Paul Kaplan and Ray Rice celebrate UMPI’s 100th returned refund check
Student loan debt is a very real part of life for many college students. And while being able to take out loans to help pay for school is important, students sometimes take more than they actually need and end up having to pay large amounts back after their college years are over. But UMPI is working on a plan to change that.
Laurie Boucher, a staff associate with Student Financial Services, said that UMPI is encouraging students to return their refund checks to reduce their student loan debt. Students can take out whatever money they need, and if they find that they don’t need as much as they originally thought, they can return that money. “Take any of that remaining amount and bring that back to us,” Boucher said. She went on to say that this helps students on the long run because they are reducing their debt in the future, no matter how small the amount of the reduction.
This year, UMPI got the chance to celebrate its 100th returned refund check for the academic year. “We’ve never had over 100,” Boucher said. So, Student Financial Services decided to make it a celebration. Paul Kaplan was the student to return the 100th refund check, and Boucher said they had a little celebration for it, and even surprised President Ray Rice with the news. Rice and Kaplan took a picture together and Boucher said, “We had confetti, bells and whistles.” The numbers of returned refund checks has actually risen since this event. “Right now we’re over 100,” Boucher said.
Tiffany Smith, a sophomore at UMPI, expressed her appreciation for what the campus is trying to do. “As we go to college, we’re working our way through,” she said. “I think it’s important that Student Support Services gives us this opportunity to be able to pay off our debt while we’re still in school.” She also mentioned that this is a great way for students who don’t have paying jobs while they go to school to reduce their debts.
Boucher and the staff from Student Financial Services are encouraging students to stop by the office to learn more about reducing their student loan debt. “Tell them to come and see us anytime,” Boucher said. “We have an open-door policy.” Students can also contact Boucher at laurie.boucher@maine.edu to learn more. It’s a great opportunity for students to take a step in making their life after college as debt-free as possible.
