Have you heard about Notre Dame’s Office of Student Enrichment (OSE)? If so, you may be wondering what exactly this office does. The office name is broad and that is because the OSE provides a variety of services to the student body, with a focus on helping students with limited income adjust to college life.
What does that entail?
The office’s motto is “Inform. Include. Invest.” In practice, the OSE offers funding opportunities for eligible undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need. Specifically, the office stewards the Undergraduate Student Experience Fund.
Aimed toward helping students afford opportunities and resources, the fund assists students with expenses related to:
- moving in to the student’s residence hall
- parent/guardian travel (especially for Welcome Weekend)
- football tickets
- class rings
- winter clothing
- laptops and computer repairs
- professional clothing
- and more!
A student’s eligibility for funds is determined by the Office of Financial Aid. (Students interested in learning more should contact the OSE via email at enrich@nd.edu or phone at 574-631-8639.)
In addition to funding opportunities, the OSE offers programming that addresses students’ academic, social, and professional development needs.
“Our goal as a team is to provide programming that enriches the student experience in ways that they will be able to access for years to come,” says Director Consuela Wilson. “Our programming includes sessions like Understanding Your Financial Aid, Navigating College, Budgeting, Network and the Job Search, Investing 101, Cooking on a Budget, and many more.”
The office is host to Fighting Irish Scholars, which awards recipients $2,000 for the academic year to spend at their own discretion. Scholars are included in special events, are placed in a leadership role within the scholar group, and do not have to reapply in future years.
The OSE is also home to Dream ND, a community of support for DACA and undocumented undergraduate students at Notre Dame. Dream ND offers programming for students and financial, academic, and legal support. Student resources include pastoral care, career development services, and a support group through the University Counseling Center (UCC), among many others.
The Senior Fellows Program is another OSE resource. Senior Fellows take on specific roles which offer a stipend: Office and Communications, Dorm Ambassador Lead, or Peer Mentor Lead. Senior fellows “work to facilitate culture change on campus by helping to bring the issues and concerns of first-generation, under-resourced, and DACA/undocumented students to the forefront of student life.”
Senior Fellow Myldred Hernandez-Gonzalez '25, architecture and Latino studies double major, is a first-generation student who says the OSE has been a helpful resource since she was a first-year student. She has been assisted with funding for football tickets and help with flying her parents to campus for Junior Parents Weekend, among other needs. These resources have allowed her to take part in some very important parts of Notre Dame culture.
“There are few colleges that I can think of where they invest so much into student experiences, especially for under-resourced students,” says Hernandez-Gonzalez.
All OSE resources and programs aim toward creating an inclusive campus community where students feel empowered.
“Our goal is to support every student having their ‘Notre Dame Experience’ without monetary boundaries getting in the way and facilitating cohorts for first generation/under-resourced college students so that all students can find community!” says Wilson.
Hernandez-Gonzalez encourages students to take advantage of the resources available through the OSE. “The OSE team truly cares about the students they serve, are extremely approachable, and they go above and beyond to meet students' needs,” she says. “I have made great senior fellow friends who come from similar backgrounds as me and I think we all give 110% in the office to put events together.”
Learn More
Check out this video to learn more about the Office of Student Enrichment.