Success Services

Being a student can be challenging. The Success Services offered through the Office of Student Financial Aid aim to support your experience so you can achieve your own journey of success. Take advantage by engaging with a Success Coach, find a mentor, receive Basic Needs support, and/or grow important skills through our Be Engaged Workshop Series. Take advantage to empower your success!

email icon    success@finaid.wisc.edu
phone icon   608-262-3060
pin drop location icon   333 East Campus Mall, 9th Floor

Meet Our Team

Frequently Asked Questions

REQUEST SUCCESS COACHING

Campus Resource Guide

Find important resources and supports for help with class, health and wellness, life after college, identity based organizations, and getting involved.

 

Success Coaches meet regularly in a 1:1 setting with students to support their successful navigation of the UW-Madison Experience. The relationship is predicated on the student’s individual needs and aims to establish as well as maintain a comprehensive success plan—involving a variety of topics and goals. While our coaches serve as a constant point of contact for any student, they also rely heavily on warm referrals to campus resources to ensure students are appropriately connected.

As a student there are many key areas of focus that contribute to your overall success.  While working with a Success Coach, together we will work through the components of the Success Wheel to develop helpful strategies and skills for your time as a student and beyond.

What could a meeting with a Success Coach look like?

  • Exploring calendar and planning options to better time manage the semester
  • Create a monthly budget
  • Discussing learning styles and study skills
  • Problem solve a challenge situation and/or relationship
  • Talk through internship and/or employment options as a student

Get connected:

Virtual & In-Person 1:1s are available!  Meet with a Success Coach in a method that works best for you.

REQUEST SUCCESS COACHING

Contact us with any additional questions you may have: success@finaid.wisc.edu

Basic Needs support offers dedicated resources to assist students in gaining access to food, housing, and insurance to promote overall wellness while attending UW-Madison. We have Basic Needs Assistants ready to support in getting students connected to resources including programs such as Foodshare and Badgercare, as well as getting connected to different food pantry’s or other resources.

Take Advantage:

Students can sign-up for an appointment with one of our Basic Needs Assistants via Starfish in MyUW, by contacting us directly at basic.needs@finaid.wisc.edu, or by completing this short follow-up request form.

Find additional Basic Needs resources & support here: https://financialaid.wisc.edu/basic-needs-resources/

The Be Engaged Workshop Series focuses on Leadership, Wellbeing, &  Self-Exploration. These offer great opportunities to connect with other students while learning key skills and resources to empower student success during your time at UW-Madison.  Check out the Be Engaged Library to view all the previously recorded workshops.

Additionally, our success coaches now host workshops upon request for departments and offices on campus!  Complete the form linked below to request a workshop for your team. 

Be Engaged Virtual Workshop Library

Request a Be Engaged Workshop

Mentors support allows for both the opportunity to connect with a peer as well as an alumni. The peer-to-peer relationship aims to connect students across similar shared experiences while the alumni relationship aims to connect students to alumni with similar interests. Both can be incredibly valuable to support multiple aspects of the student experience, including transitioning as a first year student and finding ways to connect to campus. Mentors and Mentees are able to establish a relationship that works best for both parties. In some cases, this may mean touching base weekly, however, in other cases it may be less frequent. Connection to a mentor can also occur both in-person as well as virtually via text, skype, or phone. No matter, our team is here to help find the most valuable mentor/mentee connection possible!

Take Advantage:

The opportunity to become a mentor or mentee is available throughout the semester as capacity allows.  To request to become a mentor or mentee, please contact success@finaid.wisc.edu.

Get Connected

Kasie Strahl

Position title: Assistant Director for Student Engagement

Email: kasie.strahl@wisc.edu

Phone: 608.263.1578

Kari Temkin

Position title: Student Experience Manager

Email: kari.temkin@wisc.edu

Phone: 608.263.9180

Hannah Line

Position title: Basic Needs Assistant

Email: basic.needs@finaid.wisc.edu

Phone: 608.262.3060

Ellen Magdaleno

Position title: Student Success Coach

Email: success@finaid.wisc.edu

Phone: 608.262.3060

Alizah Qadri

Position title: Basic Needs Assistant

Email: basic.needs@finaid.wisc.edu

Phone: 608.262.3060

Bhavya Shekhawat

Position title: Student Success Coach

Email: success@finaid.wisc.edu

Phone: 608.262.3060

email icon  success@finaid.wisc.edu
email icon  basic.needs@finaid.wisc.edu
phone icon  608-262-3060
pin drop location icon 333 East Campus Mall, 9th Floor

Frequently Asked Questions

Success Coaching FAQ

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What can I get out of Success Coaching?

Students matched with a Success Coach will be able to benefit from a variety of outcomes.  Student Success Coaches are here to listen to you, work through your concerns, and celebrate your successes with you.

