Verification Gateway Success Stories

Verification Gateway: Success Stories

Table of Contents

Connecticut State Colleges & Universities Verification Gateway Provides a Reliable Verification Portal to Enable Steady Enrollment Louisiana Community Technical College System Verification Gateway reduced work load among staff at multiple colleges that enabled more student-centric service. University of Texas at Tyler Verification Gateway relieves the pressure of increasing verification numbers enabling the financial aid team to maintain high-level student-centric service. Housatonic Community College Award Money Granted Faster for Students at Inner-City Community College

Presentation College Private College Financial Aid Team Said “Goodbye” to Manual Verifications and “Hello” to Student Relationships

13 Stephens College Verification Gateway Made Verification Process Simpler for Staff and Students

15 Loyola University

Verification Gateway Solution Brought Loyola’s Financial Aid Team Back to the “Heart” of Their Work

Nevada State College Verification Gateway Solution Made Life Easier for Staff and Students

19 DeSales University Verification Gateway Helped Private University Complete Processes More Efficiently Among Other Benefits for Students and Families

Verification Gateway

Connecticut State Colleges & Universities Verification Gateway Provides a Reliable Verification Portal to Enable Steady Enrollment

There’s a good reason 85,000 students call Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) their home. Students can choose from CSCU’s 12 community colleges, four universities, or its online degree program. Plus, CSCU has the lowest tuition cost in the state, making it the leader in higher education. More than 300,000 degrees and certificates have been awarded since CSCU’s inception in 1983 from all discipline studies, ranging from liberal arts, manufacturing, and nursing degrees. Enabling Steady Enrollment Higher education continues to face enrollment obstacles. To further the issue, COVID-19 has created an increase in financial burdens resulting in a downward spiral in student enrollment, especially among incoming freshmen who are uncertain on how to adjust their plans or unwilling to pay a higher tuition for online classes. Despite the challenges, CSCU remains diligent in keeping enrollment steady. Using Verification Gateway (VG) to complete verifications sooner so students can plan accordingly plays a role in their success. With a 29 percent average decrease in verifications completed 14 days prior to semester and a 38 percent average decrease in verifications completed 7 days prior to semester, more of those verifications were completed earlier resulting in a 15% average increase in packaging rate by the first day of classes. More students receiving their aid sooner equals a higher potential for enrollment. “One of the biggest challenges CSCU students faced during COVID-19 was the transition to distant learning and the technological requirements that went with it,” said Steve McDowell, Associate Vice President, Financial Aid Operations and Title IV Compliance. “With this challenge, we were fortunate to have VG already in place because students could safely complete verifications from home. It was one less thing they had to worry about.”

CHALLENGE Steve McDowell and the financial aid team needed a verification platform that could handle CSCU’s larger student population and higher verifications numbers. The solution needed to be efficient for students and families and provide workload relief for the financial aid staff. SOLUTION Selecting Verification Gateway allowed verifications to be processed more efficiently; created a user-friendly experience for students and families; reduced foot traffic and call volume in the financial aid office; and helped drive enrollment. RESULTS • Reduced call volume • Two-day turnaround of verified records • 50% average decrease in time from first ISIR to verified • 28% average increase in completed verifications • 29% average decrease in verifications completed 14 days prior to semester • 38% average decrease in verifications completed 7 days prior to semester • 15% average increase in packaging rate by first day of classes

Financial Aid Team Pursued New Verification Solution to Tackle Volume Challenges CSCU’s large student population equals a large number of selected verifications burdening the financial aid office with manual verification checks resulting in less time being available to work directly with students. Between all of the institutions, about 40,000 students are selected for verification annually and more than 28,000 are from the community colleges alone. McDowell and his team knew they needed to find a solution to alleviate the pressure on the team with verification so they could turn their focus to needed student counseling throughout the system. They also knew more verifications completed sooner offered the potential to increase enrollment. — •••

PARTNER PROFILE

Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) is in Hartford, Connecticut and comprised of 12 community colleges, four universities, and an online degree program. Approximately 85,000 students call CSCU their home with more than 90 percent of students from Connecticut. The school offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs that help students achieve their personal and career goals as well as contribute to the economic growth of Connecticut.

