Director of Financial Aid Karen Larson Belling ’83 knows the challenges of paying for a Wheaton education. She and her two brothers attended Wheaton, and two of Karen’s children graduated from Wheaton. Karen’s experiences as a Wheaton parent make her mindful of the importance of economic diversity on campus. 

“The students I got to know through my children’s friendships and what they took away from Wheaton showed me how much diverse perspectives enhance the student experience,” she says. 

Karen and her team work to make Wheaton affordable for families all along the economic spectrum. A lot of that work involves number crunching—Karen loves that she can apply her background in Chicago’s financial markets to help students. 

She is pleased Wheaton has maintained a steady focus on need-based funding while most of the market has shifted toward a merit-based approach. Sometimes, though, Karen takes a back seat. 

“I will find out about a need of the student or family, the Advancement team will make me aware of a fund, and it will match,” Karen says. “I’m able to sit back and see God at work in donors’ hearts and students’ needs.”

Occupation: DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL AID

Years: 6

Education: B.A. IN BUSINESS/ECONOMICS, WHEATON COLLEGE (IL); M.B.A., NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY 

Fun Fact: KAREN FREQUENTLY PARTICIPATES IN SHORT-TERM MISSIONS TRIPS AND MOST RECENTLY TRAVELED WITH HER DAUGHTER, KRISTINE MOROZINK '15, TO ANTALYA, TURKEY