Getting In Touch With
Generation Y
Why do we need to get to know our
students?
• Students may not understand who or what Financial Aid
does.
• Students may have questions, but do not know where to
turn.
• You, as Financial Aid Counselors, will play a heavy role in
these students lives during their college education.
• Its a lot harder to help somebody with their intricate
problems, if you do not understand their background or
where they are coming from. This can lead to confusion,
frustration, and anger on the part of both parties.
What is changing in Gen. Y?
• Individualism leads to increased
productivity and further success rate in the
end.
• Students are becoming disconnected with
obligations, particularly of the financing
nature.
• Some of us are becoming disconnected
period.
What will getting to know them do?
• Getting to know your students will better
help you align to their needs, and thus
better formulate methods of interacting
with them. This in turn will allow you to
work with them in a more confident,
salient, and flowing manner.
Survey
• I took a survey of students, the results
were...
Less than satisfactory.
Survey Results
• One student knew, and understood what the
acronym EFC meant… The depressing part, I know
the girl, her father is an accountant.
• Less than half of the students even knew how
much they currently owe in student loans.
• Many students were not aware where, WVU Main
Campus’s Financial Aid Office even is.
• On the plus side, many did know the FAFSA is due
in March.
Suggestions on how to correct this
problem.
• Don't use acronyms! (EFC,SAP,COA)
o The only acronym you should use is KISS.
o Please spell out everything, EFC should be said
“Estimated Family Contribution” not “EFC”.
o Further still, if you have the time, define these terms,
explain where they come from and upon what they are
based.
Suggestions Continued
• Students are likely to be out of touch with reality,
you need to bring them back.
o State to them their loan amounts, then ask them
to repeat it back to you, or even write it down.
o Exact amounts are not necessary, but an
approximate number is.
o Make sure they understand this is real money.
Not just a charge on their parents credit cards.
Suggestions Continued
• Students probably particularly don't care or think they have
little efficacy with personal finances—to many of them their
parents will deal with it.
o Problem
here—their parents are not primarily
responsible for student loans and financial aid
obligations.
o Second problem—this type of thought process can
lead to financial irresponsibility currently, and into
the future. The type of irresponsibility which can
lead to default.
o Stress to the students, this is their money they are
spending not their parents.
Customer Service
• Students these days feel a sense of entitlement—and many
lack general respect.
o Even if the student is swearing at you, you must maintain
your decorum and remain in control of the situation.
o Also take into account, the student is likely to be
aggressive towards you if they don't understand or only
partially understand the situation—to them, a system
which does not give them everything they want is illogical
and wrong.
o Take the time to explain to the student and make the
issue, whatever it might be, quite clear to them.
Customer Service Continued
• Now you might be asking yourself, what
don’t we have to do for these students?
o You do not need to fill their information out for
them.
o You should not submit to consistent harassment
from a particularly beleaguering student ( or their
parent as the case may be).
o As much as you may feel like you already are,
you do not, and should not, hold these students
hands.
Students Today.
• In this modern day and age, students are used to and
expect instant gratification.
o We
o We
don't want to wait for our checks in the mail.
want our information in the system
immediately.
o We don't want to spend time talking to a
Financial Aid Counselor when we could be
hanging out with friends or watching TV.( Even
though the former is for our benefit)
Students Today.
o We
are fundamentally lazy, sometimes in a
good way.
o We don't like to be talked over, talked down-too,
or to feel like we don't know what's going on.
o We are very unlikely to admit we don't know
something.
o We are arrogant, ignorant, and in short we are
still children.
o Ever heard of the terrible 2s? Add a zero.
The Disconnect: What Students aren't
getting.
• That paper they just glanced over and signed, is an
agreement to a loan.
• Loans must be paid back.
• Loans cannot be forgiven if you declare
bankruptcy.
• Their GPA matters! Now more than ever, a
Student's GPA can determine their eligibility for
Financial Aid.
• Their individual Credit Score will begin to take
precedence, you cannot rely on your parents for
everything anymore.
The Disconnect
• The federal government is decreasing some
available funds for students, so they may end up
owing more this semester, or year, than in the past.
Its nothing you, as a financial aid counselor, can
do—its simply a hard fact of life.
• Loans, even Federal Direct, can and will be reflected
on a Credit Score, even though a Credit Check is not
necessarily required to obtain them.
• Lastly, money does not grow on trees or come out
of ATMs. Nor is it printed by your father in his
wallet. And no, you cannot just get a loan for every
single thing you want.
Method For Connecting With Students
Meet
Greet
Repeat
Teach
Seat
Meet
• Meet with the student, face to face contact
in a private setting will allow you to obtain
a trusted connection to that Student.
• Schedule appointments with them ahead
of time if possible. This will allow for you to
get more work done in the long run, and
less waiting time on the students part as
well. It will also allow for you to prepare to
meet that students specific needs.
