As a graduate of WGU Indiana, I’m on a mission to learn more about various college experiences. As such, I interviewed University of Notre Dame graduate Terresa Stalard in an effort to learn more about the experience of being a student at the elite Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Indiana. Terresa offered a wealth of information, including the tips below for potential Notre Dame Students.
1.) Submit Everything Early
Like every other college student, Terresa knew that the FAFSA was the document when it comes to financial aid. Having heard that she could update the document any time of the year, she only turned hers in on time by accident. When Terresa’s parents were filing taxes, they filled out the form together so they didn’t forget about it.
Since they made a practice of being early filers, her FAFSA also got filed earlier than most. When Terresa found out that the FAFSA deadline for incoming freshman at Notre Dame is February 15th rather than the March 10th deadline Indiana has, she realized that she might have just narrowly missed being disqualified for financial aid.
2.) Put Pride Aside
Notre Dame is an expensive school to go to. This Catholic, elite university costs $13,410 per semester, and that doesn’t include some of the added costs, like the $2,500 Academic Support Center fee that some students have to pay. Terresa found relief by applying for some of the need-based funds that Notre Dame offers.
Since the amount that students receive is based on their income as an independent student or their parents’ income if they are a dependent student, the fact that Terresa’s parents had a limited income actually helped her, even if she felt like she had to swallow a bit of pride in order to ask for it.
3.) Keep Your Grades Up
Terresa was banking on her grades to help her get through college with limited financial means, and apparently, she was right to do so. Though she benefited from need-based financial aid from Notre Dame, she was also able to earn a couple of scholarships based on her grades.
Notre Dame is very strict about students successfully completing their courses, and Terresa’s dedication to her studies helped her maintain her financial aid good standing. She recommends that students work hard to keep their grades up, even if it’s only to maintain good standing or earn a scholarship.
4.) Budget for the Semester
As mentioned earlier, Terresa’s family lives on a limited income. That means Terresa learned early on just how important it was to stick to a budget. Since her disbursement could have changed from semester to semester, Terresa budgeted by the semester rather than by the year. This wasn’t always easy to do since many of the students at Notre Dame come from well to do families and had access to more material items than Terresa did.
However, that same population trend was also helpful because Terresa was able to purchase used books for lower prices from students who weren’t nearly as concerned about their finances as Terresa was.
5.) Dumpster Dive
Terresa suggested that future Notre Dame Students participate in the yearly “Dumpster Dive” that occurs at the end of the year. While it isn’t a legitimate event, it’s something that is well known through the northern Indiana area. Students who lived in the dorms and graduated that year tend to throw their dorm items in the Notre Dame dumpsters.
As a result, future students, local residents, and even people from surrounding counties come to Notre Dame for free dorm furniture. If you’re looking to save money and use your financial aid on other things, you may as well participate in a fun local activity.
Kathy Foust, a graduate of WGU Indiana and a freelance writer, has a keen interest in various college experiences. Terresa Stalard, who attended the South Bend Indiana campus of Notre Dame University generously offered to share some of the details of her experience in order to help educate potential future students of Purdue about some of things college students might be most interested in. Terresa enjoyed the academic challenge of Notre Dame, but found the social atmosphere to be less friendly than she would have liked