GETTING FINANCIAL AID ONLINE

Meet the demands of your technologically driven students!

Daniel Holt

William Jewell College

What are the goals of the online process?

Expedite applications and give students more time to make choices about the transition from high school to college

Decrease application mistakes Expedite the review and processing of

Web-based forms Save materials Postage and processing costs

Goals

Financial aid administrators should consider their potential to lighten some of their load while increasing service to students.

Current Methods

Send an E-mail Do students check their email?

Campus Mail Do students know they have a campus

mailbox, much less where it’s at? Home Mail

Does the student open the mail?

Answers to previous slide

NO

Students lack FA knowledge

How to check on the status of their financial aid applications, scholarship applications, and financial aid offers

The need to check e-mail for information regarding application mistakes and approvals

The importance of activating individual student information portals in a timely manner, to allow access to time-sensitive information.

Students are unaware of the need to frequently check their e-mail accounts and fall behind in the financial aid process.

What are some things to consider? Online applications (admission and

financial aid) Online financial aid awards Online communication management

Including printable documents Online student accounts Online bill pay

Vendor solutions

TG AdvanTG Web Application Printing

& Processing Services

MOHELA WebConnect LoanConnect Form Connect Award Connect

Sallie Mae Campus Gateway YEA Electronic Bill &

Payment Online Payment

But, don’t forget about…

Blogs Discussion Boards Instant Messaging Text Messaging Chat Rooms Facebook – really!

Online design, operations, and marketing activities should be aimed at both parents and students.

Types of communication being used by schools

60% Webinars 47% IM 31% Chat rooms 13% Text Messaging

Survey conducted by NASFAA in 2006

Where to Start

The URL (keep it simple) www.jewell.edu/finaid/

WJC’s old URL http://www.jewell.edu/william_jewell/gen/wil

liam_and_jewell_generated_pages/Financial_AidScholarships_m13.html

Which would you rather type? Which would your rather tell a student to

type over the phone?

What is the most important information that your students need?

That is the information that should appear first on your site.

Provide quick links. Don’t require a student or parent to click through numerous pages to get to the things they need.

The most important information isn’t the same year around. Make changes, updates, and notify of deadlines.

My Jewell

Document Retrieval

Student Access

Accepting Financial Aid

Keep applicants notified

Employee Access?

Communication Methods

Asynchronous - Communications that don’t take place at the same time E-mail Blogs Discussion boards

Synchronous – Real-time communications IM TM Chat rooms Webinars

Blogs

Web logs – or Blogs – are growing in popularity. Admissions directors blog to high school students

a behind-the-scenes look at office hopes and demystify the process

Financial aid directors blog for prospective and current students to help make the financial aid process less intimidating and to show the sincere and caring side to the financial aid office.

Blogs are less formal, focus on anecdotal experiences or thoughts on policies, common questions, or timely issues.

Allow public user feedback and interaction Blogger.com

Discussion Boards

Discussion boards allow a financial aid office to view, assess, and engage in discussion with students

Allow students to air their grievances and then get the facts about financial aid from authorized members of the FA office who participate in the discussions.

Instant Messaging (IM)

Real-time communications that permit individuals to conduct private conversations with each other using type-in, written messages.

Commercial online services AIM by AOL Yahoo Messenger MSN Chat

Great for office communication – No more yelling down the hall!

More on IM in the office

University of Alaska Anchorage uses IM on a secure university IM system to communicate within financial aid, admissions, recruitment, registration, and records.

UAA used AIM but switched to something more secure.

Text Messaging

Mobile devices (cell phones) Alert messages

In the wake of the Virginia Tech incident schools have created alert messages to notify all students immediately.

WJC Office of Student Affairs has begun to use text as a form of communication, replacing email.

WJC also has alert messages for inclement weather and crisis situations

Web 2.0

Constantly adapting, student’s in driver’s seat Tagging allows users to come up with their own

categories for material and then site automatically organizes and reorganizes that material Best on Q&A page or discussion board

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) allows users to subscribe to an actual Web page, so that when content on that page is changed, RSS subscribers are notified. Everything from updated assignments to changes in

financial aid policies. On agenda at 2008 FSA Conferences

When it doubt…Google it

Google Calendar Google Documents Gmail Google Talk (IM)

Facebook

Why the students use is it

Contact Friends Promote parties /

events / fundraisers

To waste time

How FA could use it Contact students Promote

scholarships / deadlines / events

Make a FA Group, that’s more casual / more approachable

Other school web portals

Things to consider

The availability of IT support at your institution

Your organization’s experience and expertise with Web technologies

The degree to which collaboration is considered important in enhancing communication among staff and colleagues

The extent to which synchronous communications will be valued by students and parents

Your budget for IT services