SUNY Smart Track 2014 and Beyond
2014 NYSFAAA Conference
October 22, 2014

SUNY Smart Track Initiatives - SUNY Smart Track Award Letter
SUNY/Nelnet Early Withdrawal Project
Patti Thompson, Asst. Vice Chancellor Student Financial Aid
SUNY System Administration

• SUNY Smart Track Award Letter
• SUNY Smart Track Financial Literacy Website
• SUNY Smart Track Student Engagement
• SUNY Smart Track/Nelnet Student Withdrawal Project

• 2013/14 and 2014/15 Smart Track Award Letters
(Delivered)
• SUNY Smart Track Financial Literacy Website
(Delivered)
• SUNY Smart Track Student Engagement
(Phase 2 – In Production)

•
SUNY/Nelnet collaboration on targeted default prevention study focusing on students who withdraw before program completion – highest risk
• 15 Campuses participating with approximately 1150 students to-date
• Campuses report borrower withdrawn status ASAP and Nelnet immediately contacts borrowers multiple times during grace period
• Return to school stressed and individualized loan counseling provided
• Study being conducted to determine if this has positive impact on repayment/default prevention
• Early results are favorable

Student Engagement Project
SUNY Smart Track Student Engagement
Bill Cavin, SUNY Smart Track Program Coordinator
SUNY System Administration

Student Engagement Project
• Smart Track Student Engagement Project involves using NSLDS reporting data to extract student loan borrower information to establish a proactive communication platform to promote
retention, financial literacy and prevent student loan default
• Initial cohort of students - 1 st time/ Freshman loan borrowers receive emails based on a Student Engagement Plan developed collaboratively by school and SUNY System

Student Engagement Project
• SUNY Smart Track Student Engagement Email Platform:
• Developed and maintained in-house
• All emails customized and sent in-house
• 5 SUNY Campuses participating:
• Niagara Community College, SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Ulster,
Corning CC and Cayuga CC

Student Engagement Project
2 NSLDS Reports currently used for SUNY Smart Track Student
Engagement:
1. School Portfolio Report (SCHPR1) contains school codes, student’s name, amount borrowed, and dates of origination.
However does not include student’s demographic data such as email address or physical address
2. Borrower Demographic Report( SCHBR1) includes basic borrower information name, addresses, email but not loan data

Student Engagement Project
• 1 st – time Freshman loan borrowers are identified/confirmed
• On a monthly basis school requests the required NSLDS
Reports, using designated parameters, and uploaded to SUNY
System
• SUNY System generates concise Smart Track Student
Engagement email communications which were developed in collaboration with System Project Staff and the school

Student Engagement Project
• Schools have ability to proactively send messages with resource links to all DL borrowers-on topics such as financial literacy, academic services and /or on-campus events

Examples of NCCC Student
Engagement Messages
• Emails have embedded links to school web pages and social media…
• Readable on laptop, phone or tablet/ipad

Student Engagement Project
Coming up next:
• 2 nd year borrower messages
• Delinquent Borrower messages
– Delinquent Borrower Report (DELQ01) Includes all
Demographic information needed but only on delinquent borrowers

Promote Across Campus and Track Student Use
Scott Atkinson, Director of Enrollment Services, SUNY Brockport
John Gottardy, Director of Financial Aid, University of Buffalo
Jennifer Slader, Asst Director of Residence Life, SUNY New Paltz
Nancy Johnson, TAP Certifying Officer, Corning CC