{"id":44208,"date":"2026-05-19T17:45:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/?page_id=44208"},"modified":"2026-05-19T17:48:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:48:44","slug":"thrive-program-faqs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/thrive\/thrive-program-faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Thrive Program FAQ&#8217;s"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"padding-left: 320px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/04\/Thriive.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-44139\" src=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/04\/Thriive-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"The word &quot;THRIVE&quot; over a black pattern.\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/04\/Thriive-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/04\/Thriive-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/04\/Thriive.jpg 574w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"padding-left: 280px;\"><strong>AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 360px;\"><strong>Thrive Program FAQ<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 160px;\">Frequently asked questions for eligible education majors about Thrive Program eligibility, support, expectations, financial assistance, and contact.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"welcome-title\">Welcome<\/h2>\n<p>Thank you for your interest in the Thrive Program for eligible Education majors. The Thrive Program is funded by the Educator Tuition Assistance Program (ETAP) Grant and is designed to support student empowerment, leadership development, academic excellence, and successful progress toward teacher licensure at Augsburg University.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<section id=\"about\" class=\"faq-section\" aria-labelledby=\"about-title\">\n<div class=\"section-kicker\">About the Program<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"about-title\">What does the Thrive Program do?<\/h2>\n<details>\n<summary>What is the Thrive Program?<\/summary>\n<p>The Thrive Program supports eligible Augsburg University students in the Education Department Licensure Program. The program provides mentorship, professional development, networking opportunities, community building, and direct tuition assistance.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What is Thrive\u2019s main goal?<\/summary>\n<p>Thrive is focused on recruiting, engaging, and supporting future teachers through student development, mentorship, networking, and community involvement. The program helps students transition smoothly into Augsburg and encourages their academic, professional, and personal growth.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What kind of support does Thrive provide?<\/summary>\n<ul>\n<li>Mentorship from Thrive faculty and staff<\/li>\n<li>Professional development opportunities<\/li>\n<li>Networking and community-building events<\/li>\n<li>Leadership development opportunities<\/li>\n<li>Direct tuition assistance for eligible students<\/li>\n<li>Possible support with qualifying books and course fees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"eligibility\" class=\"faq-section\" aria-labelledby=\"eligibility-title\">\n<h4 class=\"section-kicker\"><strong>Eligibility<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h2 id=\"eligibility-title\">Who can become a Thrive Scholar?<\/h2>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Who is Thrive looking to support?<\/summary>\n<p>The Thrive Program is looking for eligible Education students who are committed to graduating and obtaining their teaching license at Augsburg University. The program specifically supports students who belong to groups that have been historically underrepresented at four-year colleges and universities.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Do I need to be an Education major?<\/summary>\n<p>Yes. Thrive is designed for eligible students in Augsburg University\u2019s Education Department Licensure Program.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What should I do if I am experiencing barriers to success?<\/summary>\n<p>Thrive fosters a climate of open communication. Program staff may not know what you are experiencing unless you share it with them. Students are encouraged to communicate with Thrive faculty and staff so the program can better understand and support their needs.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"expectations\" class=\"faq-section\" aria-labelledby=\"expectations-title\">\n<div class=\"section-kicker\">Scholar Expectations<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"expectations-title\">What is expected of Thrive Scholars?<\/h2>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>What GPA and completion rate do Thrive Scholars need to maintain?