University Financial Aid & Scholarship Services Strategic Plan
Notes
Goal 1: Strengthen communication within our office, across the Las Cruces campus and the community colleges.
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Action 1: Regular staff meetings with office staff to include departmental and all-staff meetings.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
Fall 2012 –Fall
FA supervisors/Associate
Coverage of time for meetings
 12 meetings by Fall 2013 with
2013
Directors, Directors, FA staff
and budgeted funds for
staff from Las Cruces campus
materials/handouts, travel
Progress
Five all-staff meetings have been held with more scheduled. Summer presented a challenge with less
work-study coverage. We did schedule one meeting to be in two separate sessions but found it was not
as effective as having all the staff in one session. Looking for alternative solution.
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Action 2: Offer annual spring training for updating federal, state, and institutional changes for financial aid staff from all
campuses.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
Annual spring
FA supervisors/Associate
Coverage of time for meetings
 Staff feedback from spring
training March Directors, Directors, FA staff
and budgeted funds for
training on survey form
2013
materials/handouts, travel
Progress
Survey not done at this year’s training but comments and calls from attendees were positive. Survey will
be done for the next training in March 2014.
Action 3: Face to face meetings, with FA Directors rotating campuses.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
Carlsbad Fall
FA supervisors/Associate
Coverage of time for meetings
 Minimum of two face-to-face
2012; Grants
Directors, Directors, FA staff
and budgeted funds for
meetings with community
June 2013
materials/handouts, travel
colleges annually
Progress
FA Directors met at the Carlsbad campus last fall and Grants campus in June 2013. Meetings will continue
with the East Mesa campus in September or October 2013. All campuses were represented at the 2012–
13 meetings.
Action 4: Meet with Directors from other departments (SPA, SSS, Student Diversity and college scholarship coordinators)
across campus.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
Fall 2012 –
FA supervisors/Associate
Coverage of time for meetings
 Twice annually
Spring 2013
Directors, Directors, FA staff
and budgeted funds for
materials/handouts, travel
Progress
Have met with Directors from SPA, SSS, AIP. Associate & Assistant Directors meet regularly with college
scholarship coordinators. FA staff attended a “safe zone” meeting for student diversity.
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Action 5: Meet each semester with FA work-studies to update and to review their questions and concerns.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
2013-14 University Financial Aid & Scholarship Services Strategic Plan
1
2013/2014
Academic Year
Advisor/Fiscal monitor/FA
Director/Associate
Director/Administrative Assistant
Coverage for time/materials
 Meet each semester with FA
work-studies to update and to
review their
questions/concerns
Notes
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Goal 2: Improve default rates for student loans.
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Action 1: Increased loan counseling with stop-outs and withdrawing students at Las Cruces main campus.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
On-going
Loan Coordinator, FA Advisors
Internal training and conference
 Cohort analysis done
Fall - 2012- Spring 2013.
travel, budgeted funds for
 Number of students counseled
printing and training resources,
 Track individual students
funding for multi-year contract,
through default period (NLDS)
cohort analysis of default
 Curriculum and training
categories for strategizing, and
material developed for
budgeted funds for
classroom use
implementation of outreach
 Number of course participants
program
 Learning assessments
(quiz/feedback)
 Link to Inceptia Financial
Education on FA website
 Course curriculum piloted and
assessed summer 2013
 Full implementation fall 2013
Progress
Comprehensive cohort analysis to be done in September 2013. Many students were counseled regarding
repayment options as they withdrew (exact count undetermined).
