challenges growing out of the pandemic – 44 precent and 45 percent, respectively. A shortage of financial aid staff in such institutions, which often serve low-income populations, will adversely affect the students who need financial help the most. Takeaways: Financial aid offices are one of the lynchpins in institutional viability, helping to make a college education possible for more students. But qualified employees may not sign on for financial aid duty if salaries are inadequate or the work frustrating or unfulfilling.
Colleges will have to make a more substantial investment in this area – not just to have enough hands to get the bureaucratic work done, but to create better educational outcomes for the students they serve.
Problems Have Solutions The challenges facing higher education generally, and financial aid departments specifically, are surely daunting. But part of the solution lies in “thinking outside the box” and establishing a relationship with a trusted partner like Inceptia to address financial aid and admissions issues head-on. Paradoxically, even while experiencing short staffing in an area so critical to an institution’s long-term success, many colleges are slow to adopt outsourced solutions in financial aid, enrollment management and other direct student services. Some of this reluctance is based on a concern about culture – the institution wants its vision and values to be communicated to students and their families by its own committed staff, the people who know these cultural differentiators best. And yet, the time required for laborious, back-office functions often prevents more of these quality conversations from taking place.
Ultimately, outsourcing adds value by giving schools the bandwidth to represent themselves more effectively to their constituents.
The Benefits of Partnership Outsourcing cumbersome, time-consuming functions to a secure, off-site provider will free up staff to refocus on student success. With more than 35 years of history in the field, Inceptia’s team offers unparalleled expertise and direct leadership experience in higher education offices, with emphasis on improving processes that impact enrollment through the borrower life cycle. We uncomplicate student services by striving to meet the needs of students, administrators and schools in a constantly changing environment. By focusing on removing obstacles, uncomplicating processes, and helping create more knowledgeable borrowers, Inceptia provides a steady foundation of innovation schools can count on.
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