<\/summary>\n<p>Thrive Scholars are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 and a minimum Completion Rate of 68%.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What happens if I fall below the GPA or Completion Rate requirement?<\/summary>\n<p>If a student falls below either requirement, they will be placed on probation and given one semester to raise their GPA and\/or Completion Rate.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>How many Thrive events do I need to attend?<\/summary>\n<p>Thrive hosts events at least once a month throughout the year. Scholars are expected to attend a minimum of two Thrive events per year.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What types of Thrive events are offered?<\/summary>\n<p>Events may include guest lectures, leadership sessions, mentorship sessions, community-building social events, and the fall or spring Thrive Weekend Retreat.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>How often should I meet with Thrive faculty or staff?<\/summary>\n<p>Thrive Scholars are expected to meet with Thrive faculty or staff once per semester. Meetings may include faculty mentorship, Thrive Financial Services, advising, registration appointments, or other Thrive-related support.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"financial-support\" class=\"faq-section\" aria-labelledby=\"financial-title\">\n<div class=\"section-kicker\">Financial Support<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"financial-title\">How does Thrive&#8217;s financial assistance work?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"callout\"><strong>Note:<\/strong>\u00a0Financial support information should be reviewed for final accuracy before publication, especially award amounts, disbursement language, deadlines, and contact instructions.<\/div>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How much financial assistance may Thrive Scholars receive?<\/summary>\n<p>Once accepted as a Thrive Scholar, students may be eligible for financial assistance up to $7,800 per academic year.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What does Thrive consider an academic year?<\/summary>\n<p>Thrive defines the academic year as beginning July 1 and ending June 30.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Do unused Thrive funds carry over?<\/summary>\n<p>No. Thrive funds are not cumulative and are available on a use-it-or-lose-it basis.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Do Thrive tuition support funds need to be repaid?<\/summary>\n<p>No. Thrive direct tuition support funds come from the Educator Tuition Assistance Program (ETAP) Grant and do not need to be repaid.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What is the first step to receive financial assistance?<\/summary>\n<p>Students should complete the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, every year. Students should pay close attention to the deadlines listed on the FAFSA website.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What should I do after I receive my financial aid Award Letter?<\/summary>\n<p>After receiving your Award Letter, forward the Award Letter and your current Augsburg invoice or balance to Abdikarim Abdi at\u00a0<a href=\"&#109;&#97;&#x69;l&#116;&#x6f;&#x3a;a&#98;&#x64;&#x69;k&#97;&#x72;i&#64;&#x61;&#x75;g&#115;&#x62;&#x75;r&#103;&#x2e;e&#100;&#x75;\">&#97;&#x62;&#x64;i&#107;&#x61;r&#105;&#x40;a&#117;&#x67;s&#98;&#x75;&#x72;&#103;&#x2e;&#x65;d&#117;<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>When will I hear back about my tuition support plan?<\/summary>\n<p>Thrive will respond within 5 business days of receiving your invoice or balance to outline a plan for direct tuition support. Email replies may be delayed during the summer.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Why might students receive different disbursement amounts?<\/summary>\n<p>Students may have different disbursements based on their Federal Aid Award Letter, the number of credits they are registered for, the credits planned for fall, spring, and summer if applicable, and when they complete their FAFSA.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Can Thrive help with books or course fees?<\/summary>\n<p>The Thrive Program may be able to assist with qualifying books and course fees. Students should email Abdikarim Abdi for more information.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"team\" class=\"faq-section\" aria-labelledby=\"team-title\">\n<div class=\"section-kicker\">Program Team<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"team-title\">Who leads the Thrive Program?