Overall, each Success Coaching experience will also provide the following outcomes:

  • Develop intentional strategies that nurture the Wisconsin Experience through collaborations with Success Coach
  • Create connections and gain knowledge of campus and community resources
  • Engage in personal development to gain a greater understanding of personal identities, strengths, limitations, beliefs, values, and attitudes
  • Identify transferable skills from campus and community experiences for future endeavors

How do I get a Success Coach?

Getting matched with a Success Coach is easy!  Fill out the form linked below.

REQUEST SUCCESS COACHING

Additional questions? Email us at success@finaid.wisc.edu and we will follow up.  We can meet virtually one-on-one until we can safely return to campus.

What should I expect from the success coaching relationship?

You can expect the coaching relationship to be a collaborative process.  You and the Success Coach will work together to create a success plan and develop steps to achieve that plan.  Additionally, in order to continue to make progress on the success plan, you can expect to have regular meetings and check-ins with your Success Coach.  These meetings and check-ins can vary in time, frequency, and location and will be determined between the two of you!

How is Success Coaching different from other resources on campus?

Success Coaches will be listeners, supporters, and connectors.  Additionally, the Coaches will assist with solving problems, but are not ‘fixers.’  The importance that both the student and the success coach are equal partners in the relationship is essential!  Success Coaches will also assist in navigating UW-Madison’s campus.  However, there are a few important differences between Success Coaches & other campus resources.

Success Coaches are not:

  • Academic Advisors:  can assist students with questions specific about course selection, academic planning, adding/dropping courses, fulfilling degree requirements, major declaration, etc.
  • Mental Health Professionals/Counselors: support and understand the many complexities of student life.  Mental Health providers, especially UHS, provide an open, safe, and confidential environment for students.
  • Tutors: assist students with specific course content and navigating homework and study skills.

Basic Needs FAQ

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How can I get in touch with a Basic Needs Assistant?

You can sign up for an appointment with one our Basic Needs Assistants through Starfish in MyUW or by contacting us directly at basic.needs@finaid.wisc.edu.  In Starfish, search for “Student Success Center.”

Or connect directly with our Basic Needs Assistant, Marie, via the “Get Connected” section above.

How can a Basic Needs Assistant help me?

Basic Needs Assistants ready to support you with gaining access to food, housing, and insurance.  The Assistants are familiar with Foodshare and Badgercare and the requirements of each respective program.  Additionally, they can help you get connected to different food pantry’s or other resources within campus and the community.

What can I expect from a Basic Needs Appointment?

Appointments are one-on-one with you and the Basic Needs Assistant.  The virtual meeting can be anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour depending on what you need!  If available, it is helpful to bring a laptop to the appointment.

What is Foodshare?

FoodShare is a program that was created to stop hunger and improve nutrition and health of needy families/individuals.  It assists students with limited funds to buy the food they need.  FoodShare is also known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).

You can learn a bit more here about the program: https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1592

Eligibility requirements are as follows:

  • Anyone who has a tier 1 meal plan or no meal plan (this includes those living off campus).
  • Work requirements: students work at least 20 hrs/wk at a regular job or at least 1 hr/wk at a work study job.

As long as the above requirements are being met by the student, they will most likely qualify for FoodShare.

Other students might receive FoodShare services if they are taking care of a child.

What is Badgercare?

Badgercare is Medicaid for anyone who falls under income limits.

Eligibility requirements are as follows:

  • Not on parent’s insurance
  • Does not have SHIP insurance
  • Student who makes under $13,000/year
    • Grants and scholarships may count as income for FASTrack/BANNER students. Contact Marie for additional information.

If student meets all available requirements, they may be eligible for Badgercare.

Be Engaged Workshop Series FAQ

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What is the Workshop Series all about?

The Be Engaged Workshop Series focuses on Leadership, Wellbeing, &  Self-Exploration.  Workshops are currently being held virtually.  Find the links to our works below in the “what are the topics covered in the workshops series?”

What are the topics covered in the Workshop Series?

The Be Engaged Workshop Series focuses on Leadership, Wellbeing, &  Self-Exploration. These offer great opportunities to connect with other students while learning key skills and resources to empower student success during your time at UW-Madison.  Check out our previously recorded workshops in our library linked below.

Be Engaged Virtual Workshop Library

Who all is able to attend Workshops?

Any UW-Madison student is able to attend, so feel free to encourage a friend to join you!

Campus Partners: Working with Success Services FAQ

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How do I refer a student?

 If you have a student who would benefit from success coaching, peer mentoring, or other success services, refer them to us by sending an email to success@finaid.wisc.edu. Our team will follow up with the student to provide more information tailored to their situation.

If you have a student who would benefit from basic needs support, refer them to us by sending an email to basic.needs@finaid.wisc.edu.  Our team will follow up with additional information.

How can I request a Be Engaged Workshop?

Our success coaches regularly facilitate workshops to help students navigate their time at UW, expand their skills, and more — and we now host workshops upon request! View our workshop library and request a workshop for your students today.