Gustavus Adolphus College recently named Mary Booker, a 1991 graduate who worked for the college in admission and financial assistance between 1994 and 1999, as the new director for student financial assistance. She has been associate director of financial aid at Dartmouth College since 2001.
Reporting to Vice President for Admission and Student Financial Assistance Mark Anderson, Booker will be responsible for coordinating the often complex financial assistance process for Gustavus students.
A combination of rising tuition rates and the constant flux of state education funds make the financial assistance office especially important at the college. In a highly competitive environment, most colleges realize the importance of retaining students through high levels of student financial assistance. With 71% of current students receiving need-based financial assistance from Gustavus and more than $20 million in scholarships and grants given annually, financial assistance is a key component when prospective students make a decision about their academic futures.
“The expertise that Mary brings, along with her knowledge of national trends in student aid, will help the College use our financial aid money to best benefit our students,” Anderson said.
“As an experienced financial aid administrator and leader devoted to diversity in education,” Booker stresses, “I believe this will be a unique opportunity for me to give back to an institution that has meant a lot to my personal and professional growth.”
Booker attained her undergraduate degree from Gustavus in 1992 and her M.A. in ethnic studies from Minnesota State Mankato. Her career at Gustavus began in 1994 when she became an assistant director of admission, eventually advancing to the position of assistant director of financial aid in 1997. In 1999, she left Gustavus to become the associate director of financial aid at Oberlin College (Oberlin, Ohio) until 2001, at which time she left to assume her position at Dartmouth (Hanover, N.H.).
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