Financial Aid
it is always good to know a little about financial aid to inform the prospect before enrolling
Kaitlyn,
That is a very good practice. In discussing financial aid, it is best to leave it to the financial aid department where they are the subject matter experts.
Patty Aronoff
The institution I work for has a similar policy regarding financial aid. We are able to tell prospective students that most of our current students receive some amount of financial aid, and you can receive financial aid if you qualify. Admission Representatives are not allowed to ask any prequalifying questions to the prospective students, and we refer them to the Financial Aid Department if they have additional questions.
I agree, Patty. While we are required to know basic information about Financial Aid, our financial aid department is available to answer any specific questions on details prior to and during the enrollment process.
Kirstie,
Good advice! We don't want to mislead by good intentions.
Patty Aronoff
Lanna,
It is a best practice to separate the the two functions of the school. Equally important is for financial aid reps and admission reps to communicate with each other for the best interest of the student.
Patty Aronoff
At our institution, we are only allowed to say statements like:
"We have financial aid avaliable to those who qualify"
"Most of our students receive a combination of grants and loans to help finance their education"
And, other basic things, but we cannot get into financial aid questions like how much someone may receive or try to prequalify students for financial aid.
At our Institution the admissions department does not discuss any FA issues with the students. Instead we transfer them to a financial aid representative to make certain that the information is correct. The most that we share with students is that financial aid is available if they do qualify. This is a security measure that I agree with. As an admissions representative we do not want to mislead these students in any way. I think being frank and honest goes a long way in making us recruit students who are going to complete their schooling.
Fredrick,
Agreed! This is a financial contract and they should be fully understanding all documents and their contents.
Patty Aronoff
Nathaniel,
Excellent! You are providing an in-depth description of costs.
Patty Aronoff
Joann,
It is a best practice to separate the discussion of financial aid from the admissions. Financial matters are far different.
Patty Aronoff
Brendan,
some people confuse the term financial aid with financial assistance. It is important to distinguish between the two.
Patty Aronoff
Cheree,
The importance of financial responsibility of the student starts with day one and continues on through payment of their loans. Student default rates affect the schools long after graduation.
Patty Aronoff
Cheree, you make a great point because it is critical that Students understand what the cost are that associated with earning the degree. To me it is the basis for ensuring that students are set-up for success in achieving the change that they are looking for.
This is true, I know most of the ins and outs about it at my institution, but here we mention the cost per credit hour, number of hours required based on degree and field, and the whole initial cost based on multiplication of both.
Cheree,
Advisors are responsible for explaining the process and financial obligation to potential students, but I believe it would be the FA department that is responsible to explain the details of Financial Aid
We are a non degree granting school with no access to government loans or grants. It's very important that we make this clear to our students
Alvin,
Good advice would be to explain the school's process and hand them off to FA.
Patty Aronoff
Ignacio,
Knowing financial aid is very important when relaying information to the students. This is where we can easily mislead someone even though our intentions may be in the right place.
Patty Aronoff
In most cases Financial Aid is the primary method of payment. Advisors are responsible for explaning the process and the financial obligation to potential studnets and that responsible borrowing is imperative. It is important to disclose all cost and funds for each student after they have been certified. Students will have to repay all loans and need to be completely aware of all funds, loans, grants and scholarships they are eligable for.
