Diversity Trends in the Faculty and Staff at Frostburg State

By: Alexandra Davis, Tavari Merriman, Torie Costa, & Elizabeth Ahn

“The diversity in our staff is an overwhelming challenge to get where we want to be. We need to make the university more diverse, and I’m not sure if we are there yet,” as stated by Dr. Thomas, a professor who has been at Frostburg State University (FSU) for 13 years.

Throughout the years at FSU, the racial diversity of the undergraduate student population has been increasing tremendously. This is clearly represented by the data from the fall of 1989 to the fall of 2017. With this increase of racial and ethnic backgrounds of the undergraduate student population, it is interesting to see if this “domino effect” of the undergraduate students could influence the diversity amongst faculty and staff members at FSU. However, a couple of faculty members at the university seem to think otherwise. Through their personal insights and observations, it is clear that racial diversity in the population of staff and faculty members lacks heavily. In other words, the racial and ethnic backgrounds of the faculty and staff members has not been rapidly increasing like the undergraduate student population.

Thomas also shared the importance of understanding diversity within the staff and faculty members at FSU. She goes on to explain how the town of Frostburg is playing an important role regarding the lack of racial diversity amongst staff and faculty members. FSU appears heavily focused on increasing the diversity of the student population. FSU’s website from 2009 reveals a page about cultural diversity and their initiatives to integrate that into the student body population. In contrast to growing the racial diversity of the student population, the university has a great challenge in increasing and promoting the racial diversity of its staff and faculty members.

Graduating senior, Leslie Garcia expressed her thoughts on the diversity in the staff and faculty population at FSU and how that has impacted her as a student. Garcia shares that over the past four years at FSU, she has noticed that the majority of her professors are predominantly White. She mentioned, “You are truly only going to see minority teachers in classes that specifically teach foreign languages.” She continues to point out that the professors that teach at FSU mainly have tenures. She believes that racial diversity in the staff members are very important to a university, but she does not see a change coming to FSU anytime soon.

Students at FSU have tried to tackle the topic of diversity in past years. The Bottom Line article, “FSU Sees Historic Increase In Minority Enrollment, Yet Faculty Diversity Remains Constant” from 2016 emphasizes the high rates of minority enrollment at FSU. The article also focuses on the low minority rates in the staff and faculty population at the university. 

In a message from  Dr. Ronald Nowaczyk, FSU’s President, he states, “Colleges and universities are truly microcosms of the world in which we live. It is therefore our responsibility to create an environment for students, faculty and staff that embraces and values that diversity while also providing an education about the intrinsic value of different genders, sexualities, races, cultural backgrounds, nationalities and religions. At Frostburg State University, the President’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion provides direction about how to create a welcoming environment that facilitates a truly diverse community. It is my hope that the information found in this website will provide insight into the efforts of the PACD and our entire University community as we strive to prepare our students to approach our world with an open mind.”

'If the truth helps you ... you shout it loud'

Otherwise, invoke your 5th Amendment rights, defense attorney says

By Kevin Spradlin and Phil Wheeler
ENGL 336

Related links:
* Inconsistencies apparent in judicial board process
* Students: Know your rights 
* Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (2017-18)
* FSU Student Affairs Annual Report (2016-17)
* Association of Student Conduct Administration: Preponderance of Evidence Standard
* ABA Report: Balancing student rights with school safety

CUMBERLAND, Md. — Sarah J. Willetts recalled an episode of Law & Order: SVU in which New York Police Detective Olivia Benson was arrested, handcuffed and escorted out of the building. Her partner, Elliot Stabler, yelled to her, "Olivia, don't say another word."




Photo by Kevin Spradlin

A Frostburg State University student awaits Frostburg Police Department

Patrolman Tony Rossignuolo, who is completing paperwork inside his patrol

vehicle after a two-car accident outside of the Frostburg State University 

Veterans Center on December 4. The disposition of this case was unknown.

That should, Willetts said, speak volumes about what students should say to police if they are suspected of having committed a crime.

"If the police are telling the police not to talk to the police, then you shouldn't talk to the police," said the defense attorney with Noonan and Noonan in Cumberland. "If the truth helps you, you stand up on the table and you shout it loud. If the truth hurts you, that's when you invoke your right to remain silent. It's always good to invoke your right to an attorney if you think you've been accused of a crime."

Willetts said once a student gives any incriminating evidence or statements to the police, "you can't unring that bell."

That, of course, is a bit opposite of what area law enforcement agencies need to help maintain law and order. T. Scott Donahue is with the Frostburg State University Police Department. He has 26 years' service with the agency, including the last eight as operations lieutenant. 

"We rely on (students') assistance as much as anybody here," Donahue said. "Student cooperation is very, very important."

Lt. T. Scott Donahue,
operations lieutenant with the
Frostburg State University
Police Department.

Donahue discussed the moment when a law enforcement officer has a professional obligation to stop asking questions of an individual. That moment, he said, is when the person being questioned becomes a suspect, such as "if you make an admission of some sort, or you might have information about that crime. At that point, that changes. Then I need to read you your rights and let you know that you don't have to speak with me. You have the right to an attorney being present before you answer any questions. You have to be careful. You need to read that person their rights."

Donahue said one way the agency has helped students be able to provide information without incriminating themselves is by setting up the tips hotline. The phone number — 687-STOP (7867) — allows callers to remain anonymous. The hotline has been in place since the Fall 2010 semester, Donahue said.

Sarah J. Willetts is a defense attorney with Noonan and Noonan in Cumberland. Her firm has represented numerous students over the years. She understand what law enforcement officers are hoping for, but it's important for students to understand what they should and should not do.

"Not cooperating and invoking your Fifth Amendment rights are two different things," Willetts said. "It's an important right."

The battle against alcohol, drugs

Former FSU President Jonathan Gibralter's administration gained national attention as it made strides in combatting underage drinking by students in the campus community. In April 2014, then-Gov. Martin O'Malley signed legislation that decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. Donahue said that it seems as though that while alcohol-related arrests have decreased since then, the number of drug arrests have increased.

The numbers support Donahue's theory. In a three-year snapshot taken from figures in the 2017-18 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, liquor law arrests have decreased by nearly half, from 50 to 26, between 2014 and 2016. Drug arrests, meanwhile, have skyrocketed more than 60 percent in the same time period — from 22 arrests in 2014 to 36 in 2016. 

The statistics are taken from the 2017-18 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report as prepared by the Frostburg State University Police Department. Since the Maryland legislature decriminalization possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2014, alcohol-related arrests have decreased while drug-related arrests have increased.

"We would like to say (the decrease in alcohol-related arrests is) from our efforts, patrol efforts out in the city," Donahue said. "People are using marijuana more, and not so much the alcohol."

Arrest or Referral?

Donahue said that while officers are on patrol, they might notice an odor of marijuana coming from a dorm room. The officer knocks. No one answers.

"Legally, we could step away ... get a search warrant," Donahue said. "But ... you'd hate to do that, and take that in front of a judge, and get him up at 2 or 3 in the morning, and you get a minute amount of marijuana. In most cases, it would be a referral" to the Student Affairs office.

Another scenario? Police notice the smell of marijuana. A dorm room resident has given police consent to search the room. Police find nothing.

"We know that you smoked marijuana," Donahue said. "We don't have anything to charge you on. You might have even admitted it. We can't charge you for just the smell. So we just refer it" to Student Affairs. "We're trained and experienced, and we can totally say that was marijuana."

Photo by Kevin Spradlin

Carl Crowe, director of student conduct and community standards at

Frostburg State University, checks on reports from allied law enforcement
agencies each Monday morning and schedules hearings with students accused

of misconduct towards the end of each week. During the 2016-17 academic 

year, the university conducted nearly 200 administrative hearings and 16 full

judicial board hearings. 

Enter Carl Crowe, the university's director of student conduct and community standards, and Dr. Jeffrey Graham, assistant vice president of Student Affairs.

"One of our goals, really, is to be fair with students," Graham said. "We're never out to get students. We're focused on student safety" and the safety of the community. 

For Graham and Crowe, the rules of evidence are quite different than in a court of law. So is the standard of proof to conclude a student is guilty or not.