Reduced Foot Traffic and Call Volume in Financial Aid Office

When the financial aid team implemented VG for the 2018-19 aid year, they quickly experienced some relief for the team. Verification Gateway from Inceptia is an automated online platform that streamlines federal verification processing for students and schools by offering interview-style questions, simple and secure document collection, complete reporting and personal interaction when needed. The most immediate result was the significant decrease in student foot traffic and call volume. Inceptia’s team handled all verification matters, opening up the time for the financial aid staff to engage with students in different capacities. “The financial scene behind higher education is complex and overwhelming at times,” McDowell said. “It was a welcomed relief for Inceptia to take over verifications so our team could counsel students on loan options and short and long-term financial goals.”

Verification Processing Time Faster than Ever

Processing time was no longer consumed by cumbersome back-and-forth questions, paper overload, or delayed responses. Since VG’s inception, CSCU has seen significant results: a two-day turnaround time; 28 percent average increase in completed verifications; and 50 percent average decrease in the time it had been taking from first ISIR received to verified. — ••• Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway,

We uncomplicate financial aid. Inceptia is a nonprofit organization committed to innovative, effective, and uncomplicated solutions for verification, financial aid management, smart borrowing, financial education, and repayment wellness.

contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org.

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Verification Gateway

Louisiana Community Technical College System Verification Gateway reduced work load among staff at multiple colleges that enabled more student-centric service .

Louisiana Community Technical College System (LCTCS) is comprised of 12 community and technical colleges across the state and is committed to serving all students – regardless of geographical, financial, or scholastic barriers. Students can obtain associate degrees, technical diplomas, and industry-based certificates that earn them satisfying jobs. Students can also enter a STEM program, transfer to a four-year university, and finish their high school diploma. In the 2018/2019 school year, more than 30,000 students graduated from LCTCS. Multiple colleges with a variety of educational and workforce opportunities for students keep staff and faculty busy, including those in the enrollment financial aid offices.

CHALLENGE The system colleges needed to keep up with the verifications but its limited staff size prevented them from doing so. With 12 colleges and different processes in place for each college, Dr. Amy Cable and the colleges wanted to outsource a solution that would consistently streamline the verification process. SOLUTION Implementing a third-party solution, like Verification Gateway by Inceptia, allowed staff to spend less time verifying and more time helping students with other financial aid components. VG provided efficient and timely verification processing as well as solid customer support to both staff and students.

Smaller Staff Size Made Verification Processing More Time-Consuming

Dr. Amy Cable, Executive Director of Enrollment Management Support at LCTCS, oversees the system’s enrollment and financial aid processing. Smaller staff size and high student demands posed an issue for each college when it came to verification processing. “Some colleges processed verifications in-house and saw students at the same time; it became a problem so the colleges wanted to explore the idea of outsourcing,” Cable said. “The LCTCS pursued an RFP (Request for Proposal) in 2017 and Inceptia really stood out.” Cable already heard of Inceptia prior to her time at LCTCS and knew they would be a competitive solution. The solution was implemented at four of its respective colleges and led by the college’s enrollment and financial aid teams. Verification Gateway Exceeded Desirable Outcomes Cable and the team of colleges looked for the following components in a verification solution: implementation and maintenance services; user-friendly adaptability; efficient

RESULTS

• 818 completed verifications • Increased enrollment among the four colleges that implemented VG • More one-on-one time with students helping in other capacities

processing; quick turnaround time; call center for students; timely communication to students and colleges; and a customized pricing structure. “Inceptia’s Verification Gateway (VG) solution is a trusted name in the business and our solution boxes got checked,” Cable said. “The pricing component was a big decision-making factor because each college paid for completed verifications and not a flat rate.” Verification Gateway is an automated online platform that streamlines federal verification processing for students and schools. Offering interview-style questions, simple and secure document collection, complete reporting and personal interaction when needed, Verification Gateway enables schools to process and package aid faster. Four of the 12 colleges utilized VG: Fletcher Technical Community College (2,098 enrollment); Delgado Community College (13,173 enrollment); Central Louisiana Technical Community College (1,437 enrollment); and SOWELA Technical Community College (2,950 enrollment). Faster and More Efficient Processing Freed Up Staff With the implementation of VG, staff was more readily available to service students and perform other financial aid work. At SOWELA, a front-line staff member who used VG on a regular basis said her workload was reduced tremendously. “I no longer had to collect documentation for every student chosen for the different types of verification, make needed corrections on the student FAFSA, contact students because of missing information, and store incomplete paperwork. Instead, I had time to counsel students, assist at high school FAFSA completion events, and help with other duties in the office.” Michelle Greco, Director of Enrollment Management at Delgado Community College, said fewer students visit the office with verification questions because VG

