Interview with Mary McCaskey
Biography
Mary McCaskey is the Director of Financial Aid & Veteran Affairs and a VA School Certifying
Official for Tennessee Tech. She is a native of Cookeville, TN, and has been working
directly with military and veteran students at Tennessee Tech since 2015 and in support
of military families as a civilian ancillary since 2008. She became the Director of
Financial Aid & Veteran Affairs in 2018 and oversees the administration of federal,
state and institutional aid programs, including all Veteran and Military aid benefits.
Mary ensures proper coordination and management of program development, implementation
and outreach in an effort to create seamless transition and increase veteran students’
access, retention and success. She leads efforts to foster campus awareness of issues
pertaining to financial aid to include student financial literacy and student debt
management. Mary continues to counsel and advise all students and parents regarding
financial needs and problems, and recommend financial aid opportunities, academic
progress, eligibility and procedures.
Mary has been recognized for her volunteer and philanthropic efforts by the 2nd Squadron 17th Cavalry Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell and the United States Army. Mary is also a recipient of Order of St. Joan D'Arc Medallion for her significant voluntary contributions to the Armor and Cavalry communities. In addition to her extensive volunteer efforts, she also served on the board of the Presbyterian Council for Chaplains and Military Personnel (PCCMP).
Mary is the current President of the Tennessee Education Association of Veteran Program Administrators (TEAVPA) and an active member of the State and Regional Financial Aid Organizations (TASFAA and SASFAA).
Lillie Boydston- Can you share what your role as the Director of Financial Aid & Veterans Affairs entails and what your day-to-day life looks like?
Mary McCaskey- I oversee the administration of all federal, state and institutional aid. It is a lot of responsibility and compliance. The federal government has a lot of strict guidelines as far as using those funds, and we want to be good stewards. As far as the day-to-day aspect, it is really hard to share. I would say a lot of meetings, especially when we have regulatory changes that the campus needs to be made aware of. I might meet with the Deans, department chairs or even advisors. I meet with the advisors a lot to discus what issues some of their students might face. A lot of my day also includes meeting with students and their families, as well. By the time they get to me, it’s usually a little more difficult of a situation.
LB- Tech is known for being an extremely affordable public university. How do we make that possible for students?
MM- I’d say a couple of things. One is the fact that we have been able to maintain a relatively low tuition despite the value of a Tech degree. I also think that our flat-rate tuition model has allowed students to maximize their education and hours that they take each semester. We also have a very robust scholarship program as well as a few guaranteed admission scholarships. On top of that, the cost of living here within our community is a lot lower than our competitive schools in those faster growing cities.
LB- What are some common financial challenges that you see with students and their families? What resources does Tech offer to support them through these challenging times?
MM- The type of student that I see have the most challenges is, ironically, those from middle-income families. They are just above that threshold to be eligible for Pell and other federal grants. Most of the time, all that they are eligible for are federal loans. And loans aren’t bad! But sometimes that is all that those middle-income students are eligible for based on their FAFSA data. A lot of other challenges I see with students involve unforeseen circumstances. We have something called a Professional Judgement that students can request in financial aid for those situations. We also have the Eagle Assistance Grant that is available on our hardship website. This is for students who come across some sort of emergency situation that might financially hinder their ability to remain enrolled. It doesn’t go against what they pay and they don’t owe us anything back; it just helps them remain in school.
LB- According to the website, you are a VA School Certifying Official for Tennessee Tech. Can you tell us what that means?
MM- In order to offer VA educational benefits, schools have to be approved by the Department of Veteran Affairs and have those school certifying officials. In order to certify, there is a certain level of training you have to go through which makes myself and two other staff members considered certified officials.
LB- In your opinion, what makes Tech such a military friendly school?
MM- I think having an actual department that is solely dedicated to serving our military-connected students. That includes our veterans, dependents and active duty members. Just having a space for them and being an advocate during their time at Tech. If our active duty members get orders to be deployed or go on a training mission, we work across all departments to put a pause on the student’s academics. In my experience, this campus has gone above and beyond to make sure that whatever needs to happen, will happen.
LB- Can you share an overview of scholarship opportunities and how students can apply for them?
MM- We try to make it as easy as possible for students. We have a central scholarship application that students can submit by December 15 of every year that smart matches them with over 600 competitive scholarships that they are eligible for. The application is found on our website at www.tntech.edu/scholarships.
LB- You have received a long list of awards and recognitions for your efforts. What motivates you?
MM- My passion started with veterans. I have my Masters in Theology and worked as a civilian chaplain on the military side. But once I became the Director of Financial Aid, my passion really moved to having a desire to see all students succeed. Seeing the young adult that they become despite all of the financial challenges they may have faced is very rewarding. And I think my pastoral work helped me prepare for those hard conversations that have to happen along the way.
LB- What do you like to do outside of your professional life?
MM- I really do love working. My job can be stressful at times, but I love working with the students. But, personally, I have a really great group of girlfriends, so I love to get out with them and take little weekend trips. I also love being outside with my pup. I actually moved back to Cookeville about 8 years ago to be closer to my parents as they got older, so this position gives me the opportunity to help them and be close to them when they need me.
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