"We're trying to follow a semblance of due process," Graham said, "because that's what the law requires."

The landmark court case that helped set today's process at public universities across the country was Dixon v Alabama State Board of Education (1961). 

"Everybody knows about this case," Graham said. "It stipulated that universities, colleges, who receive public funding ... they have to have a (system) or some type of due process that students are due. That doesn't mean the same as a court of law. That's why a lot of people get confused at why they can't have an attorney represent them. It's not that we won't ever talk to attorneys. They can be present at a panel hearing, not an administrative hearing. That's not the type of due process you're guaranteed. You're only due the process that the university says you're do."

Attorneys are permitted to sit with their student-clients during an administrative hearing only at the mercy of the hearing office. In judicial board hearings, the attorney can be in the room but, Graham said, cannot speak on the student's behalf or cross-examine witnesses.

Willetts sees both sides of the issue, but wants students to know one thing: There is no right to attend college.

"Going to school is a privilege, not a right," Willetts said, noting that each university "has the right to have their own little system."

Willetts said students need to work within the system if they get caught up in it. Willetts has represented several students during judicial board hearings. While she is unable to ask questions of witnesses, she can assist the student and advise what questions to ask. In a recent hearing, Willetts said she asked for a recess "probably half a dozen ... eight times" to ensure the student understood what to do next. 

Photo by Brooke Erickson

Allied law enforcement agencies, including the Frostburg 

State University Police Department and the City of Frostburg

Police Department, along with the Allegany County Sheriff's

Office and the Maryland State Police, help to keep the 

campus community safe. 

An attorney's presence is worth it for the student, Willetts said. While the student still faces an uphill battle — each member of the judicial board, except for the student member, is paid by the university, after all — it's important to note that "there's not actually too much that's fair in this world, but sometimes you get appropriate outcomes."

A win, she said, is when a student is facing expulsion but instead is suspended only for a semester. 

"That's not a bad outcome," Willetts said.

Swift Justice - Too Swift?

Graham said it is important for Student Affairs to take action on actionable cases as quickly as possible. But is it too quick? That's for the reader to decide, but there are some issues to consider. 

Graham said it's a hit-or-miss situation as to whether or not the university receives a report every time a student is accused of shoplifting from Walmart. Graham called it an "almost weekly" occurrence. 

"It's like throwing a dart at the wall and seeing if it sticks," Graham said. "Sometimes they report it to us, sometimes they don't. It's up to us, then, to determine how fair we're going to be to a student. If we find out eight months after ... are we going to hammer that student? No, that's not reasonable. If we get a report on a student the week that they did it, then we have a different reaction to that. There's a different kind of conversation for us."

Graham explained that a key value of the student conduct enforcement process is speed. 

"Our procedures are much quicker than the legal process," Graham said, "so that we have those conversations quickly. We don't necessarily punish here. We provide sanctions." 

Graham said three critical elements of a successful judicial process is that "it's got to be swift, it's got to be sure (and) it's got to be consistent. That's why we try to get a student in here within a week. Sometimes that's because we don't want them to do the same thing again next weekend."

Members of a judicial board hearing don't have much information to go on. There is the police report, comments from the officer, comments from the investigating officer (often Crowe), and any statements the student might offer on his or her own behalf. The members have ready access to any criminal charges the student might be facing. However, there is no way to know at the time whether or not the disposition of those charges. In many cases — like the assault charge on Carrasco, or the felony charges against Smith — the charges can be dropped. By the time that happens, though, justice has long been administered at the university level.

Both Graham and Crowe attempted to distinguish the judicial board hearing process from the process in a criminal court of law. The former is not much like the latter, Graham said. Except in the many ways they are similar. Graham acknowledged that a student who is defending allegations of student misconduct can hear charges that are pending, hear from a police officer during the hearing, can present their own information, ask questions of witnesses and have an attorney by their side.

"It is much like a court," Graham said.

Except, that is, for one crucial element: the standard of proof.

"The courts and the court system are trying to determine whether or not the student has violated law," Crowe said. "They have their own policies, procedures, standards of evidence that they use. As a university, we're not here to adjudicate whether or not you broke the law. What we're trying to do is to determine whether or not you violated university policy."