PARTNER PROFILE

The Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) provides strategic management and support for Louisiana’s 12 community and technical colleges. Colleges award associates degrees, technical diplomas, and industry-based certificates in programs that are aligned with business and industry and local economies, which lead students to good paying middle class jobs. made the process simple and user-friendly. When questions arose, students contacted Inceptia’s call center, which freed up Greco’s staff to help students with other financial aid questions. She was also pleased with Inceptia’s customer service. Colleges Impressed by Inceptia’s First- Class Customer Service “Their customer service was outstanding,” Greco said. “They reached out to our management team the moment a student called with additional questions or concerns, and they worked with us to ensure the college and Inceptia were communicating a unified message to students.” And while the first year posed some growing pains, Inceptia’s team was quick to resolve them. The team went onsite to the system and individual colleges to fix system bugs in VG and re-evaluated contract agreements to reflect better accuracy of processing time for students. “Inceptia corrected things right away,” Cable said.

We uncomplicate financial aid. Inceptia is a nonprofit organization committed to innovative, effective, and uncomplicated solutions for financial aid management, smart borrowing, financial education, and repayment wellness.

— •••

Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org.

@inceptia

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Verification Gateway

University of Texas at Tyler Verification Gateway relieves the pressure of increasing verification numbers enabling the financial aid team to maintain high-level student-centric service.

The University of Texas at Tyler is one of the fastest growing in the University of Texas System with over 10,000 students enrolled. Maintaining an average student to professor ratio of 19:1 in their six colleges with four locations, they offer a student-centric learning environment that gives them an advantage over larger, less intimate campuses, aided by their offering of more than 80 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs. Dr. Scott Lapinski, Director of Financial Aid, knew his team had a big challenge ahead of them with increasing enrollment numbers, multiple campuses and a lean staff. These factors would culminate in the perfect storm, leading to an increase in verifications to process and a potential roadblock to student matriculation. “We all know verification processing is timely and can be the difference between a student attending school and just not making it. For the students and families, it can be overwhelmingly stressful. As a campus, our goal is to provide personalized service to all our students,” said Lapinski. “We needed to find a solution to manage the verifications and maintain the high level of service provided throughout the campus, including the Financial Aid Office.” Efficiently Managing Verifications and High-Level Student Services The University of Texas at Tyler’s Financial Aid and Scholarships Office discovered just such a solution with Verification Gateway from Inceptia. Verification Gateway is an automated online platform that streamlines federal verification processing for students and schools. Offering interview-style questions, simple and secure document collection, complete reporting and personal

CHALLENGE The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) had an enrollment increase that in turn produced more verifications to process. They needed to get through the verifications quickly and accurately and keep the level of service for which the school is known. SOLUTION UT Tyler prides itself on its student- centricity in all departments. Implementing Verification Gateway from Inceptia enabled them to extend that service level to students and parents while increasing the efficiency and speed of award distribution.

RESULTS

• 1,537 completed verifications for 2017-18 aid year. • Completed packaging faster to support enrollment goals. • Maintained dedicated time for in-person visits.

interaction when needed, Verification Gateway enables schools to process and package aid faster.

Since verification was found to be the most time-consuming work for the UT Tyler staff, the partnership with Inceptia allowed them to concentrate on assisting new and continuing students with other critical aspects of financial aid, knowing that the verification process was in good hands. The end result is more one-on-one time with students and better customer service, all while verifications are processed quickly and professionally. Outsourced Service Offers Relief Verification Gateway proved to be an even greater value-add the following year, when the UT Tyler staff unexpectedly experienced unusually high turnover and the reassignment of several seasoned staff members to Assistant Director positions. Having a rural location made it difficult to find experienced counselors, and so their three new hires (almost half of the total office staff) came on board with no financial aid training. Verification Gateway provided much-needed relief for the overwhelmed office, allowing them to fully train the new staff while continuing to focus on their high standards of excellence in serving students. “Without already having a partnership with Inceptia, there could have been a dramatic change in the way we were able to assist students,” says Lapinski. — ••• Trusted Partnership, Shared Values UT Tyler initially implemented Verification Gateway for the 2017-18 school year. The partnership resulted in 1,537 completed verifications in that first year, which sped up their awarding process and helped them meet their enrollment goals while enabling them to also dedicate the time they needed to in-person visits.

PARTNER PROFILE

The University of Texas at Tyler is a public university in Tyler, Texas. As part of the University of Texas System, UT Tyler was founded in 1971, consists of six colleges and enrolls more than 10,000 students on their main and three regional campuses.

