He has played a key role in several Southwestern initiatives designed to help students and families concentrate on affordability. Prospective students know early on if they qualify for any number of Southwestern merit scholarships, awards that recognize achievement in both academics and the fine arts. The Texas Methodist Foundation now offers merit scholarships to qualified minority students entering Southwestern. SU established a loan program for families called STAR Loans two years ago. Southwestern uses its own money to provide interest-free loans for the four years of school.
Families can use it as a budgeting tool to meet their needs.
In addition, Gilroy and his staff have streamlined the financial aid application process by instituting an electronic student loan application and providing Internet access to financial aid applications. Students and families appreciate and have responded well to Southwestern's efforts. Occasionally, a misconception arises that somehow SU reduces students' financial aid packages arbitrarily after their first years. Generally, there are specific reasons why some students' aid decreases and others' increases. Even though we have tuition increases, we work very hard to maintain the same percentages of grants and scholarships with loans and work study throughout a student's four years.