Strategic enrollment management (SEM) initiatives benefit when SEM committees are inclusive and collaborative. When financial aid professionals are excluded, the risk that certain initiatives will fail increases, especially if those initiatives involve academic changes. Here, the authors explore the reasons financial aid offices and academic…

Higher education often involves academic challenges like course selection or financial aid navigation. Developing effective study skills, mastering time management, refining note-taking techniques, and tackling complex course content demands dedication and proactivity. However, support services such as academic skills workshops and writing centers…

This article includes a suggested model for postsecondary institutions to address the problem of summer melt among students from low-income backgrounds. The model accounts for four areas deemed integral support systems for low-income students to matriculate. The following partners are advised: student affairs, admissions, counselor education…

Equity in Excellence is a two-year project launched in 2013 to support the implementation of Colorado's higher education reform agenda. With a focus on the metropolitan Denver area, the project intends to align the state's higher education policies with concrete, equity-focused actions at its public community colleges and four-year institutions.…

Every year millions of students and families sit around their kitchen tables and grapple with how they are going to pay for college. All too often they approach what may be the most important financial decision of their lives armed with incomplete, confusing, or inaccurate information about their options. College financial aid offices have a…

Peer counseling is an effective way for financial aid offices to increase productivity and enhance the quality of their services. Students turn naturally to other, more experienced, students for advice, but unless their peers are properly trained, they can provide erroneous or biased information. Training for financial aid peer counselors should…

A survey designed to obtain University of Oklahoma students' views of the Financial Aid Office as a student service, their knowledge of financial aid programs, and their suggestions of ways to improve existing services is discussed. The survey showed that improved education regarding financial aid programs and services is needed. (MLW)

Explores common institutional strategies for pricing, awarding aid, and controlling the growth of aid budgets in light of changing recruitment practices. Concludes by discussing the new services that aid offices must provide to meet their new challenges effectively. Discusses net tuition revenue goals to enhance effective management of resources.…

Argues that the integration of admissions and financial aid operations with the rest of the campus is a key element in the success of a college or university. Deals with the integration of these functions in a college and explains how to think about integration and the specific forms it might take. (RJM)

The interactions of student financial aid offices with other campus offices, government agencies, and private groups are described. Campus groups that interact with the financial aid office include the following: campus veterans affairs office, student affairs office/dean of students, recruitment staff, campus registrar, chief executive officer,…

During a period of rapid expansion, Wayne State University School of Medicine found it necessary to increase the professional staff of its Office of Student Affairs to meet the needs of medical students. Utilization of professional counselors, financial aid officers, study skills counselors, and peer tutors and advisers is discussed. (Author/JMD)

A study was undertaken at Macomb Community College (MCC), in Michigan, to review the effectiveness of the college's financial aid department. Data were gathered from a search of the literature related to financial aid services and a review of comments and findings from MCC alumni and financial aid surveys. In addition, surveys were conducted of…

The report presents the findings of the Financial Aid Services Survey at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). The survey sought to determine student satisfaction with financial aid services at both the College Financial Aid Office and the campus Financial Aid Information Services. More than 1,700 students who had been in contact with…

This study explored the experiences of white and non-white college students with the financial aid process and financial aid office and staff. The study used a 20-item survey administered to a sample of 710 student financial aid recipients. Questions covered procedural and informational aspects of the financial aid process, accessibility and…

Discusses the historical development of federal policy on the support of postsecondary education and the development of financial assistance programs. The general direction of such programs is the channelling of funds through students. Changes will continue and must be met in order to provide access to education for all. (Author/JAC)