OSFA/AmeriCorps VISTA Partnership
Welcome, Satiya Samlal!
The Office of Student Financial Aid is proud to report that we applied and have been chosen by Serve Wisconsin as one of 20 sites across the state of Wisconsin to host an AmeriCorps VISTA
member. Satiya Samlal is serving in this new role full time for a year, with a focus on increasing FAFSA filing rates across the state. Satiya is joining us during a gap year from her studies at UW–Madison to serve the Wisconsin community in accessing financial aid and making higher education a reality. She’s a Posse Scholar from New York City. In her free time, she likes to create illustrations, study game design, and improve on her digital art skills.
“Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is an anti-poverty program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty. AmeriCorps VISTA provides opportunities for Americans 18 years or older from a diverse range of backgrounds to dedicate a year of full-time service with an organization (“sponsor”) to create or expand programs designed to empower individuals and communities in overcoming poverty.”(americorps.gov)
Social mobility through higher education is where the goals and values of our office and AmeriCorps VISTA meld to result in Satiya seeking to increase FAFSA filing rates of potential Pell Grant-eligible students across the state and combat the phenomenon of undermatching- where students choose not to apply to universities which are academically competitive, because they believe they cannot afford to go. Meeting that goal will be an iterative process, but the current plan is to create the infrastructure to connect UW–Madison alumni living in the state of Wisconsin with high schools to provide support in filling out the FAFSA and connect them with resources on navigating the financial aid process. Data from SSTAR lab will be used to focus on high-FAFSA potential high schools. This project will require many partnerships, a focus on centering community needs, and being nimble in uncertain times.
To be a VISTA host site, we agree to contribute $3,000 for the full year, along with an additional $400 per month for housing support. Considering this is a full-time position for a full year, it’s quite the bang for our institutional buck. AmeriCorps VISTA member benefits include a small bi-weekly living stipend, an end of service education award, health benefits, leave time, Federal non-competitive eligibility, and professional development.
We are grateful to have been given the opportunity to host an AmeriCorps VISTA member, specifically, Satiya; and even more excited for the students and families across the state who will be the beneficiaries of this unique partnership.
member. Satiya Samlal is serving in this new role full time for a year, with a focus on increasing FAFSA filing rates across the state. Satiya is joining us during a gap year from her studies at UW–Madison to serve the Wisconsin community in accessing financial aid and making higher education a reality. She’s a Posse Scholar from New York City. In her free time, she likes to create illustrations, study game design, and improve on her digital art skills.
“Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is an anti-poverty program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty. AmeriCorps VISTA provides opportunities for Americans 18 years or older from a diverse range of backgrounds to dedicate a year of full-time service with an organization (“sponsor”) to create or expand programs designed to empower individuals and communities in overcoming poverty.”(americorps.gov)
Social mobility through higher education is where the goals and values of our office and AmeriCorps VISTA meld to result in Satiya seeking to increase FAFSA filing rates of potential Pell Grant-eligible students across the state and combat the phenomenon of undermatching- where students choose not to apply to universities which are academically competitive, because they believe they cannot afford to go. Meeting that goal will be an iterative process, but the current plan is to create the infrastructure to connect UW–Madison alumni living in the state of Wisconsin with high schools to provide support in filling out the FAFSA and connect them with resources on navigating the financial aid process. Data from SSTAR lab will be used to focus on high-FAFSA potential high schools. This project will require many partnerships, a focus on centering community needs, and being nimble in uncertain times.
To be a VISTA host site, we agree to contribute $3,000 for the full year, along with an additional $400 per month for housing support. Considering this is a full-time position for a full year, it’s quite the bang for our institutional buck. AmeriCorps VISTA member benefits include a small bi-weekly living stipend, an end of service education award, health benefits, leave time, Federal non-competitive eligibility, and professional development.
We are grateful to have been given the opportunity to host an AmeriCorps VISTA member, specifically, Satiya; and even more excited for the students and families across the state who will be the beneficiaries of this unique partnership.