That high quality of service and commitment to students and parents is also shared by Inceptia, assuring UT Tyler had chosen the right partner to maintain the same level of service we had previously provided by processing in-house. Our level of service in the Financial Aid Office is parallel to our overall campus student- centric learning environment, said Lapinski. “We wanted to be sure our partnership would be an extension of our overall student service culture. Inceptia not only provided that, but we wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the increase in verifications in our past two aid years without them.” — ••• Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway,

contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org.

@inceptia

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888.529.2028 inceptia.org

Verification Gateway

Housatonic Community College is one of 12 community colleges in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system and is located in Bridgeport, Connecticut’s largest city. Housatonic is devoted to serving students in all capacities of their journeys: whether they want to transfer to a four-year institution, earn an associate degree, or jump straight into the workforce. Housatonic also provides seminars and workshops to fulfill students’ community and personal enrichment needs. Because of the many geographic locations Housatonic serves, its student population varies in economic backgrounds and financial aid plays a big role in helping students pay for college. Reduced Staffing Reveals Verification Processing Concerns Housatonic’s decreased staffing levels in the Financial Aid Office had the potential to be a sizeable challenge for processing verification. The team had taken steps to clean up a previously paper-heavy process, overcome the over-stuffed file cabinets, and increase reporting accuracy. Still, the smaller staff was concerned about falling behind in completing verifications and the overall impact it would have on students. Housatonic wanted to find a solution that made the entire process easier for students to be awarded financial aid. Verification Gateway Replaced Paperwork with Time Omar Livingston, Director of Financial Aid at Housatonic, selected Verification Gateway (VG) as its solution because of the electronic and efficient platform it provided. Verification Gateway from Inceptia is an automated online platform that streamlines federal verification processing for students and schools. Offering interview-style questions, simple and secure document collection, complete reporting and personal interaction when needed, VG enables schools to process and package aid faster. Housatonic Community College Award Money Granted Faster for Students at Inner-City Community College

CHALLENGE Housatonic Community College had a secure room dedicated to processing verifications. It was as efficient as they could be and included piles of paper, but they were falling behind and grew concerned about the overall impact on students and enrollment goals. SOLUTION With Verification Gateway in place, Housatonic’s financial aid office was able to award students faster and boost enrollment.

RESULTS

• Reduced verification time by more than 50 percent • Tracked students completely through the process, which helped award sooner • No longer needed to use the work room for verification processing

“We had a reduction in paperwork and students were awarded much quicker than in the past,” said Livingston. “Even during our busy season in July and August, VG made it less chaotic.” As a parent, Livingston also noticed how quick and easy the verification process was. “My son was a freshman and selected for verification,” said Livingston. “He created his account online with VG, submitted the paperwork, and his verification was reviewed within two days. He was then awarded financial aid shortly after. Everything was right on schedule and came through quickly.”

PARTNER PROFILE

Housatonic Community College is located in Bridgeport, Connecticut and is accredited by the New England Convention of Higher Education (NECHE). Housatonic is one of 12 community colleges in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system. Housatonic offers associate degree programs in preparation for transfer to four-year institutions, as well as occupationally-oriented associate degree and certificate programs. The college also assists local businesses and institutions to train and update the skills of their workers.

Provided Intuitive Online Experience for Students

“One concern we had before implementing VG was from the technology standpoint,” Livingston said. “As an inner-city school, we weren’t sure if some of our students would have a hard time navigating this new verification process and technology or have access to it.” Those fears quickly subsided after students learned how to easily navigate VG’s online platform. With computers and tablets available throughout Housatonic’s campus, all students have the ability to access VG. “The website was very intuitive and easy to navigate,” said Livingston. “The support materials on the website also make it easy to understand how the verification process works.” — ••• Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org.

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Verification Gateway

Presentation College Private College Financial Aid Team Said “Goodbye” to Manual Verifications and “Hello” to Student Relationships

With an intimate student population and established academic and athletic programs, Presentation College is making its mark in the northern United States. Established in 1951 and the first school to enroll a class of Native American nursing students, Presentation is now home to approximately 800 students across its campuses in South Dakota and Minnesota. The growth of the college in both academic and athletic programs draws students of all kinds – undergraduate, graduate, transfer, and international – to pursue their education and careers. Desire to Build More Relationships with Students Prompted College to Look for Solution When Amber Brockel, Director of Financial Aid at Presentation College, first stepped on campus five years ago, she quickly learned their small team had their work cut out for them. “At the time, we were a new team and needed to learn all the regulatory aspects behind the financial aid business.” This, along with doing verifications, caused an administrative burden; committing full workdays to verifications left little time for anything else – especially the student relationships the team was craving. “We didn’t have time to work with our students and families,” Brockel said. “Sometimes I spent eight hours a day doing verifications.” The manual verifying resulted in minimal time meeting with students and educating them about their financial aid options. It also caused a delay in distributing award packages. When awards weren’t granted right away, students and families felt uncertain about paying for college. Brockel and her team knew it was time for a change.