Whereas "beyond reasonable doubt" is the standard used in criminal court, university administrators have a much lower threshold. Institutions of higher learning use the preponderance of evidence standard, which is defined as "the proof need only show that the facts are more likely to be than not so."


Group members Brooke Erickson and Robert Higham contributed to this story. 

Inconsistencies apparent in judicial board process analysis

Two students. Two arrests. Two very different outcomes. 

By Kevin Spradlin, Brooke Erickson,
Phil Wheeler and Robert Higham
ENGL 336

FROSTBURG, Md. — In more ways than one, Donald "Diego" Carrasco has accepted responsibility for his actions.

At approximately 10:43 p.m. on Sept. 10, 2016, the Frostburg State University junior was seen holding a bottle of alcohol outside a private residence on Center Street in Frostburg by FSU Police Department Senior Corporal Roy R. McKenzie Jr. . McKenzie knew Carrasco was not yet 21 because he had recently cited him for underage alcohol consumption. This was at least the fourth run-in with the law for Carrasco. He was slightly intoxicated on this September evening. And with the newest citation being written, he was angry.

"I was kind of upset because there were a lot of other people there who were drinking and who I know aren't 21," Carrasco said. "(McKenzie) didn't ID anyone else. I was pretty upset."

Carrasco told McKenzie he was not going to sign the citation. Friends, however, convinced him to do so. Signing a citation does not admit guilt but merely acknowledges receipt of the citation. Remember, though, Carrasco was angry. And under the influence of alcohol.

"I signed it, and then I bounced the pen off the hood of the car," Carrasco recalled. "The pen ... bounced back and hit Officer McKenzie in the face."

Donald "Diego" Carrasco

Carrasco's recollection matches up almost perfectly with McKenzie's account of the situation. In his statement of probable cause for the arrest, McKenzie wrote that Carrasco first asked him not to write the citation, and then "kept yelling at me" not to do so. Carrasco then "took the pen and wrote '(expletive) U'." Mr. Carrasco threw the pen at the citation book. The pen (then) bounced off the citation book and struck me in the left cheek just below my eye. He turn turned and started to walk away."

With the situation having escalated, McKenzie "took Mr. Carrasco to the ground and (I) told him he was under arrest."

Carrasco was handcuffed and taken to the police station for processing. Carrasco was charged with underage consumption of alcohol, disorderly conduct, public intoxication and second-degree assault on a police officer. Upon conviction, the maximum sentence he faced included 10 years in prison and/or a $2,500 fine for the assault charge; 60 days in jail and/or a $500 for disorderly conduct; and 90 days in jail and/or a $100 fine for the creating a public disturbance while intoxicated.

First assigned a public defender, Carrasco eventually hired a private attorney. David E. Kindermann, of Montgomery County-based Kindermann Law Offices, was at Carrasco's side in February when he pleaded guilty to a single charge of disorderly conduct. All of the other charges were dropped. Carrasco was ultimately sentenced to a $500 fine and 60 days in jail, both suspended; along with 12 months of unsupervised probation, 40 hours of community service and was required to complete a 26-week alcohol education program at a counseling center.

Long before that February court date, however — in fact, only one day after the incident took place — Carrasco had learned he would also face possible sanctions from the university's Office of Student Affairs. Carl Crowe, director of student conduct and community standards, was made aware of Carrasco's arrest by way of an automated system supported by several law enforcement agencies, including the Frostburg State University Police Department, the Frostburg Police Department, the Allegany County Sheriff's Office, the Garrett County Sheriff's Office and several others. Learning of Carrasco's latest incident was as easy as opening up an email.

Carl Crow, director of 

student conduct and 

community standards at

Frostburg State University.

"It's not uncommon that if a student is cited by ... Frostburg city police, we'll be informed," Crowe said. "They share that information with FSU police, who in turn shares that information with our office. If they have an ongoing investigation and they haven't shared something with us, then we may not be able to (act on the alleged violations). But as soon as they file the report, and we have the names and know that they're students, that would initiate a review."

