Key Session and Takeaways from the 2024 NACUBO SFS Conference
By: Nicole Verrett, FAS Vice President of Business Development
The FAS team attended the 2024 NACUBO SFS Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the enriching sessions, several key takeaways stood out as pivotal in shaping and reaffirming our approach toward communication strategies, student retention, and meeting the expectations of students. Here’s a summary of the key session and takeaways:
Key Session
Cooperative Leadership: How a Successful Team is Everyone’s Responsibility
FAS’ Consultant Jennifer Waters, Ph.D. led insights on reimagining operational structures in the face of unprecedented challenges due to staff turnover during the pandemic. The session also discussed leveraging new technologies, and vendor services, and optimizing recruitment, training, and onboarding processes to adapt to changing circumstances.
This session highlights:
- Implementing cross-functional working groups to foster collaboration and ongoing professional development.
- Utilizing assessment tools like annual employee surveys and engagement focus groups for continuous feedback and improvement.
- Building a robust employee retention program grounded in cooperative leadership principles.
Key Takeaways
Communication Plans and Enhancing the Student Experience
Discussions centered around the importance of effective communication strategies in meeting the needs of students as institutions navigate problems with the rollout of a new FAFSA form. This has prevented many aid administrators from offering financial aid packages and left students confused about how much aid they can receive as important decision deadlines roll by.
- Continually engage and communicate with students to build their trust and confidence in your institution.
- When students are making enrollment decisions, they will likely choose the institutions that earned their trust and confidence.
- University leaders should provide the resources financial aid offices need to provide estimated offers followed by official offers later this year. The campuses that do so will have an important recruiting and retention advantage.
Navigating the unprecedented delays of the new FAFSA rollout
Valuable insights into navigating the challenges posed by delays in FAFSA processing.
- Developing contingency plans to address potential disruptions caused by FAFSA processing delays.
- Leveraging technology and data analytics to streamline financial aid processing and allocation.
- Collaborating with stakeholders to advocate for policy changes and reforms to expedite FAFSA processing timelines.
Gaining a Retention and Enrollment Advantage
Discussions revolved around the pressing issues of student retention and enrollment management.
- Implementing targeted interventions and support services to address retention challenges at various stages of the federal student aid process.
- Stay flexible with your deadlines when you can, including the billing dates that may start this summer or registration dates for current students.
- Update your web pages to include the Cost of Attendance information for 2024-25 if you haven’t already and ensure the returning student portal remains current and relevant.
Registration Impact and Extended Processing Times
Implications of extended processing times on the aid processes need strategies to streamline registration workflows, enhance administrative efficiency, and mitigate the impact of processing delays on student accounts.
- Implementing proactive measures to communicate registration deadlines and updates to students and staff.
- Make sure your front-line staff is well-trained to answer questions and help families complete the FAFSA.
- If you decide to provide estimated offers, this will require additional processing time from your team in the coming months. University leaders would be wise to provide the resources financial aid offices need to provide estimated offers followed by official offers later this year. The campuses that do so will have an important recruiting and retention advantage.
Check out the list of events FAS experts attend and maximize your time by scheduling a meaningful chat about FAS services.
FAS’ guidebook helps navigate the challenges surrounding FAFSA Delays.
Navigating the Maze of FAFSA Delays is a comprehensive resource that provides insights and strategies for Higher Education administrators on any level. It offers a roadmap for strengthening an institution’s confidence in federal compliance and regulatory standards. It is a vital resource designed to assist university presidents in identifying and addressing potential compliance issues related to the institutional administration of federal student financial aid.
Are you facing staffing challenges at your institution that will affect your ability to handle the current federal changes?
Contact FAS today for a quick consultation on how we can help you discover solutions tailored to your unique needs. Reach out at 770.988.9447 or via email at info@FinancialAidServices.org. We look forward to connecting with institutions ready to overcome challenges and elevate their financial aid and student business services.
About FAS
Financial Aid Services, LLC (FAS) has served higher education for over 30 years. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, FAS provides consulting, staffing, processing, and assessment services to assist institutions with improving operational efficiency, student satisfaction, and regulatory compliance in financial aid and student business services. FAS’ accomplished team averages 28 years of experience and has a combined 1,600 years of higher education experience. With clients in 49 states, FAS has successfully served over 1,800 institutions nationwide. The Company’s extensive experience combined with industry-leading expertise and focus on superior client outcomes, enables FAS to deliver lasting results to its clients and the students they serve.
