GOOD CREDIT LETTERS
I was really impressed with the idea of using postive reinforcement as a default management tool.
Are there any other ideas and suggestions that work on the same principle and are equally effective?
One suggestion is to contact references with positive information, including sending out graduation announcements/invitations (or for schools that do not hold formal graduation ceremonies, postcards announcing successful completion of a program, term, etc.). One idea from a previous participant was to contact references to congratulate family members on a student’s acceptance into your school. This idea could be expanded to include periodic contact with students and parents regarding excellent grades, community service, or any activities applicable for your institution.
These suggestions relate more to maintaining good relationships with references, but the overall idea is to engender a feeling of pride and accomplishment in the students.
I would love to hear other participants’ ideas on this topic!
This is truly an excellent idea. So many people never hear "good comments" - instead, they only hear negative. In addition, it will show the students that we are watching and care about them.
I agree with contacting the references also. We have found in the past that by doing this, it also helps the student during their tenure with our campus - many times the references did not know that the person was now in school and after we contacted them, they made sure that the helped them in whatever way they could - study help, babysitting, quiet time, etc.
This is a wonderful idea. I will be adding this to my activities. It is very rewarding to be told you are doing a great job and teaching our students about responsibility. At our school we also send a congratulations graduate letter to each student, a withdrawal letter that explains their grace period and who to contact if they would like to return, and several different delinquent letters to help them with their options. These all are working very well for us.
Great ideas Karen! I really like the congratulations graduate letter. What a great positive approach to making sure you have a good address for the student as well as a final reminder about the repayment of their loans.
I think the tool of positive reinforcement is a tremendous idea, however, I'm truly curious if it will actually work. I've seen it work with my son but he actually cares about what I think about him ;) - I'm wondering if the same applies in a learning environment between a student and a financial aid office. I get very tired of having to threaten to block students from class in order to collect the FA documentation we need from them so I would truly HOPE that positive reinforcement could be an alternative.
Elysia,
You make a good point that people respond more favorably to positive reinforcement if they actually care about what we think of them. We have seen the concept of good credit letters work well, but it may be because students perceive that the letters have positive financial impact.
I have also experienced the power of rewards. I am thinking there might be a way to use them to help you collect FA paperwork on a timely basis. For instance, could you just start providing a small token to students when they return their documentation by the deadline you set for them, like a give-away with the school's name or logo on it. Other students just might start asking ho you earn that "prize."
I agree with you, I think positive reinforcement is a great idea...however what about the students who do not take positive steps forward and do not have references that can provide beneficial information?
We have student whose motivational levels change rapidly and can become a "skip" rather quickly... any suggestions?
Matt,
Some schools have actually sent lists of "missing" students to instructors. It can be amazing how many times an instructor may be able to update a student's contat information even more quickly than a reference. Often it seems the instructor is the last person at a school to have had contact with the student.
Diana Mateer
Contactng the references is a great idea. We have utilized references as a last resort to track down a student or grad...at this point I have found it too late to try to encourage the support of a "stranger" particularly if the student / grad no longer feels connected to our insitution. Establishing a positive connection with references when the student is still excited and eager about the program makes perfect sense.
In an effort to stay connected to students once they finish school with us, we have started sending "Graduate Packages" about 3 weeks after graduation. We send samples that they might use in the field, an encouraging note from the grads former teacher and reminders of some services they should take advantage with us. It has been a success as far as staying connected with them and letting them know we are here to serve them...not just collect money.
The positive reinforcement letter idea prompts me to think we should be utilizing some version of this tactic even earlier to help with in school payments.
I like it!
Allison,
Our experience is similar to yours; as time passes, emotional distance increases and contacting references for the first time becomes less effective. This is even truer now, as the three-year cohort default rate period may increase the time between graduation/completion and contact attempts.
The most frustrating result of a phone call to a reference is an angry or annoyed “who are you?†and the assumption that we are telemarketers or soliciting enrollment. Establishing a pattern of positive communication with references will increase the likelihood of friendly assistance in the event of a skip.
Cheryl Kesson
Allison,
This is a fantastic idea! I love the combination of personal encouragement and promotion of school services, and I think yours is an excellent example of showing students we are invested in their success as individuals.
Any positive message to our students that will allow them to feel good when making their payment is a good thing. They can keep a record of every payment they make. This will them to count down their remaining payments to zero.
Dave,
I love the ideas that have been shared in this discussion thread! There are many opportunities to communicate positive messages to borrowers, including payment confirmations and congratulatory notes for financially responsible students.
I also like the idea of combining repayment reminders and (potentially) dry financial aid information with content that will interest and engage students such as industry news, career and resume advice, and profiles of successful alumni.
Kellee Gunderson