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Action 2: Team with UNIV 150 classes and other offices across campus to improve financial awareness and loan repayment
options among students and staff.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
Beginning
Las Cruces campus FA staff, key
Internal training and conference
 Cohort analysis done
Spring 2013
staff from Student Engagement
travel, budgeted funds for
 Number of students counseled
programs
printing and training resources,
 Track individuals through
funding for multi-year contract,
default period (NLDS)
cohort analysis of default
 Curriculum and training
categories for strategizing, and
material developed
budgeted funds of outreach
 Number of course participants
program
 Learning assessments
(quiz/feedback)
 Link to Inceptia Financial
Education on FA website
 Course curriculum piloted and
2013-14 University Financial Aid & Scholarship Services Strategic Plan
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2
Progress
assessed summer 2013
 Full implementation fall 2013
Materials were developed to use in the UNIV 150 classes through SSS. Tony Marin’s staff is set to pilot
fall 2013 for financial awareness. FA Loan coordinator participated in the process by answering questions
and assisting where needed.
Action 3: Las Cruces campus and the community colleges will develop a financial aid education and outreach program.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
Spring 2013
Inceptia staff, FA staff from all
Internal training and conference
 Cohort analysis done
campuses, SIM
travel, budgeted funds for
 Number of students counseled
printing and training resources,
 Track students through default
funding for multi-year contract,
period (NLDS)
cohort analysis of default
 Curriculum and training
categories for strategizing, and
material developed
budgeted funds for of outreach
 Number of course participants
program
 Learning assessments
(quiz/feedback)
 Link to Inceptia Financial
Education on FA website
 Course curriculum piloted and
assessed summer 2013
 Full implementation fall 2013
Progress
Second cohort analysis will be done in September when final default rates are released. We are working
with Inceptia and submitting data to educate students going into repayment.
Action 4:
Timeline
Fall 2013 &
forward
Team
FA Advisors, Director, Associate
Director
Resources needed
Budget funds for printing and
training.
Measures
 Number of completed loan
forms turned in.
Goal 3: Effectively award scholarship dollars to recruit and retain students.
Action 1: Create dashboard of major state funded scholarships and review regularly with internal fiscal team and enrollment
management related staff.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
Dashboard
Asst. Director of Scholarships,
SIM time
 Tracking offered, accepted and
created Spring Associate Directors of FAO, SIM
lost scholarship dollars for
2013
& Fiscal team.
effectiveness in student
recruitment and retention
Communicate
 Enrollment headcount
dashboard
 End of year scholarship budget
availability to
balances
2013-14 University Financial Aid & Scholarship Services Strategic Plan
Notes
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3
 Retention report as measure
of lost scholarships and
awarding opportunities (final
goal = degree completion)
 Tracking offered, accepted and
lost scholarship dollars for
effectiveness in student
recruitment
campus
community
Continual
fiscal
monitoring
and strategic
awarding
Progress
Currently in progress. Codes have been created to assist with tracking.
Action 2: Develop scholarship-awarding strategies to successfully recruit incoming freshman.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
Strategy
College scholarship coordinators, COGNOS report, Scholar
 Tracking offered, accepted and
meetings early Foundation reps, Asst Director of Dollar$ system, Scholarship
lost scholarship dollars for
fall 2012 and
Scholarships, FA Assoc Director,
calculator
effectiveness in student
debrief late
Univ Admissions staff, SIM staff
recruitment and retention
spring 2013.
 Enrollment headcount
 End of year scholarship budget
balances
 Retention report as measure
of lost scholarships and
awarding opportunities (final
goal = degree completion)
 Tracking offered, accepted and
lost scholarship dollars for
effectiveness in student
recruitment
Progress
Currently working with enrollment management team and Institutional Analysis on a leveraging system
unique to NMSU.
Goal 4: Update FA policies and procedures based on Best Practices from the Department of Education.
Action 1: Assign committees to review, assess, and update policies and procedures for financial aid and scholarships.
Timeline
Team
Resources needed
Measures
Staff compilation
Financial aid & scholarship
IFAP & NASFAA guidelines for
 Review and update as policies
beginning
staff from all campuses
policy documentation
change or, at least, annually
November 2012
Complete manual
June 2013
Progress
Notes
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Ongoing: Have a committee chair and assigned goals to some of the FA staff to update a policy to be
submitted by December 2013.
2013-14 University Financial Aid & Scholarship Services Strategic Plan
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Notes
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