As a 26-year veteran of University of Wisconsin student financial services, Susan Fischer said she would be honored to assume the helm of the department and fill the void left by her former boss and colleague Steve Van Ess.

Since Van Ess retired earlier this year, Fisher, the associate director of the department since 1990, has found herself in a position — as well as two other experienced candidates, Craig Munier from the University of Nebraska and Albert Hermsen from the University of Michigan — to continue his vision and goals as senior Director of Student Financial Services.

"A lot of the things Steve did was [sic] under the radar, but always student-centered, our office is student-centered," Fischer said. "I was not happy to have him announce his retirement, because he always kept students at the forefront of everything we do and I would like to keep that tradition going."

While Fischer said she hopes to continue this tradition at UW, she realizes the university is facing trying times amid recent budgeting trends and the department must strive to overcome them by utilizing other resources.

"We absolutely have to go out and try to get some private money," she said. "We've got to get some champions out there who, if they benefited from aid when they were a student, they're now making good successes … I think that's where we need to focus."

And despite the areas where UW student financial services could improve, Fisher said the department is dealing well with what has become a "national" issue.

"It is OK, but it's not great," she said of UW's current student financial program. "It's increasingly clear that there's not sufficient funds to meet the needs of students on this campus, as well as other campuses."

Last year, Fischer said, after being allocated $27 million in scholarships and $24 million in need-based grants, UW students still had $15 million in unmet needs, $8.6 million of which was shouldered by undergrads.

"The biggest concern for me at the moment is, for our undergraduates, you get what we call 'unmet' need," she said. "[Sometimes] we've put everything we can that you qualify for … and sometimes, it isn't full."

Fisher said because there simply is not enough money to go around, students and others often feel shorted by the system.

"[It's] not because somebody else got it, we're just trying to divvy it out equally and there's just not enough there," she said. "The federal government hasn't been able to keep up, the state hasn't been able to keep up, now the cost of school keeps going up because the state is not supplementing tuition like it used to, so it's a vicious circle."

Fisher added the department has been doing a good job dividing up the right money to the right students, considering all the red tape.

"I think we're doing a good job, I really do," she said. "Given all of the restrictions on it, I just don't think there's enough of it."

Even with her robust UW financial experience, Fisher faces some tough competition to officially become Van Ess' successor.

"We have incredibly strong candidates," Special Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor and coordinator of the candidates' visits, Terry Ruzicka said. "It's just great candidates [sic] … it's all about students."

So far, Ruzicka said the process has been going pretty well for all of the contenders.

"I think we've had a lot of good participation, it's been a very inclusive process," she said.

But that doesn't faze Fisher, who said any candidate is suitable for the position.

"We all know each other," Fisher said. "I know these gentlemen and they are good people … the university will not go wrong no matter who gets elected."