UVA's School of Continuing and Professional Studies is thrilled to welcome Gretchen Bonfardine as the School's first Director of Financial Aid.
The new role is significant for the School in making education more affordable, accessible and achievable. Bonfardine will be a trusted resource, assisting students in navigating the world of financial aid, breaking through complexity to share a common understanding, and growing and improving opportunities for scholarship.
If you are a student or are interested in learning more about opportunities for financial aid, please reach out to the team at: scps_financialaid@virginia.edu.
We invite you to get to know Bonfardine better!
Can you tell us a little overview of yourself, personally?
I’m from Pennsylvania and am one of eight kids. I have a twin sister and twelve nieces and nephews. I currently live in my hometown, which is very rural and a part of the Pennsylvania Wilds. In the last year, I joined a local Search & Rescue organization which has been very rewarding.
I will watch any sport - especially during tournament time, but college basketball is my absolute favorite. I’ve been to eight Final Fours. I read a ton of books spanning many genres…Ok, really I listen to a lot of books because I can listen while I’m doing other things like driving, cleaning, working out, or walking my dog.
Speaking of my dog, I am a very proud dog mom to Sadie, my Great Pyrenees. I absolutely love big dogs!
Another fun fact about me is that I’ve been to 48 states. My final two that I need to get to are Arkansas and Hawaii.
Can you tell us a little about your career so far?
I have worked in and around higher education for my entire career. I worked in financial aid first before moving on to a student loan guarantee agency, two startups, and two payment processing companies. Outside of financial aid, I’ve worked in sales, customer relationship management, product and training. I am absolutely thrilled to back in higher education and back in financial aid.
What is your new role at the School, and how do you feel this role will contribute to its mission?
As the Director of Financial Aid, I will be a liaison between the School and the central Student Financial Services office. I hope to be able to provide exceptional service to students by ensuring timely and accurate delivery of aid. I want to make sure that our students are a priority and their questions are answered efficiently. I will work with other leaders as much as possible to increase scholarship opportunities and possibly expand borrowing options. Also, because I’ve worked for two payment processing companies (one of which is UVA’s current partner), I will be able to assist students with questions in that area as well.
What attracted you to this role, and/or what are you most excited about?
I am excited to be able to focus on the unique population of students at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. I look forward to getting to know their needs and having the support to make positive changes that will benefit them and allow them to succeed at school while they continue to live their very busy daily lives.