Financial Aid
How specific should an Admissions Rep get in Detail with the Financial Aid process when conducting an In Home with an possible new enrollment?
I have the same questions as well as a new agent. I am not quite sure how in depth we can get about financial aid. Can we list the options and then send the student to financial services for more specific questions? I wonder if because of regulations and not being able to talk too much about financial aid, will this make us as agents look uneducated in our field?
I am a new rep and my concerns are that I want to be one hundred percent certain I follow every rule to the tee. Where can I locate information that will be ready and updated anytime I am in need of it.
Craig ,
Admissions reps should not answer specific financial aid questions as that information needs to be provided by trained financial aid staff and the type and amount of aid available can vary significantly between students. You can inform that student about what types of financial assistance are available to students who qualifiy but defer any specific eligibility questions to financial aid staff.
John Ware
michael,
Hopefully your admissions director will keep you informed about pertinent changes. You may also want to check the web site of the State Board of Career Colleges and Schools ( www.scr.ohio.gov ) for any updates about state law and rule changes.
John Ware
We as admissions reps, should know enough information to get the prospective student in the door and understand the basics. We ourselves do not get into specifics, but we can give broad overview of options. It is up to student financial services to hammer out the fine details. Correct?
At my university, we are not to discuss any financial aid/assistance or any other financial matters in depth with the student. During our initial interview with the student, we have them meet with a student service representative that gives them the basic financial information needed. The process seems to work really well for us.
The amount of information given by the agent will vary depending on the agent's comfort with FA topics and their director's confidence in them. However specific details regarding the student's FA should be left to the institution's qualified FA rep.
At our very small school, part of our admissions interview is to give the "big picture" of the financial obligation. But, I do let the prospective student know that he/she will have the opportunity to address their specific needs with our Financial Aid Director.
Based on the schools where I have worked, it honestly depends how much the admissions rep is supposed to clarify for the student, whether you are supposed to go into numbers (which I had to at one school where I worked), or if you have to stick to "Financial Aid is available to those who apply and qualify."
Even if you are not allowed to discuss FA in detail/at all, I think it's still a good idea to understand the mechanics - where to find the FAFSA, what information the department of ed needs to determine what you qualify for, who students can call if they have questions about the process, et al. (Though just a hint...don't misdial the federal aid hotline number. Just trust me on this.:)