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"people-grid\">\n<article class=\"person-card\">\n<h3>Dr. Sergio Madrid<\/h3>\n<p class=\"role\">Thrive Director, Education Faculty<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Madrid earned his doctorate in Special Bilingual Education and a certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders from New Mexico State University. He is passionate about teaching at the college level and is committed to student success.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"person-card\">\n<h3>Abdikarim M. Abdi<\/h3>\n<p class=\"role\">Thrive Lead Coordinator<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Abdi is passionate about education, equity, meaningful employment, and community support. He has worked in labor rights, English language teaching, mentoring, organizing, and education across Minnesota.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"person-card\">\n<h3>Kaia Hirt<\/h3>\n<p class=\"role\">Thrive Mentorship &amp; Student Leadership Coordinator<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Hirt is a Korean American adoptee, Augsburg alum, equity specialist, educator, and mentorship consultant focused on cultural competency, belonging, and the advancement of people of color.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"apply\" class=\"faq-section\" aria-labelledby=\"apply-title\">\n<div class=\"section-kicker\">Application<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"apply-title\">How do I become a Thrive Scholar?<\/h2>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How do I apply?<\/summary>\n<p>Students interested in becoming Thrive Scholars should complete the Thrive Scholar Application form.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>When can I apply?<\/summary>\n<p>You may apply at any time.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Can I contact Thrive before applying?<\/summary>\n<p>Yes. Students are welcome to email\u00a0<a href=\"&#x6d;&#97;i&#x6c;&#x74;&#111;:&#x74;&#104;r&#x69;&#x76;&#101;p&#x72;&#111;g&#x72;&#x61;&#109;&#64;&#x61;&#x75;&#103;&#x73;&#x62;&#117;r&#x67;&#x2e;&#101;d&#x75;\">&#116;h&#x72;i&#x76;e&#x70;&#114;&#x6f;&#103;&#x72;&#97;m&#x40;a&#x75;g&#x73;&#98;&#x75;&#114;&#x67;&#46;&#x65;&#100;u<\/a>\u00a0to introduce themselves and ask questions.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"contact\" class=\"contact-box\" aria-labelledby=\"contact-title\">\n<h2 id=\"contact-title\">Contact Thrive<\/h2>\n<p>For general questions, email\u00a0<a href=\"&#x6d;&#x61;&#105;&#108;t&#x6f;&#x3a;&#x74;&#104;ri&#x76;&#x65;&#112;&#114;o&#x67;&#x72;&#x61;&#109;&#64;a&#x75;&#x67;&#115;&#98;u&#x72;&#x67;&#x2e;&#101;du\">thriveprogram&#64;augsburg&#46;e&#100;&#117;<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dr. Sergio Madrid<\/strong><br \/>\nThrive Program Director<br \/>\n<a href=\"m&#97;&#x69;&#x6c;t&#111;&#x3a;&#x6d;a&#100;&#114;&#x69;&#x64;s&#64;&#x61;&#x75;g&#115;&#x62;&#x75;r&#103;&#46;&#x65;&#x64;u\">&#x6d;&#97;d&#x72;&#x69;&#100;s&#x40;&#97;u&#x67;&#x73;&#98;u&#x72;&#103;&#46;&#x65;&#x64;&#117;<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Abdikarim Abdi<\/strong><br \/>\nThrive Program Lead Coordinator<br \/>\n<a href=\"&#x6d;&#x61;&#x69;&#108;&#116;&#111;:a&#x62;&#x64;&#x69;&#x6b;&#97;&#114;i&#64;&#x61;&#x75;&#x67;&#x73;&#98;&#117;rg&#x2e;&#x65;&#x64;&#x75;\">&#x61;&#98;&#100;&#x69;&#x6b;&#97;&#114;&#x69;&#x40;&#97;&#117;&#x67;&#x73;&#98;&#117;&#x72;&#x67;&#46;&#101;&#x64;&#x75;<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Kaia Hirt<\/strong><br \/>\nThrive Program Mentorship &amp; Student Leadership Coordinator<br \/>\n<a href=\"&#109;&#x61;i&#108;&#x74;&#111;&#x3a;h&#105;&#x72;t&#x40;&#x61;&#117;&#x67;s&#98;&#x75;r&#x67;&#x2e;&#101;&#x64;u\">&#x68;&#105;r&#x74;&#64;a&#x75;&#103;s&#x62;&#x75;&#114;&#x67;&#x2e;&#101;d&#x75;<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Augsburg University<\/strong><br \/>\n2211 Riverside Avenue<br \/>\nMinneapolis, MN 55454<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<footer><a href=\"https:\/\/web-sandbox.oaiusercontent.com\/?#top\">Back to top<\/a>\u00a9 Augsburg University Thrive Program<\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Thrive Program FAQ Frequently asked questions for eligible education majors about Thrive Program eligibility, support, expectations, financial assistance, and contact. Welcome Thank you for your interest in the Thrive Program for eligible Education majors. The Thrive Program is funded by the Educator Tuition Assistance Program (ETAP) Grant and is designed to &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":708,"featured_media":0,"parent":43519,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-fullwidth.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-44208","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/708"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44208"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44215,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44208\/revisions\/44215"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}