Financial Aid Counseling Best Practices for Efficient Operations
Gain insights into best practices for financial aid counseling, ensuring efficient office operations while navigating federal aid requirements. Discover tips to help staff work efficiently, review policies, and foster departmental relationships for a successful financial aid office.
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DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Counseling Best Practices Counseling Best Practices Lola Kennedy, DOFA & Tosh Greathree, ADOFA Columbia College
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Gain in sight on best practices to navigate the requirements of federal aid while maintaining work/life balance. We will explore best practices from a director s perspective and a counselor s perspective that will allow your office to operate effectively and effectively.
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Between 85% and 90%of first-time, full-time undergraduate students have received financial aid to further their studies. (A combination of federal government, state government, and even universities themselves).
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Financial Aid offices have a tremendous responsibility that comes with a lot of pressure. Your office is responsible for helping students get the financial aid they deserve within state and federal regulations. There are so many factors at play as a financial aid officer. Which can all be very stressful from time to time. It s essential to meet with your teams annually to discuss success stories and challenges you have faced in your office. To ensure we can affectively keep all employees motivated, efficient, and happy, even when the lines extend far out the door and the phones never seem to stop ringing. Lets talk about some things to consider that could help:
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Help Staff Work Efficiently Help Staff Work Efficiently Each staff member should understand how to prioritize appointments, walk-ins, phone calls, and messages to avoid getting overwhelmed. If employees find specific duties or periods particularly stressful, consider spreading them around to ensure the same individuals don t always get stuck with the most challenging responsibilities. See if other departments or even third-party solutions can relieve some of the workload. Review Policies and Procedures It is essential to review your Financial Aid office s policies and procedures annually and update them accordingly. Summer is a great time to think about questions to add to your existing list and edit your FAQ library. In addition, the slower pace of June can help you build your library and share it with your team before inbound call volume increases and students return to campus.
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Foster Departmental R Foster Departmental Relationships Financial aid cannot be processed correctly without properly working with various departments on campus. It is important to foster communication between all departments on campus to ensure continuity and efficiency for processing aid. elationships
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Recognize Employee Efforts Recognize Employee Efforts Even if some students don t always express their gratitude, the department should always find ways to let employees know how much they re valued. The best way to offer thanks may depend upon the worker s personality and could include a quiet compliment, a public shout-out, or a thoughtful card.
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Ensure a Positive Work Environment Ensure a Positive Work Environment Bosses can also express appreciation by making the office as pleasant and supportive as possible. Employees appreciate extra perks such as water bottles, light snacks, and upbeat music. Some offices, as budgets allow order employee lunches during peak times to help save the employee time and money.
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Make Sure Employees Can Enjoy Relaxing Breaks Make Sure Employees Can Enjoy Relaxing Breaks Employees need a quiet retreat to enjoy their breaks and lunch periods. Offer resources and support for relaxation, meditation, exercise, and mental health. For instance, place a couple of tablet computers loaded with simple games or meditation apps in the break room.
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Know Your Resources Know Your Resources Employees need a tool kit that will assist them with frequently changing regulations and procedures. This tool kit should be stocked with federal and state resources that will allow them to process aid efficiently and effectively.
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Document Everything Document Everything There is so much involved with processing a student s financial aid package compliantly. While it may not seem necessary to document everything, all decisions even minor (a change in job status, a small scholarship, etc.), could create challenges during an audit. Ensure staff documents each conversation with a student to reference later. A good rule to remember is: If it isn t in the system it didn t happen
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA When in Doubt, Ask When in Doubt, Ask Even the most seasoned Financial Aid officers have questions. There are many things to keep track of and many regulations to follow. Do not hesitate to ask someone else if you are in doubt. Asking a fellow colleague can mean the difference between a satisfied student and a successful audit versus frustrated students and audit findings.
DONT BE SPOOKED BY FINANCIAL AID, FIND YOUR home IN SCASFAA Tosh Greathree Assistant Director of Financial Aid lgreathree@columbiasc.edu Resources www.nasfaa.org www.studentaid.gov www.fsapartners.ed.gov www.sctuitiongrants.org www.che.sc.gov Lola Kennedy Director of Financial Aid lkennedy@columbiasc.edu
