Pete Tyrrell, Director
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Fall Conference
November 13, 2013
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Agenda
OSFA Update
 Operational Improvements
 Operational Goals for 2014
 2013-14 Awarding
 Focusing on 14
 Questions and Answers
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Staffing Changes in OSFA
 All new management team – Donna Thomas and Terica Prater.
 Working to fill 2 key vacancies – Program Supervisor and Program Manager.
 Departure of 2 Program Administrators.
 Addition of a PIN position.
 Utilization of FWS students.
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Operational Improvements and Successes
 Eliminated teleworking and established core business hours.
 Implemented an ACD system to improve services to students and their families.
 Collaborated with University of Baltimore to employ Federal Work Study students to
assist with operational functions (calls and emails).
 Made changes to the verification process for GA Grant recipients to maximize
program costs savings with limited resources.
 Creation of a mailbox for our school business partners, faohelp@mhec.state.md.us
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Operational Goals for 2014
 Expand employment of FWS students during peak periods.
 Establish internal Service Level Objectives to improve services to both
students and schools.
 Review program guidelines/develop program regulations.
 Review and enhance the agency website to improve it as a resource.
 Enhance our ACD system to include self-service functionality.
 Make a case for a Document Management/Imaging System.
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
2013-14 Awarding
Educational Assistance Grant
 Made initial awards totaling more than $150 million; initial EFC was
$2164.
 Eliminated the written appeal process for those awards cancelled due to
students’ failure to accept the award.
 More than 1,400 cancelled awards have been reinstated over the past 2
weeks.
 As of November 7th , only $63.7 million certified.
 Waitlist – in the process of making additional awards to students on the
waitlist.
 NBSFAF – November 7th, balance stood at about $17 million.
 Will be awarding students on the waitlist within the next week or so.
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Challenges Related to EA Program Awarding
 Lack of a supplemental application process requires that we make
certain assumptions.
 Approach to awarding causing an over-commitment of funds, both in
terms of awards and those applicants that appear on the waitlist.
 Lack of awareness of students that they are being considered for an EA
Program award.
 Waitlist – given cyclical nature of financial aid limits OSFA’s ability to
make additional awards until after the Fall semester has begun (which
can frequently be too late).
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Addressing the Challenges to EA Awarding
 During the 2014-15 awarding period, need to work with schools to make
waitlist determinations earlier (end of September/beginning of October).
 Continue to waive the written appeal requirement for cancelled awards and
work with schools to identify those eligible students on campus that simply
failed to accept the award during the Summer.
 Develop an on-line EA Program application process via MD CAPS beginning
with the 2015-16 awarding period (application period beginning January,
2015).
 Examine how we define the waitlist – currently there is no EFC cap.
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Focusing on 14
 Website is currently be reviewed and program-specific information will
be updated around the first of the year.
 Also looking to enhance the user experience on the website.
 Putting final touches on FAO Manual – training opportunities to be
announced.
 Addressing the audit findings published by DLA.
 We will be reconvening the Financial Aid Advisory Committee.
 Rebuild our relationships with and improve the services we provide to
schools.
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Focusing on 14 - continued
 Legislative session begins mid-January.
 Improve communications regarding the session outcome/impact.
 Strengthening the EOY reconciliation process/Improving reporting
requirements.
 Improve and increase training opportunities for schools.
 Improve succession planning internally.
 Development of a formal training program internally.
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Contact Information
Pete Tyrrell
Director, OSFA
410-767-3110
ptyrrell@mhec.state.md.us
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Questions and Answers
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance