Meme Jeffries
If you are a current student or have studied at Pitt Law during the past fifteen years, then you are probably extremely familiar with Meme Jeffries. As Financial Aid Director within the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Meme is extremely committed to providing financial assistance to students who would otherwise be unable to pursue a legal education at Pitt Law. Prior to working for the law school, Meme spent five years in the undergraduate office of Pitt’s Admissions and Financial Aid. At a celebration this past winter, Meme celebrated her 20th year as a Pitt employee.
In the midst of preparing her welcome presentation for another incoming 1L orientation and setting up financial aid webinars, Meme says the best part of her job is, “working with prospective and incoming students from their first-year through their law school journey and even after graduation.” Aside from assisting students with financial aid, she has been an integral part of planning student-focused events within the Admissions Department, promotes Pitt Law and recruits potential students at national recruitment events, attends informative conferences, and has served on an internal committee to promote team-building and wellness for Pitt Law faculty and staff.
While she cannot meet prospective students’ in-person due to remote working conditions and the novel coronavirus, Meme has great advice for aspiring law school candidates and the financial aid process. “You know yourself the best. From the way you study or manage your finances, you know what you are most comfortable with,” Meme says. “Many students ask me how much I should borrow and while I talk about the pros and cons of different options, I want our students to make the best decision based on what their most comfortable with. There is no right or wrong.”
Meme earned her Master’s in Higher Education Administration from Pitt’s School of Education and received her Bachelor’s in Education from Penn State University. The mother of two teenage boys, Meme lives with her husband in Hempfield Township.