Meet Continued
For example:
(On the phone) “Hello, this is Mr. Finn, how may I help you?”,
Mr. Finn ( a Fin Aid Counselor) answered the phone.
“Hi, I am Student A, and I have a few questions I would like to
ask about summer enrolment, may I schedule an
appointment with you?”
“Yes, you may, I am available from 3 pm until 4:45 pm on
Wednesday, does that work for you?”
“Um… yes 3:30 pm should be fine.”
“Very well, 3:30 pm on Wednesday it is, I will look forward to
seeing you then.”
“Thanks! Have a nice day!”
“You too.”
Greet
• Greet them cordially, extending handshakes and pleasantries, this sense of
professionalism may prompt them to take
the situation much more seriously, while at
the same time allow them to remain
disarmed. The idea is to remove the
anxiety some students face when coming
to 'official' areas of business.
Greet Continued
Example Continued:
“Hello, Student A, how are you? Lovely weather
we are having today.” said Mr. Finn while
shaking Student A’s hand.
Student A returning the greeting, “ Yes, ha it seems
like its always raining around here.”
Mr. Finn, “Would you follow me into my office,
please”
Student A, “Sure”.
Seat
• Seat the student, allow them to become
comfortable, do not seem rushed. Display a
sense of calmness and control of your
surroundings. This makes the student feel like
he or she is in good hands, they are also more
likely to ask questions if they don't feel like they
are wasting someone else's time.
• Allow the student to present his or her situation,
talk a bit about themselves. Ask them what their
major(s) is(are), how classes are going, and if
they are enjoying their time at college.
Seat Continued.
• This 'intimacy' will socialize the student to accept
the Financial Aid Office as a nice place to go, it
will let them feel welcome and cared for in a
personal manner. They are also more likely to
return to that specific Financial Aid Counselor in
the future if they have more problems or
questions.
• This will allow for personalization—individuals ,
especially students today, love to feel
personalized.
Seat Continued
• Example Continued:
Mr. Finn, “Please sit down, now we have met
before, but remind me what your major is”
Student A, “ I am currently majoring in sociology.”
“Sociology, how do you like it? The study of
peoples’ behavior in society right?”
“Yeah! Its really interesting, you know, its
something I really enjoy.”
Teach
• Teach. This is the most important step of the
process.
Inform
Instruct
Review
Teach: Inform
Lay it out before them, be as blunt (but polite)
as possible
 "You have XX in Federal Loans“
 “You have YY in Private Loans
 “You will be expected to pay ZZ per
month on your student loans”
Give them all relevant information they
may need to know.
Teach: Inform Continued
• Example Continued:
Student A says, “I am interested in taking two
summer classes over the summer at WVU,
what do I need to do.”
Mr. Finn says, “Well first you will need to fill out
a form for summer aid. Second you should
realize you may need to take out more loans,
and the per credit cost depends on which
college you are enrolled in.”
Teach:Instruct
Instruct: Show them on Mix, or whatever student to
administration connection system you use, where to
find this information, as well as how they came to
owe these funds. Be sure to answer any questions
they may have, with confidence! (But remember no
acronyms!!)
Teach: Instruct Continued
• Example Continued:
“But Mr. Finn, I have no clue where the summer aid
form is… and about how much will these classes
cost? I don’t remember if I have any more funds left
or not.”
“Not a problem, I can show you right here. We go to
www.finaid.wvu.edu, the financial aid homepage, and
a link should be right there, see? As for the classes we
can look it up in this nifty calculator, and we can also
check what avaliable funding you might qualify for.”
Teach: Review
Review: Go back through the information, more swiftly
than before, ask them to repeat back to you an
approximate number of the loan amounts they may
have.
Be sure to answer any outstanding questions they may
have. Questions which remain unanswered are never
a good thing, and can tend to stress people,
especially a student, out.
Teach: Review Continued
• Example Continued:
“There now, you have about two-thousand dollars in
available federal direct loans, as well as some Pell
Grant, the cost per credit is roughly 250 dollars. And
remember you need to fill out the request for summer
aid form, or you cannot get any aid.” said Mr. Finn
“Right, so I will get that form filled out ASAP, and twothousand right? And each credit is 250 dollars each?”
“That’s correct”
Repeat
• Repeat
o Finish your conversation with exitingpleasantries.
 Assure them that what you said will be done,
will be done! (Do not make false promises.)
 Tell them to keep up with their studies.
 Remind them when FAFSAs are due.
 Give them your Calling/Business Card.
 Walk them to the door! Shake their hand and
bid them adieu.
• Always be polite and professional.
Repeat Continued
Example Continued:
Mr. Finn, leading Student A out of the office, “Here
take my card, and remember to keep those grades
up, we could always use more sociologist in this
world. Oh and a friendly reminder to get your
FAFSA in before April 15th.”
Student A, “Thanks Mr. Finn, I will keep you
informed”
“Have a nice day.”
Thank You For Listening
• Questions?