Restricted by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as FERPA, Crowe was unable to discuss the particulars of Carrasco's incident, and the subsequent judicial board, or panel hearing, that Carrasco was subjected to. A judicial panel is generally comprised of five members, with a mix of staff and faculty and always one student member. However, Carrasco provided that he was given a $500 fine, payable to the school, required to complete three alcohol education modules online, and was put on disciplinary academic probation until his undergraduate studies have been completed.

"They fine you every single time," Carrasco said.

Carrasco said despite his previous brushes with the law, this was his first judicial board. Prior to that Crowe, as the primary administrative office for student conduct, "decides what's going to happen," Carrasco said.

Carrasco felt he had a right to be upset twice during his altercation with police, starting as soon as McKenzie rounded the corner and saw a group of students holding red Solo cups and bottles of beer and alcohol.

"I think the original reason why I got mad," Carrasco said, "was because I felt like Officer McKenzie singled me out, in a sense, because he knew me and he knew I wasn't of age. It was an easy police move to make. At the time, I was really upset about it, but I don't think it was that big of deal. Other than that, he probably didn't need to tackle me, but I guess he ... just got hit in the face and didn't know what happened, either, and just reacted. I don't think anything happened that was, like, too out of line."

In fact, Carrasco said, he and McKenzie seemed to patch things up the day after the incident, as McKenzie took him to and from District Court in Cumberland.

"We're real cool now," Carrasco said. "He talked me on the ride home" and the consensus in the patrol vehicle was that what Carrasco had done the night before "was pretty dumb."

"That whole weekend was pretty much a terrible weekend," Carrasco said.

Carrasco turned 21 in March. The social sciences major said he currently sports a 3.1 grade point average and is aiming for  a May 2018 graduation. He aspires to be a teacher, and is considering graduate school.

Student B - "Bob Smith"

A second student had a very different experience with the Crowe and Dr. Jeffrey Graham, assistant vie president for student affairs — and Crowe's boss. This second student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to ongoing legal issues in District Court, actually had almost no experience at all.

Nearly five weeks after Carrasco's Sept. 10 transgression, this student — he will be referred to as Bob Smith, though that is not his real name — was operating a stolen motorcycle on Interstate 68 near LaVale, about four miles east of campus. Smith and two of his friends, who were also on stolen motorcycles, came to the attention of the Maryland State Police when there was an alert about "three motorcycles travel(ing) at high speeds and reckless," according to the statement of probable cause filed by Trooper First Class S. Bennett.

Bennett turned on his radar, which showed the motorcycles traveling at 92 miles per hour as they headed west towards Frostburg. Bennett followed. The motorcycle operators took notice of his pursuit. and "immediately accelerated and began weaving in and out of traffic at speeds well over 100 mph," Bennett charged.

The three motorcycles took Exit 34. Two of them then turned left onto Cherry Lane. One was lagging. Bennett decided it was time to pull him over, and activated his emergency siren and lights in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop. Smith didn't stop.

Smith, on a yellow motorcycle, "looked back, saw my lights and siren from approximately two car lengths ... (then) accelerated," Bennett wrote.

Smith allegedly traveled north in the southbound lane, up State Route 36. Smith then turned onto Old National Pike, with Bennett in pursuit.

Bennett followed procedure and backed off. He turned onto Old National Pike and soon caught up with Smith. Bennett first saw the yellow motorcycle in the middle of the roadway, and "I located the driver over the embankment, laying in the thick weeds."

Smith was, surprisingly, fine — medically speaking. Legally, he was taken to the District Court commissioner and charged with numerous traffic offenses and two felonies, including vehicle theft, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine, and theft of property between $10,000 and under $100,000, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and/or a $15,000 fine.

That night, Smith alerted a trusted Frostburg State University faculty member. Within 72 hours of his arrest, Smith and the faculty member went to Dr. Jeffrey Graham, assistant vice president of student affairs, and told him what happened.

The criminal court process began playing itself out. Mostly complete as of now, Smith hired Sarah Willetts, of Noonan and Noonan in Cumberland, to represent him. Most of the charges were dropped. In addition to criminal court procedures, however, Smith also lost his part-time job — one that helped him pay for school.

But from the Office of Student Affairs? Not a peep.