CHALLENGE Amber Brockel and the financial aid team said verification processing took too much time out of their workday. They wanted to spend more time guiding students and parents through the financial aid process and be more involved in overall financial aid compliance. SOLUTION Presentation’s financial aid team wanted a solution that checked off their boxes: an experienced service team, fast turnaround time, and cost. Selecting Verification Gateway decreased email and call volume; increased financial compliance proficiency; increased number of verifications processed; and allowed more time spent educating students and families on financial aid. RESULTS • 237 completed verifications • Reduced student email and call volume • Faster verification turnaround

Verification Gateway Brought Positive Change to Staff’s Workload The team needed to outsource a verification solution that met their criteria: an experienced service team, fast turnaround time, and cost—all factors found in Verification Gateway. Verification Gateway (VG) from Inceptia is an automated online platform that streamlines federal verification processing for students and schools. Offering interview-style questions, simple and secure document collection, complete reporting and personal interaction when needed, VG enables schools to process and package aid faster. Inceptia’s experience working in collegiate financial aid was a plus. “Some of Inceptia’s team members worked in the collegiate financial aid setting in the past, which made me comfortable knowing they had ‘boots on the ground’ experience – they lived what we are living,” Brockel said. VG also fell in line with the team’s budget. “The value of everything we get with VG is exceptional,” Brockel said. “Their work is always thorough.” Selecting VG as their solution provided peace of mind for the team. Verification Communication Proved Seamless Among Students and Parents With VG in place since November 2017, all communication regarding verifications was handled directly by Inceptia’s customer service. “We weren’t the bad guys anymore,” said Brockel. “In the past, students would sometimes get frustrated because we asked them to complete certain pieces of information again or resubmit forms. With Inceptia, they handled everything.” Students and parents contacted Inceptia’s customer service, rather than the university, regarding verification questions.

PARTNER PROFILE Presentation College is a private Catholic college in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Founded in 1951, Presentation enrolled its first class of Native American students in its satellite nursing program. Since 1971, the college has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Students have a variety of degree programs to choose from that are tied into Presentation’s deep Catholic traditions for a complete, whole-student educational approach. Presentation College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) division. Presentation holds a high standard of academic excellence and welcomes students of all faith, upholding its Catholic tradition in the development of the whole person. Since VG’s inception, student foot traffic and call volume decreased. “Before VG, we were fielding many more phone calls per year,” Brockel said. “It was a huge win for our team to implement VG because we could get back to the core of our work.” — ••• Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org.

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Verification Gateway

Stephens College Verification Gateway Made Verification Process Simpler for Staff and Students

Stephens College is the second oldest women’s college in the country and home to less than 500 students. Women are challenged by a variety of coursework, gain leadership opportunities, and receive career preparatory classes all while enjoying the competitive advantage of a 10-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. Stephens is also known for its diverse and competitive degree programs: a successful physician assistant program, a nationally recognized fashion school, and top 10 theater program. Financial Aid Staff Was Too Thin to Complete Verifications and Delayed Financial Aid Packages Alex Miller, Director of Financial Aid at Stephens College, learned of the staff’s difficult time keeping up with verifications after she came on board to Stephens. “Verification was becoming stressful not only for students and families but also for staff,” Miller said. “With what seems to be more selections each year,” it was becoming difficult and strenuous for our office to keep up with incoming verification selections. In turn, this delayed students in getting their aid packages and finalizing their plans for paying for college.” Verification Gateway Demo Highlighted Value of Outsourced Solution and Quality of Service Miller said the financial aid staff at that time needed to come up with a solution to solve its verification problem. Solutions included hiring another staff member to manage verifications, re-disburse duties among the current staff, or outsource. “Once the team knew outsourcing was an option, it became the preferred alternative,” Miller said.

