May 15. We will send personalized financial aid offers in April with transparent information on what each student will pay over four years. And anyone who filled out the FAFSA and visited campus will also receive information on the textbook scholarship. Additional information is available online at go.udayton.edu/affordability.

Dollars and cents matter, of course, when it comes to choosing a college. But while we await that information, we can still look at UD’s values and the successes of our students. We are a “best value” college, where 98% of our students report success — defined in our Flyer First Destination Survey as working, pursuing advanced degrees or entering service — within six months of graduation. And we are guided by our Marianist values to educate the whole person. Here, students make lifelong friends in our uniquely residential campus. They find mentors among our talented faculty and staff. They have transformational experiences like running the $2.5 million Flyer Enterprises, pursuing their research passion as a dean’s summer fellow, improving the literacy skills of preschoolers, traveling the country and globe to work on engineering solutions for problems in developing communities, and more. 

We welcome our admitted students to campus during this waiting period to get to know our community better. Though uncertainties persist regarding the FAFSA process, rest assured, we will navigate this together.

And the good news is, you’re already part of our family. You already belong. We can’t wait to welcome you home.