Outsourcing the Financial Aid
Verification and
C-Code Process
Agenda
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Who we are
What we did
Why we did it
Process Flow
Results
Questions
Who we are
Pam Shuttlesworth
• District Director for
Advising and
Communications
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30 years Financial Aid Experience
87,000 students systemwide
DataTel Student Information
System
• 16 years experience
Carolyn J. Jones
• In charge of all technical issues
• Financial Aid/VA
except Loan program
Technical Coordinator
Justin Allen
• Account Executive
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Computer system is Banner 8.12
Enrollment is 45,000 with 25,000
financial aid applicants
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Assist Institutions with deployment
and continuous process
improvement
What we did
What we did
• Redesign FA Document Process
– Re-design student document submission process to make it more intuitive.
– Create paperless verification worksheet and c-code document submission process,
driven by student.
• Better for student
• Better for College staff
• Better for cycle times, errors, and student accountability
– Student can submit documents online
• Upload
• Camera phone
• Fax barcode
What we did
• Shared Service Center for File Review
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Federal Title IV is a standardized process
Ensure consistency of processing across campus = Ensure compliance
Ensure consistent student experience
Leverage economies of scale
Reduce need for hiring, staffing, retaining and training at each College
Leverage centralized people, process and technology
Colleges retain control of special cases, escalations, etc.
Outsourced process to Global FAS
Why we did it
Why we did it
DCCCD
Collin College
• Application Growth
• Application Growth
– 58,503 total FA applications received
for 2009-10
• 92% increase over 2007-08
• Pell Awards
– $69 million in Federal Pell awards
paid for 2009-10
• 84% increase over 2008-09
• Staff
– Staffing resources are not growing at
a fast enough rate to manage
application growth
– 18,047 total FA applications received
for 2009-10
• 85% increase over 2007-08
• Pell Awards
– $17 million in Federal Pell awards
paid for 2009-10
• 127% increase over 2008-09
• Staff
– Staffing resources are not growing at
a fast enough rate to manage
application growth
Why we did it
• Regulatory Changes/Economic Factors
– Percentage of applications selected for verification is increasing faster than total volume
increase (approximately 55%, up from about 45% average for several years)
– Increasing complexity of Pell regulations has decreased the ability to program
automation
– Increasing diversity between state and federal general eligibility criteria
• Student Experience
– 6-8 week file review backlog becoming norm - creating problems for tuition loss, student
service and negative impact to College staff
– Not intuitive process for students
– File review paperwork is dropped off, sits in piles and has to be imaged, then
manipulated and re-printed in another system
– eConnect/MIL letter disconnect with File Review
– MIL letters only every 30 days
Process Flow
Centralized File Review
ISIR Data
File sent
Email sent to
student
Student
online
portal
-Automated
-Electronic
-Paperless
File Review
Speed/Accuracy/Compliance
Review Team works
with student to
completion
Verification
Completed
Student File
sent back for
upload
Student File placed back into Award process
Student Log In
Student Home Page
Verification Worksheet
Global Admin
Results
Results
• Student Experience
– Paperless
– Online
– First student verified on day 1
• Awards
– 10,000 more students awarded in Dallas
• Speed
– Files reviewed in under 5 days
Dallas Community College District
• Global Partnership
– Backlog of students
– Training
• Central vs. College specific
– Call Center
– Client Service Support
Collin College
• Global Partnership
– IT bandwidth (SFTP, import, export)
– Resources
• Phone bank
• Selecting ISIRs
– Training
– Current on Files
– Client Service Support
Thank you
Justin Allen
Global Financial Aid Services
Account Executive
JAllen@GlobalFAS.com
228-243-1086
Please, stop by our booth to discuss lessons learned, best practices,
and how to determine if this makes sense for your institution.