Student Financial Services welcomes Kris Hopkins

As Associate Director for Undergraduate Financial Aid, Kris Hopkins manages the undergraduate need-based aid team in Student Financial Services. New to this role and to UVA as of December 4, Hopkins has a wealth of experience in financial aid, most recently at Colgate University, as well as experience in career services, alumni affairs, and even government relations. 

 The thread that ties her background together is a love of facilitating: helping others to clear obstacles so they can do what they feel they’re meant to do.

In her new role at UVA, Hopkins looks forward to working with the undergraduate aid team to help students and families understand the sometimes complex world of financial aid.

Hopkins says helping students access the tools they need to succeed is a fulfilling part of her job, but she also relishes the opportunity to do the same thing for those on her team. 

“I see part of my role here as helping people have conversations about what it is they want and/or need to do, and then helping them to navigate the speed bumps and potholes that may get in their way as they work to achieve their goals,” she said.

In addition to finding the culture in Student Financial Services to be a good fit for her, Hopkins has also acclimated well to Virginia.

“It feels like coming home on some level,” she said, noting that she has about a dozen relatives living within a few hours.

The natural beauty and points of interest in Virginia have also helped: “We didn’t have too many friends asking to visit us in the frozen tundra of Upstate New York, but I’m finding that a lot of people want to visit us in Charlottesville!”