Shouldn't admission rep. be efficiently trained in FA Policies?
While admissions representatives should be in the know of what is going on with the organization, you walk a fine line with knowing too much. It is best to kept financial aid information to a minimum in order to avoid situations that could be misconstrued.
Janet,
Financial aid is very complex. Best practices define separate departments.
We have always tried to keep FA separate from Admissions. Yes, Admissions Reps. need to know the information and to understand it however, as you start telling the prospective student about the options they have for paying for their education the waters can get very muddy. Back tracking can take place and confusion can set in. Having the separation of the two depts. I believe is more straight forward.
R.,
There are changes daily in FA. They are the experts.
Nicholas,
FA and admissions should work together in enrolling the student.
Whitney,
Exactly! We do not want to mislead the student. Leave it to the experts!
John,
Yes, after all, they are the experts.
I think to much information might lead a rep to share information with a student regarding FA that may end up not being correct. It is better to let a FA rep handle any questions
I believe admissions reps should have just enough training in financial aid policies to answer generic questions. When we get too deep into another departments procedures is where a student gets confused and expects everything to be exactly as the rep said.
Kathleen,
Financial matters are very personal and every situation is different. FA can provide them the best guidance and information.
Joel,
Those that take the chance often find themselves in trouble.
I came from the Banking industry and feel that unless you are fully trained and qualified, you should not give any financial advise to a prospective student. I do get asked from time to time financail aid questions in my presentations and I politely tell them that all financial questions will be addressed in the FA overview. I have not had one student get upset over that. Why take a chance on making yourself look unknowledgeable about a topic if you don't need to, it takes away from you and the schools credibility.
I completly concur that subject matter experts help ensure accuracy when helping candidates make a life decision.
Adrianna,
Point...well taken.
I think we should be trained but we leave the FA to explained everything in more detail
Thank you for discussing this because I have experienced this. The prospective student is so "antsy" in a way to know on the first visit what they are definitely eligible for. It is important to hand the financial aid details over to the FAO. You don't want a student to be overly confident about "possible" pell and loan eligibility and then learn they aren't eligible and be disappointed in the end.
Terry, I definitely agree with you. For me personally I cover the information I am required to cover and never dive into anything specific about FA. My concern, like yours, is really misleading a student, or misrepresented what FA consists of.
One thing that you may want to consider is building a strong relationship with your FA Department. We have weekly combined meetings with both departments and discuss some best practices and opportunities. If the FA Department and Admissions have a great relationship, you will see an improved experience and great customer service for the potential student.
Sharon,
Thank you for sharing your process.
