Victoria Silman | News Editor
Featured Image: The 2018-19 Student Financial Leaders (SFS). | Courtesy of YFile
A student financial peer support team, established through the government’s Mental Health Services Grant, has helped thousands of students with their financial woes.
Established in September 2018, the service is run by students trained to help peers with their financial concerns. According to Advisor and Deputy Spokesperson for the university, Yanni Dagonas, the team has had a significant impact on helping York students.
“So far this year, the team saw more than 5,700 queries related to student finances during the fall semester, and have been incredibly impactful in helping York students navigate their concerns in a peer-to-peer setting,” he says.
Students were trained during the last two weeks of August with Student Financial Liaison Officer, Sylvia Spizzirri, and Financial Aid Trainer Mary Santoli.
“The team has been extensively trained on issues related to student financial services so they can provide helpful advice,” Dagonas says.
“They work closely with York’s student financial advisors to address a variety of questions related to student accounts and OSAP queries, and to provide information and support regarding scholarships and bursaries,” he adds.
According to Dagonas, the team is comprised of six student leaders this year: Isabela Bibulovic, Joanne Ong, Sarah Labib, Lorenzo Panate, Ilia Azari, and Hammad Saif.
The university is currently hiring next year’s student financial leaders (SFS) team. With changes to student funding through OSAP, concerns with how students will handle the stress of finances are being addressed by the service.
“Training will take place every summer before the start of the academic year and will reflect the policies and procedures of the OSAP program,” Dagonas says.
“York is committed to a mentally healthy campus, providing access to a variety of resources, services, and programs to help manage life’s challenges and enhance well-being,” he adds.
In a statement, Ong describes her experience working with the SFS: “It’s been so rewarding to work with students to help them navigate their financial questions. Over the semester we’ve really grown as a team, and not only been able to help students, but also learn more about finances for ourselves.”
The support team can be found on the first floor of the Bennett Centre each week on Monday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