CHALLENGE The financial aid office was too short- staffed to keep up with verifications in a timely manner, which resulted in financial aid packages being delayed. The staff needed to hire another team member, re-disburse duties among current staff, or hire a third- party solution. SOLUTION Selecting Verification Gateway made verifications easier to process, provided students with a less stressful online experience, and reduced the work load for the financial aid staff. RESULTS • Increased efficiency of completed verifications • Provided online user-friendly experience for students and families • Eased staff work load • Gave first-class customer service during and after VG implementation

The former financial aid director at Stephens learned of Verification Gateway (VG) at a conference. Verification Gateway from Inceptia is an automated online platform that streamlines federal verification processing for students and schools. Offering interview-style questions, simple and secure document collection, complete reporting and personal interaction when needed, VG enables schools to process and package aid faster. “The previous director met with an Inceptia representative at the conference and was very excited about the quality of the service offered and how they presented their product,” Miller said. VG was implemented at Stephens in 2017. Students Enjoyed Online Ease and Communication Rather than submitting forms and returning them to the financial aid office, students completed verifications simply through VG’s online portal. In addition, students and families also received communication directly from Inceptia to ensure verifications were being processed efficiently; this allowed Stephens to be removed as the middle-man and eliminate any possible miscommunication. “Inceptia provided branded marketing communication to our students and families that showed a partnership,” Miller said. “This gained trust among our students as they understood we had a third-party solution for verifications. In this field, communicating regularly and timely can be difficult to track and hard to do sometimes. Inceptia did a great job of making sure they reached out to students regularly.”

PARTNER PROFILE

Stephens College is a private women’s college in Columbia, Missouri. It is the second-oldest female college in the United States. It was founded in 1833 as the Columbia Female Academy. The college follows a liberal arts curriculum and has three schools: Design, Health Sciences, and Creative and Performing Arts. Stephens also offers graduate degrees including Master of Education in Counseling, Master of Fine Arts in Television and Screenwriting, and Master in Physician Assistant Studies.

Worth the Investment

After implementing VG, Stephens reaped many benefits. The solution made the verification process more efficient; eased the staff work load; allowed students to complete verifications utilizing a user-friendly online portal; provided communication on behalf of Stephens; and gave outstanding customer service to Stephens staff during and after implementation. All of this, Miller said, was worth the investment. “Hiring Inceptia provided piece-of-mind,” Miller said. “While there is a cost associated with it, Inceptia had our back and completed the verification process timelier.”

— •••

Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org.

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888.529.2028 inceptia.org

Verification Gateway

Loyola University Verification Gateway Solution Brought Loyola’s Financial Aid Team Back to the “Heart” of Their Work

Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, Loyola University has been making a name for itself since its debut in 1870. Loyola is a private, Catholic university nationally recognized for its elite academic and Division 1 athletic programs. 93 percent of faculty own the highest degree in their fields and students benefit from a small student-faculty ratio. Beyond the classroom and sports, Loyola is committed to caring for its Chicago home. With more than 17,000 students – 11,000 undergraduates – there are plenty of hands to help keep the city of Chicago thriving. Students clean up parks and neighborhoods, mentor children, and run farmers markets to make healthy food more accessible to the Chicago community. Increase in Student Volume Required More Efficient Verification Process Tobyn Friar, Director of Financial Aid at Loyola, said as the student enrollment increased it put a burden on his financial aid staff to collect, review, and update verification. 26 percent of students are Pell Grant eligible, which made verification an overwhelming task. “The extra work we had took us away from spending quality time with students and parents,” Friar said. “We weren’t able to walk them through all of their financial aid options. We weren’t providing poor customer service, but there is a level of expectation of service that comes with a private university that we weren’t giving.”

CHALLENGE Tobyn Friar and his team said as the student enrollment increased it was putting a burden on his financial aid staff to collect, review, and update verification. 26 percent of students are Pell Grant eligible, which made verification processing an overwhelming task. The extra work didn’t give the team ample time to provide students and parents an understanding of financial aid and university payment options. SOLUTION Choosing Verification Gateway decreased turnaround processing time; reduced call volume and office foot traffic; and allowed staff to educate students on basic financial concepts.

