Do you plan to continue to collect a Verification Worksheet or do you plan to go to individual worksheets based on the Verification Categories V-1 through V-5? Is there a compelling reason to collect the Verification Worksheet in your opinion?

The disbursement notification/acknowledgement process is enlightening for me as it helps me to identify which students need further guidance in and explanation of their financial aid. Often times, a student will have no idea what to make of the information I give them on their disbursement notification form [FRIGHTENING!]. This gives me the opportunity to go over the basics with the student maybe in a different way than it was originally explained to them: this and this are loans that you are going to have to pay back, this is a grant which you will not have to pay back, this is only a piece of your financial aid package, further disbursements will come as you progress in the program, at the very end of the program X is the total amount that you will responsible for paying back, etc. I definitely recommend requiring student acknowledgements of the disbursement notification- true, it can be laborious and time consuming but it requires interacting with students one and one to go over their disbursements and thus gives the chance to see exactly who needs a little extra clarification. If students have a clear understanding of their loans, they'll be less overwhelmed and better equipped to handle the responsibility of repaying the loans in the end!

We offer our upcoming Grads an Exit Counseling Seminar, which takes place during their last class required to complete the program. We usually show them a video and give them a folder that contains the Exit Counseling Guide from the Department of Education, a sheet that provides important websites that they can use to track their loans, the contact information for the school's third party company that handles the default prevention, and the contact information for the Student Accounts Department. We also have the students complete a form where they have to update their contact information and provide three current references.

At our school, we have developed a Default Awareness Booth. We set it up right before the students' break and we give them information regarding student loans and how to manage them. The way that we get their attention is by providing a prize for all students that give us updated demographic information or references. We also attract them by having a bowl of candy.

Hello all, I found that saying to students "Iam going to have the research that question" shows the stuent that you are will to go beyond the call of duty for the correct information.

Hello, I work in the Business Office and one of my daily functions is to monitor and collect funds from students that have "in-school" loans that need to be repaid. Right now we are meeting with the students when they first enroll to discuss the importance of making on-time payments along with phone calls and facebook updates. Another practice that we use is what we call the "blue-letter" system. This is where the Business Office will write up a note on a blue piece of paper and post it on a board in each class room. If a student has a blue letter they need to report to the Business Office. Even with all of these practices we still have a number of students who are unresponsive. Does anyone have some other suggestions that we might be able to use? The letter system seems to be the most effective form of getting the students into the offices to talk about their loans. Thanks

We are new to Financial Aid at my institution and have not begun to track or keep up with graduated students who have Student Loans. Can someone provide me with websites I can use to find out if a student is on the verge of defaulting or what are some ways that schools keep up with this information? I have not explored the websites enough to understand which is good for what information yet. Is this at NSLDS or COD? Thank you!

Audits can give you a better understanding of where you are and what things you need to work on.

For effective borrower communication, I noticed it stated that students open up about living situations when they trust the faculty, and that is the way to increase relationships. But I find that sometimes students have friendships with instructors or faculty that leads to problems like favoritism. How do we develop relationships with the students and gather important data such as homelessness or financial difficulties, without crossing the line and making these personal conversations?

At our schools we Maill information out once every three months to see who comes back, so we can update. Twice a year we ask for complete information from all the students which encluded new cell numbers or e-mail adresses. Upon exits I have them fill out the reference's on the McKenzie as will as the sheet with five reference we have from the start. I have then look over there information so they can change what need to be.

Share ways that you or your colleagues have effectively addressed student complaints, resulting in a positive experience for all involved.

If you had to boil customer service down to one critical element, what would you most recommend?

In your experience, what have been the most challenging aspects of adhering to the financial aid time deadlines? How do you most successfully get students to keep them?

What strategies has your school implemented to keep students connected to the financial aid office post-graduation?

What strategies has your institution employed to reduce its default rate? In your opinion, what more could be done to assist students and protect the institution?

Based on your experience, what’s the best way to prepare for a Compliance Audit? Do you have any tips for those new to the process?

Are there any of the Performance Requirement details that are particularly difficult for you as a FAA to comply with?

How do the Performance Requirements guide the performance of your duties?

Of the institutional responsibilities covered in this course, which have you found to be the most challenging requirements of your job? How have you overcome these challenges?

What circumstances have you used paper application? In particular, please identify any that were in addition to those mentioned in the course.