Those findings persisted in a follow-up survey given to another 500 institutions: 56 percent indicated they were also operating with insufficient staff – and that’s why they were unable to find the time to respond to the original survey.
The institutions cited a lack of qualified job applicants, accompanied by uncompetitive salary levels and a correspondingly high turnover rate, as the primary reasons for the staffing shortages.
When asked for some of the reasons permanent full-time employees gave for transferring from or resigning their positions in financial aid, the responses were telling.
Reasons Staff Leave Financial Aid
Higher salary or better benefits in new/different position
69%
No longer desire to work in financial aid
35%
Moved to a different office at the same institution
29%
Relocation
28%
Family obligations
26%
Desire for permanent remote workplace
20%
Dislike of current workplace policies
18%
Left the workforce
13%
No longer desire to work in higher education
5%
Furthering their education
5%
Other
5%
n
216
The vast majority of former employees (69 percent) said better wages and benefits were their prime considerations, as might be expected. But half that number (35 percent) said they just no longer wanted to work in financial aid. And that answer was given almost three times more often those who said they no longer wanted to work in higher education generally (13 percent). Does this suggest that there is something about the nature of financial aid work itself that is unappealing? Perhaps insufficient staffing just makes it harder for financial aid employees to actually do the rewarding and essential work of spending time with students – to help them navigate the ordeal of applying for financial aid and repaying loans, and performing other functions directly related to a student’s welfare. A reduced staff may be occupied more with the nuts and bolts of compliance with federal requirements. In the NASFAA survey, many community colleges and institutions serving minorities testified to staffing
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