RESULTS

Verification Gateway Benefits Staff and Students

• More efficient verification processing • Reduced student call volume • Faster verification turnaround • Increased time for student education

Friar knew he needed a verification solution to help his team. Rather than hiring additional staff, Friar opted to find a third-party solution. Verification Gateway (VG) from Inceptia is an automated online platform that streamlines federal verification processing for students and schools. With interview-style questions, simple and secure document collection, reporting and personal interaction

if needed, VG was the service-oriented solution for Loyola. “I easily submitted an online request form to Inceptia to learn more and here we are today!” Friar said. “Initial outreach to Inceptia was really great. Within a week of sending the request form, we had a demo call scheduled with the Inceptia team, Inceptia’s IT staff, and our IT/Operations staff.” “We waited to officially launch VG because we didn’t want to do it mid-year,” Friar said. “Inceptia was ready to go as soon as we were, and they were so responsive to all of our questions.” Friar also believed that while VG did help his team by lessening their workload, the students ultimately benefited. “When verifications are completed more efficiently, students move through the financial aid process faster.”

PARTNER PROFILE Loyola University is a private Jesuit, Catholic university in Chicago, Illinois. Loyola was founded in 1870 and is one of the largest Catholic universities in the U.S. Loyola offers 11 colleges and schools, including more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs. Loyola also offers professional programs in medicine, nursing, and health sciences. There are approximately 17,000 students across Loyola’s national and international

Customized VG Solution Meets Loyola’s Needs

campuses, including six within Chicago’s metropolitan area, a campus in Rome, and Vietnam.

Loyola needed students to be verified only if they were admitted to the university – and Inceptia made it happen. “I know Inceptia customizes solutions like we requested for other schools, but the way they did it felt like it was just for us,” Friar said. “They partnered with us every step of the way.”

Verification Turnaround Time Decreased Significantly

Talk to us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org.

Friar said without an outsourced solution, verifications would have continued to take longer to process and affected student retention rates. “Retention is very competitive in the Chicago university market,” Friar said. “When we completed verifications in-house, the typical turnaround time was seven to 10 days, and 12 to 15 days during our peak season. Since VG, our turnaround time was two days.” Outsourcing Verification Proved to be Most Cost-Effective and Logical Solution Friar said most university financial aid departments feel understaffed and are always looking for additional resources. “Verification is by far the most cumbersome task to complete,” Friar said. “It can only be a benefit to add VG to your school because the pros far outweigh the cons.”

More Time Spent for Students

Since VG’s inception in November 2019, student foot traffic and call volume already decreased. “Before VG, we were fielding approximately 34,000 calls a year,” Friar said. “It was a huge win for our team to implement VG because we could get back to the core of our work.” Students and parents can contact Inceptia’s customer service, rather than the university, regarding verification questions. The core of their work is educating students on basic financial concepts. “Using VG gave us more time back to educate students on financial aid and how to pay for college successfully,” Friar said.

— •••

We uncomplicate financial aid. Inceptia is a nonprofit

organization committed to

innovative, effective, and uncomplicated solutions for financial aid management, smart borrowing, financial education, and repayment wellness.

@inceptia

inceptia

888.529.2028 inceptia.org

Verification Gateway

Nestled in the foothills of Mount Scorpion in Henderson, Nevada State College is the first public, four-year institution in the state. The college is home to 5,500 students and is designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution, a majority of whom are first-generation students. Nevada State College offers three schools: School of Education, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and School of Nursing. The college is known for its green-friendly culture that include energy-efficient buildings, open community spaces with solar panels, and an organic teaching garden. Inefficient Verification Process Left Little Time to Counsel Students Jenna Eastman, Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Nevada State College, said it took her staff six to eight weeks to review verification documents. While her team utilized an internal online platform that relieved some problems – like notifying students if they left incomplete forms – it didn’t solve everything. “Some documents didn’t get flagged correctly in order for processing to be completed,” said Eastman. This, along with high call volume regarding verification questions, left minimal time for staff to counsel students about financial aid. Verification Gateway Already Implemented at Sister Institution Made Buying Decision Easy for Nevada State College Nevada State College’s sister institution, College of Southern Nevada, already had Verification Gateway (VG) in place. This, Eastman said, made choosing a third-party solution easy. Verification Gateway from Inceptia is an automated online platform that streamlines federal verification processing for students and schools. Offering interview-style questions, simple and secure document collection, complete reporting and personal interaction when needed, VG enables schools to process and package aid faster. Nevada State College Verification Gateway Solution Made Life Easier for Staff and Students

CHALLENGE Despite an internal technology solution that solved some verification problems, it wasn’t the complete answer. Jenna Eastman and her financial aid staff needed to lessen the amount of time it took to process verifications so they could increase time to counsel students on other financial aid matters.

SOLUTION

Selecting Verification Gateway enabled verifications to be processed easier and faster. It also allowed Eastman and her staff to counsel students on non-verification items. The team also experienced lower call volume, which was a much-needed relief from the already smaller staff size.

