Over the past eight years, the University of Texas Arlington’s Parent & Family Center (PFC) has offered students of Maverick Parent & Family Association (MPFA) members FREE testing materials (scantrons, bluebooks and pencils). This student benefit allows the PFC a chance to connect with students. In addition, our office has the opportunity to affect student retention in a unique way by providing this service to our students. 

When students stop by the PFC to pick up their free testing materials they are often in a hurry, frazzled, distracted, nervous or exhausted. The center’s new and convenient MPFA Student Self-Service Center helps put students at ease and gives them the freedom to pick up the materials they need at their leisure. Students can stop by the center any time between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to pick up scantrons, bluebooks or pencils. Students are welcome to visit as often as they would like throughout the week, and can receive up to four scantrons or bluebooks per week. As an added bonus, the PFC always leave snacks out for those students that need an extra boost of energy to get them through the day. In addition, the space also serves as a centralized location where we can promote and advertise important PFC messages as well as university communications.  

Our office has the distinct privilege of serving as a surrogate support system for all students that come through our doors. We often find ourselves praising our students for planning ahead, studying smarter and for maximizing their family’s membership by utilizing the service. Little by little, we find that a friendly smile, encouragement that they can “Ace the Test”, or an extended offer to take an extra snack because they deserve it...all serves as a catalyst for student success.