By: Shermain Reed, FAS Consultant

With the implementation of the FAFSA Simplification and FUTURE Act, financial aid offices around the nation must be equipped with adequate staffing that is well-trained and prepared to implement new policies and procedures. As the “Great Resignation” continues to impact financial aid offices, we must prepare for transitions in leadership and create stability within the profession by implementing the following:

Create a Financial Aid Leadership Transition Guide to Promote a Smoother Transition.

This document should include:

• All federal, state, and third-party partner websites and contact information for all products and portals used by the financial aid department
• Important codes or numbers such as DUNS, TIN, FICE, TG

Consider Financial Aid Consulting Services From Professionals.

Getting help from an expert that is familiar with your student management system can serve as a resource to strengthen your policies, procedures, and guidelines. This makes cross-training or training new staff less time-consuming and minimizes processing errors. FAS can assist universities in optimizing financial aid processes and systems, resulting in increased efficiency and accuracy in awarding financial aid to students. This is especially important during peak periods, like the start of a new academic year.

Update or Create a Director of Financial Aid Timeline.

A timeline is an organizational tool recommended for sending notifications to new or interim staff to prevent missing important deadlines. This tool can also outline critical dates and deadlines for financial aid applications and awarding processes. The Director of Financial Aid Timeline can assist new or temporary staff with managing their workload and prioritizing tasks, ensuring that they can meet all of their responsibilities on time.