The process - explained

Graham said that in certain high-profile incidents like the shooting that occurred last week on Bowery Street, law enforcement agencies aren't forthcoming with information in a timely manner, "especially when C3I ... gets involved. They're not sharing with anybody ... until they're ready to make an arrest."

C3I is the Combined County Criminal Investigation Unit based in Cumberland.

Dr. Jeffrey Graham, 

assistant vice president 

of student affairs at 

Frostburg State University. 

Judicial board hearings are relatively rare. Crowe said he conducted nearly 200 administrative, one-on-one conduct hearings with students during the 2016-17 academic year. There were only 16 judicial board hearings in the same year in Student Affairs.

Crowe explained that students are first afforded the opportunity to talk with him, and he shares the incident report from the law enforcement agency at the time. Crowe asks the student for the accuracy of the story.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, it's like, 'yeah,' and then the head goes down," Crowe said.

But Crowe said he doesn't stop there, with the student's apparent admission of guilt. He asks for the student's side of the story "so I can get a better idea of what's going on. If they've done it, they're going to be in violation (of the student code of conduct) but the information they provide can maybe help me craft a better sanction that's going to respond to their behavior."

Like Crowe, Graham was restricted from discussing specifics from any student's case due to FERPA. But he suggested that "maybe" the incident was similar to a recent alleged robbery on campus, in that "we've never seen a police report."

If there is another agency investigating these kinds of crimes ... there are times we never get a report," Graham said. "There could be times that person is actually cooperating with police, and they won't share the report with us. They just won't. So we don't have anything to go off of. Because somebody tells us something is not really actionable. We have to try to get a report."

Graham said at least one attempt was made to obtain the report from Maryland State Police. However, he did not indicate whether or not anyone from Student Affairs contacted District Court for the same document. Graham said Maryland State Police, the agency responsible for filing the report on Smith, is not a part of the university's automated information-sharing system.

At District Court, an official said the statement of probable cause filed by the trooper would have been considered a public document as soon as it was filed. As for when a university administrator could have obtained a copy of the report, "they could have done that anytime" after Smith's appearance before the District Court commissioner, which occurred only a handful of hours after his arrest.


"There's lots of reasons why we've been frustrated many times, (when) police don't want to share reports with us," Graham said. "Sometimes that can be a problem for us. There's lots of variables in how reports come to us. We try to be reasonable with students. We try to follow up with law enforcement."

Graham noted that there is no statute of limitations for his office to take action against a student for a violation of the community standards, commonly referred to as the student code of conduct. However, Graham said, the length of time passed since the transgression, as well as the student's record since the incident, would be factored into any decision made about a late-arriving report.

"Obviously, if it was heinous, there would still probably be some immediate action," Graham said. "We always try to operate under the assumption of being reasonable. What would a reasonable person do? That's what student conduct is really about. What does the community think about this kind of issues?"

Graham acknowledged that the caseload can be overwhelming at times.

"The reality is, there is too much heavy lifting for one person," Graham said.

In the end, the result is favorable to one student and not the other. Due to the limitations of FERPA, it is difficult to obtain an accurate picture of how severe the inconsistency might be. But even T. Scott Donahue, operations lieutenant with the Frostburg State University Police Department, sees the two cases quite differently.

"I don't know why" the two cases were treated differently, Donahue said. "Here's a young man with an alcohol issue ... and he gets hammered. And this guy kind of walks away."

Frostburg State University Remains Affordable Option for Higher Education, Educates Students About Impact of Student Loans

By: Megan Lehew, David Carter, Alissa Mattis, and Ethan Vandeck

What's something that many college graduates have in common? Student debt!

Student loan debt is a growing issue among college graduates, and has become an increasingly large financial burden for graduates to manage. According to The Institute for College Access and Success, the Class of 2016 average debt for the state of Maryland was $27,455, and the national average for the Class of 2016 is $37,172, according to Student Loan Hero. 

