Using Assessment Within the Financial Aid Office
Presented at the NYSFAAA Conference
October 3, 2014
Lake Placid, New York
Rick Miller, Ph.D.
Vice President for Enrollment Management and
Institutional Effectiveness
Workshop Goals
“if you don’t know where you are going, you might
not get there” – Yogi Berra
 Discuss Assessment Framework
 Focus on Assessment Strategies and Methods for
Financial Aid offices.
 Connect Financial Aid Assessment Findings with
Enrollment Management and Institutional Planning
Processes.
 Interactive and Discussion Oriented. Discuss
emerging issues and ideas.
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Assessment Pressures
• Due to increasing workloads and budget
constraints, assessment is a competing
priority.
• Middle States (MSCHE) expectations for
assessment and continuous improvement.
• Increasing demands from Federal Government
for consumer protection, transparency,
disclosure, etc.
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Assessment for Improvement and
Quality Assurance
• The assessment process is about how we use
assessment findings for planning and
improvement.
• Assessment can help Financial Aid units to
organize systematically.
• Focus on the “back end” of assessment (use
results for decision-making and planning).
4
A Sound Assessment Strategy
should be……
 Pragmatic and interesting
 Simple and cost-effective
 Planned, not episodic
 Organized, systematic, and ongoing
5
The Assessment Plan Basics
 Office Mission Statement
 Goals
 Objectives
 Measures
 Summary of Findings and Actions
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Sample Assessment Planning & Implementation
Timeline
STEP
11/14 –
12/14
1/152/15
3/15
4/15
Fall 2015
Spring
2016
5/16 – 5/17
Develop FA
Mission
Statement
Develop FA
Goals &
Objectives
Develop FA
Means of
Assessment &
Metrics/Measures
Conduct
Assessments
Feedback Loop &
Use of Results
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Sample Assessment Model Approach
Unit Mission Goals
Statement
Means of
Summary of
Assessment Data
& Measures Collected
Use of
Results
8
Suggestions
Goals should be:
• Linked to Unit Mission Statement.
• Realistic (Achievable)
- Resources and support currently available
• Limited in Number (3-5)
– Don’t try to assess everything all the time.
Process can become too burdensome.
• Measurable
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Some Typical Measures
 Qualitative
- Focus Groups
- Student Interviews
- Comment Cards
 Quantitative
- Workflow Reports
- Institutional Data
- Surveys (e.g., assess student cost of attendance for
student budget development)
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Content Areas of Financial Aid
Assessment
 Service Delivery & Student Satisfaction
 Productivity & Efficiency
 Award Processes & Fund Management (e.g.,
Scholarships, CWS, SEOG, Perkins, Cohort Default)
 Utilization of Technology
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Linkages to Financial Aid Assessment
 Student Recruitment and Retention
 Examine Retention Patterns College Work Study Awards,
First Generation Students, etc.
 Benchmarking: Graduation Rates & Pell Grants
Award Processes & Fund Management (Internal
Controls: Scholarships, CWS, SEOG, Perkins)
 Utilization of Technology (Social Networking)
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Possible Approaches and Tools for Tracking
Student Financial Aid
• Quantitative
– Data
Warehouse/Dashboard
Approach
– MS Access
– MS Excel
– Statistical Analyses Using
SPSS
– Predictive Analytics
• Qualitative
–
–
–
–
Student exit interviews
Focus Groups
Comment Cards
Student
Opinion/Feedback
Surveys.
– Social Networking??
Discussion: How can financial aid data
be utilized to improve student
recruitment & retention?
What variables should be studied? Where does the
source data come from?
Possible Examples of Subgroups and :
- Admissions Profile Selectivity Ranges
- EFC Range
- Athletes (NCAA Reporting)
- Program Specific (Major)
Student Tracking Models
• Cohort-Based
- Can Track Financial Aid Records by:
Subgroups (e.g., Gender, HS GPA, Honors,
EOP/HEOP, etc.)
• Term or Semester Based
National Student Clearinghouse Can Track
Students From Institution to Institution,
Program to Program, etc.
Financial Aid Quick Facts
2014-15 Award Cycle
• 89% of the student population applied for financial aid.
• 80% of the students applying for financial aid received needbased assistance.
• 86% of students with financial need received need-based,
self-help awards (Student Loans).
• 27% received non-need scholarships & grants.
• $14,273 is the average award (including scholarships, grants,
and loans) per student of those receiving financial aid
(excluding parent and alternative loans).
• $21,531 is the average student debt rate upon graduation.
References
Nichols, K.W. & Nichols J.O (2000) The Department
Head’s Guide to Assessment and Implementation in
Administrative and Educational Support Units. New
York: Agathon Press.
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