RESULTS

• 2,533 verifications completed since 2018 • Decreased call volume by students and families regarding verification questions • More time to counsel students on other financial aid areas

“Our main criteria for outsourcing a solution was making sure verifications would be done more efficiently so we’d have more time to counsel students,” Eastman said. “Inceptia met the criteria so we simply tagged on to College of Southern Nevada’s contract.” Processing Time Dramatically Improved and Call Volume Decreased Since VG’s inception in 2018, Eastman was impressed with the results. “We very rarely had a student walk in or call and ask about verification anymore,” Eastman said. “We could sit down with students and hear what they were saying rather than thinking in our heads ‘oh gosh, I’ve got 10 more students waiting to ask about verifications.’” Students Impressed with Intuitive VG Experience Initially, students were hesitant about using VG. “They would tell our staff they wanted to talk to a ‘real’ financial aid person,” Eastman said. “But when they started to experience VG at its complete capacity, students realized how easy the verification process was. The negative feedback died down quickly,” Eastman said.

PARTNER PROFILE

Nevada State College is a public university in Henderson, Nevada. It’s part of the Nevada System of Higher Education and enrolls approximately 5,500 students from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The university offers three colleges: School of Education, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and School of Nursing.

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Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org.

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inceptia

888.529.2028 inceptia.org

Verification Gateway

DeSales University Verification Gateway Helped Private University Complete Processes More Efficiently Among Other Benefits for Students and Families

As a private liberal-arts college with a smaller enrollment – approximately 3,400 students – DeSales University is anything but small in terms of accredited degree programs, academic and community opportunities, and competitive NCAA Division III athletics. Class sizes are intimate (12:1 ratio) and taught by a majority of faculty members who hold the highest professional degrees. In-House Verification Process Slowed Completion Time; Affected Timeliness of Financial Aid Package Distributions Regardless of DeSales alluring attributes, Joyce Farmer, Director of Financial Aid, concluded that in-house verification processes didn’t work as efficiently as needed causing delays in financial aid packaging. “We struggled to complete the financial aid verification process in an acceptable timeframe from both a billing and financial aid perspective,” Farmer said. “We needed to be able to provide financial aid packages in a timely manner, ensure financial aid and billing were in sync, and provide excellent customer service to families working through the process of paying for college.” Verification Gateway was Easily Implemented, Got DeSales off to the Right Start Farmer and her team selected Verification Gateway (VG) as their solution in March 2019. Verification Gateway from Inceptia is an automated online platform that streamlines federal verification processing for students and schools. Offering interview-style questions, simple and secure document collection, complete reporting and personal interaction when needed, VG enables schools to process and package aid faster.

CHALLENGE Joyce Farmer and her financial aid team struggled to keep up with the verification process in an acceptable time frame from a billing and financial aid distribution perspective. They knew they needed to find a solution that was more efficient and make the process easier for students and families. SOLUTION Selecting Verification Gateway allowed verifications to be processed more efficiently; created a user-friendly experience for students and families; increased the level of data security; and lowered the call volume due to Verification Gateway’s customer service call center.

RESULTS

• More efficient verification completions that made financial aid faster to distribute • 425 verifications completed since March 2019 • Decreased call volume by students and families regarding verification questions

The partnership between DeSales and Inceptia proved to be effective from the start. Inceptia team members worked closely with Farmer’s staff to provide in-house training of Verification Gateway’s intuitive system. Once training concluded, Inceptia’s customer service continued to ensure Farmer’s staff was completely well-trained. “VG is necessary to implement if an academic institution requires fast and efficient financial aid processing,” Farmer said.

PARTNER PROFILE

DeSales University is a private four-year Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The university offers traditional, online, and hybrid courses and programs at the undergraduate and graduate level and has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 traditional, adult, and graduate students. DeSales University provides a transformative environment for learning and growing in light of the Gospel, grounded in tradition of Catholic higher education and the spirituality of St. Francis de Sales.

A Better Student and Family Experience

The end-result was a beyond user-friendly experience for students and families that allowed them to quickly and effectively complete the verification process. Farmer was most pleasantly surprised with the lower call volume from students and families regarding verification questions, and the level of data security Verification Gateway provided. Fewer calls also meant more one-on-one time with students to advise them on other financial aspects. Farmer believes that with verification now outsourced, she and her team can focus on other valuable work that can impact DeSales recruitment and retention efforts.

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Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org.

@inceptia

inceptia

888.529.2028 inceptia.org

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