Student loan debt currently outpaces debt from both auto loans and credit cards, and is second in sheer magnitude only to mortgage debt nationally. In 2017, total student loan debt topped $1.31 trillion, and there are approximately 44.2 million borrowers throughout the U.S. In order to pay back the loans some students have to work two to three jobs upon graduation. In addition to multiple jobs, many of them are also choosing to move back in with their parents to save money. With the student loan debt on the rise, it’s important for students to consider schools that are affordable.  Frostburg State University is one of the most affordable public colleges, with an average public debt per student of only $25,347 - down $2,100 from the state average, and down almost $12,000 from the national average.

LendEDU, a website started by Nate Matherson and Matt Lenhard - who are also student loan borrowers and whose aim is to provide financial literacy as well as loan refinance and consolidation options - has Frostburg ranked as #147 out of the 200 public schools with the lowest amount of debt per student. Although this is a 6.24% increase from 2015, Frostburg is still rated as 14th for student debt for the state of Maryland, which puts Frostburg as a relatively affordable, low-debt school.

Pullen Hall, location of the FSU Financial Aid Office

In fact, compared to other Maryland public schools such as University of Maryland (UMD), Frostburg is an affordable alternative for most students. The Institute for College Access and Success shows that students at UMD - College Park typically graduate with approximately $27,559 worth of debt, and students at Morgan State University graduate with almost $37,000 worth of debt. This difference may be at least partly due to the fact that FSU awarded a little over half (57%) of their full-time, undergraduate students some form of need-based aid in the 2016 - 2017 academic year, thus lowering the total amount that students needed to borrow in student loans. This need-based aid, such as grants, helps to alleviate the need of taking on student debt, which will then alleviate the overall burden of debt upon graduation. It is important that students understand the importance of filing their FAFSA on time in order to take advantage of need-based aid, especially if they would be considered in need.

It’s also important to remember that Frostburg offers the same programs that would be found on larger, more expensive college campuses. For example: the College of Business is AACSB-accredited. This accreditation is only currently held by 796 business schools across the world, including Georgetown ($26,000+ per academic year) and Harvard ($45,000+ per academic year). And within FSU’s College of Business, the  online Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) program was ranked among the top five most affordable online MBAs in the nation for 2016 according to The Best Master’s Degrees. That students have access to this level of education for around $10,000 per academic year (in-state) is a wonderful opportunity, and one that makes any financial burden feel a little lighter. In fact, FSU’s combination of excellence in education and an affordable price tag have earned them the title of one of MONEY magazine's Best Value Colleges for 2017.

Kelli Kidwell, Financial Aid Counselor at FSU

Unfortunately, no matter how excellent the value of the school is, student loans are still almost inevitable for most college students. Overall for the state of Maryland, approximately 55% of graduates are currently still saddled with debt. According to Kelli Kidwell, FSU Financial Aid Counselor, approximately 93% of FSU students are paying back student loans as of 2017. Although this statistic may seem alarming, these students are being well-educated by FSU’s Financial Aid Office on their entire borrowing process, from first taking out the loans to paying them back upon graduation.

When a student takes out their very first federal student loan, they must go through an entrance interview, conducted online. “This covers the difference between the types of loans, the interest rate, how interest is calculated, and examples of estimated payments with every payment plan the Dept. of Ed. offers,” says Kelli Kidwell. The purpose of these interviews is to educate students on the responsibility of their student loans, as well as provide them with enough information for them to make informed decisions about taking the loan. The student will also receive information from their loan servicer with details about their specific loan, including interest rate and amount.

A student waits to be helped at the FSU Financial Aid Office, inside of Pullen Hall

The knowledge doesn’t stop there, though. The Financial Aid Office also offers financial literacy talks throughout the semester to Freshman Orientation classes, per the professor’s request, as well as a multitude of resources both in their office and on the FSU website. Among these resources is the Debt Management page, which offers students information pertaining to student loan and credit card debt. This page gives students links to sites such as Cash Course, which provides free online financial education courses, as well as information about accessing their free credit report. There is also a link to information about repayment options, and Kelli Kidwell says that the Financial Aid Office also offers pamphlets about repayment and deferment options.

Finally, once a student borrower is in their final semester of college, they must go through an exit interview - also conducted online. This interview once again goes over the loan information, repayment options, and any other pertinent information the student may need. The purpose of this interview is to ensure that the student borrower is well-informed and able to make good financial choices regarding their loans upon graduation.

Frostburg State University continues to be an affordable option for higher education. They provide a top-notch education at a relatively low price tag, and they continue to do a fantastic job in educating their students on the importance and responsibility of borrowing federal funds for student loans.

For more information about student loans and repayment options, check out A Brief Glance at Student Loan Repayment Options.

A Brief Glance at Student Loan Repayment Options

By: Megan Lehew, David Carter, Alissa Mattis, and Ethan Vandeck

Photo Credit: Frostburg State Graduation Facebook page

Students at Frostburg State University (FSU) may be eligible to receive Stafford subsidized or unsubsidized loans from the Federal Government. Subsidized loans do not accrue interest while a student is in school or in the 6-month grace period after graduation, whereas unsubsidized loans will begin accruing interest from the day they are disbursed and continue to do so even through the grace period.

In order to find out information about what kinds of loans the student has taken out, how much they are, the interest rate, and the servicer, the student should visit the Federal Student Aid website and create a log-in. Once the student has logged in, there will be a table which lists each loan by loan type, servicer, payment due date, outstanding principal balance, and outstanding interest balance (if there is any). Students can then go directly to their servicer’s website, create an account there, and manage all of their loans with that servicer.

Once the student has created an account, they can view their repayment options. One important option that many students don’t take advantage of is making a payment while they are still enrolled in school. If the loan is within 180 days of disbursement, any amount repaid towards it can be applied as a “refund”. This means that rather than being applied towards principal and interest (if any is accruing), the payment will go directly towards the principal balance of the loan, and the accrued interest will be recalculated as necessary. If the loan is out of its 180-day period, a student can still make a payment onto it to help reduce the balance owed upon graduation. Many servicers will even allow borrowers to allot how they want the payment to be applied - for instance, to the loan with the highest balance, or the loan with the highest interest rate. Student loans don’t have to be something that are forgotten about until six months after graduation when the first payment comes due!

Once that first payment does come due, however, borrowers have some options on how to repay it. Each loan servicer offers several repayment plans - many of them based on income. Listed below are some of the most common, and a borrower’s servicer should offer a majority of what is listed, if not all of them.

• Level: Borrowers will pay equal payments throughout the 10-year repayment period of the loan. This plan is based strictly on the loan balance.
• Graduated: The loan payments start at a lower amount and gradually increase, usually in 2-year increments, throughout a 10-year repayment period. This plan is also based strictly on the loan balance.
• Pay As You Earn (PAYE): The monthly payments are 10% of the borrower’s discretionary income and are recalculated annually based on income and family size. The borrower’s spouse’s income and student loan payments will also be taken into consideration regardless of how borrowers file their taxes. Any outstanding balance remaining after 20 or 25 years will be forgiven.
• Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR): Borrower’s monthly payments are 10% - 15% of their discretionary income and are recalculated annually based on income and family size. Borrower’s spouse’s income and student loan payments are only taken into consideration if taxes are filed jointly. Any outstanding balance remaining after 20 or 25 years will be forgiven.
• Income-Contingent Repayment Plan (ICR): Borrower’s monthly payment is the lesser of 20% of discretionary income or the amount they would pay on on a fixed payment plan over 12 years. Payments are recalculated annually based on income and family size, and their spouse’s income will only be taken into consideration if taxes are filed jointly. Any outstanding balance remaining after 25 years will be forgiven.

Of course, there are pros and cons to each of the repayment plans, even those that are based on income and may seem like the better option. The decision of which plan to choose should be one that the borrower researches and weigh out, but it’s good to know that there are several options to choose from.

Another option for repayment if a borrower has loans with several loan servicers is loan consolidation. This eliminates making several payments each month to different servicers, and allows borrowers to have one loan with one servicer (so, only one monthly payment). If a borrower is struggling to make their payments, there are options for a deferment or forbearance (where the borrower is not responsible for a payment for a certain length of time, if they qualify). There are also certain options for student loan forgiveness if the borrower goes into a specific career path upon graduation.

Student loans don’t have to be a scary, confusing topic. With the proper tools, they can be easily understood and become less of a burden upon graduation.