Case Study: Greensboro College Case Study Greensboro College Greensboro College Keeps Students and Team Focused on College Experience with Inceptia Services Greensboro College provides a supportive and inclusive environment for its diverse student body and strives to make higher education accessible through its robust financial aid programs, ensuring that students have the resources they need to pursue their educational goals. For Student Financial Services, the school theme, “Graduate ready for anything” means removing barriers to keep students and staff focused on what students really need can be the difference in a positive college experience. Keeping Up with Details & Regulatory Changes “There are so many little things that can be missed in financial aid throughout a student’s journey,” says, Lindsay Latham, Senior Director of Student Financial Services. Greensboro’s Student Financial Services Team was handling verification, but after some audit findings, the changing regulatory landscape added further pressure to the team. “With a small team, even with a small student body, it could completely tie up at least one full-time person just sorting out the details.” Outsourcing Increases Accuracy & Opens Opportunity Greensboro implemented Verification Gateway, a full-service solution that streamlines the verification process, to relieve the stress of verification on the team. “Outsourcing isn’t replacing anyone on our team, it’s adding to our team. When a student is completing verification they often need assistance multiple times. Inceptia is handling all of the verification questions and streamlining the dreaded verification process. This allows our team to focus on the students themselves and their actual financial needs. Now, more than ever our students need us to have time to sit down with them and hold financial conversations. Inceptia allows us to have that available time.” Planning for the Future Being able to really focus on students themselves led Greensboro to also implement Repayment Counseling Outreach, an Inceptia solution to connect and counsel delinquent borrowers. “We haven’t been doing repayment for a while. Inceptia’s team keeps up with all of the information our borrowers need to know to knowledgeably make decisions on their repayment route, so we can keep our general knowledge, but rely on Inceptia to connect with borrowers and answer questions. It’s well worth the investment to save the time and stress on our team.” Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGETime and depth of verification and loan repayment knowledge prompted the Greensboro Student Financial Services Team to look for other options to best help students and relieve stress on the team. THE SOLUTIONGreensboro extends their Student Financial Services Team with the knowledgeable student advocates that support Verification Gateway and Repayment Counseling Outreach from Inceptia. The Inceptia team keeps up with the requirements and regulations that could serve as barriers for verification and student loan repayment, removing the burden from Greensboro’s small team. Answering questions and managing the process for an improved student experience, enables Greensboro to focus on other aspects of financial services counseling. THE RESULTS Increased opportunity for other student services 50% reduction in student call volume More efficient verification processing Extension of student relationships PARTNER PROFILEFounded in 1838, Greensboro College provides undergraduate and graduate students a true liberal-arts education that prepares them to thrive not just in the classroom and in student life, but into their future careers and throughout their lives. Greensboro College provides a coeducational and independent learning atmosphere with approximately 1,000 undergraduate students from 29 states and territories, the District of Columbia and seven foreign countries. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: Bossier Parish Community College Case Study Bossier Parish Community College Bossier Parish Community College Finds Expertise to Support Students through Student Outreach Program The Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) mission is to provide an innovative, accessible and caring learning environment that advances educational goals, cultivates community partnerships, and strengthens the regional economy. Located in culturally-diverse Bossier City, Louisiana and part of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, they strive to be a valued community partner, and a catalyst for growth and opportunity for individuals to contribute to the social cultural and economic vitality of their region. Supporting a “Caring Campus” Understanding the importance of connecting with students to ensure they had everything needed to start the next term, the BPCC team had staff who could make the phone calls. With two new campuses in place it was even more important to make sure those students had the same student-centered and caring experience the school strives to uphold. Teresa Jones, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Services, could see a challenge arising. “Taking my own experience into account as I started my college journey, I understand how students get lost in the process, whether it’s lack of background information or maybe just not understanding the terminology, they need support to be successful.” Most Questions Lead to Financial Aid Though the outreach team was connecting with students, it seems most of the questions that needed to be answered were related to financial aid and required expertise the team didn’t have. “Student connections were being made, but spending time to find the answers and return calls was frustrating for both the outreach team and the students,” says Jones. “It became clear we needed to do something else.” Knowledgeable Team Fills the Gap Since BPCC had already been working with Inceptia using Verification Gateway to streamline their verification process, they knew the Inceptia team members were experts on financial aid and could provide the information students needed to continue the journey with BPCC. Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Inceptia’s Student Outreach team implemented a contact campaign to the returning students BPCC provided to check in with students and help keep enrollment on t rack. Through a concentrated contact campaign, with a 30% phone contact rate and 60% email open rate, nearly 700 students indicated they were returning and data was gathered on over 100 more as to why they may not return. “Not only were we able to help answer our students’ questions more efficiently, we were able to connect with more of them and gather data to understand why students may not return and that’s valuable information for making future plans,” concludes Jones. Talk to Us Find out how Student Outreach Programs can enhance your student experience. Contact your Business Development Representative. THE CHALLENGE Bossier Parish Community College had an outreach team in place to reach out to returning students, but they found the questions students had, and what might be holding them back from returning, were more in-depth financial aid issues that were taking the outreach team too much time to research. THE SOLUTION BPCC implemented the Inceptia Student Outreach Programs team, with their vast knowledge of financial aid, to extend the personal outreach to returning students to check in on their attendance plans, answer questions, provide next steps and offer encouragement while allowing the BPCC team to concentrate on other counseling efforts. THE RESULTS Increased student service Reduced drain on staff Nearly 700 students confirmed returning 30% enrollment return overall PARTNER PROFILE Bossier Parish Community College is located in Bossier City, Louisiana. As a valued community partner, BPCC serves the region through its main campus and two off-campus instructional sites in Natchitoches and Sabine Valley. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: Alvernia University Case Study Alvernia University Alvernia University Enhances Student Support with Repayment Counseling Outreach Alvernia University has a longstanding commitment to helping students develop their innate talents, discover their passions and lead successful lives with deep meaning and purpose. By offering experiential learning and superior support throughout the student, Alvernia graduates are well-prepared to thrive in the workplace. The Student Financial Services team extends that same commitment to students when it comes to their financial future and student loan repayment by ensuring all students have access to resources to help with successful repayment. Repayment Counseling Staff Availability Didn’t Align Even though the team had a process for working with students and guiding them to successful loan repayment, Alvernia’s student loan defaults were rising and with a small student population, just a few can have a big impact. “When I started seeing a consistent rise in number of students defaulting, I knew we needed to make a change to our approach of loan repayment counseling,” said Christine Saadi, Sr. Director of Student Financial Services. Ms. Saadi met with the Inceptia team to evaluate the situation. “We needed to figure out if we could evaluate which students may run into repayment trouble in the future, but that takes a lot of time and our team was spread thin already,” comments Ms. Saadi. Realizing those borrowers that may have trouble is just part of the challenge. Once they could predict potential defaulters, Ms. Saadi and team knew that even if they added another person it would take more counseling time than available to offer the support the Alvernia students are accustomed to. It’s also a challenge to find someone that has the depth of repayment knowledge, or wants to, to keep up with the regulations and guidelines associated with the changing repayment landscape. Repayment Counseling Outreach Student Advocates Extend Support Bandwidth “Once we determined the issues and talked through our goals with Inceptia, we all saw how the Inceptia Repayment Counseling Outreach team could help us by doing the pro-active outreach and counseling needed to help our at-risk borrowers.” Inceptia’s highly-trained counselors have a deep concentration of loan repayment and soft skills training to help student borrowers understand their repayment requirements and determine next best steps for their financial situation and changes that have occurred. The Repayment Counseling Outreach program includes multiple contact methods to nudge borrowers into taking actions that will put them on the right track for repayment, including live support to answer questions. Students Empowered, Staff Relieved Alvernia’s students that are slipping into delinquency are being proactively contacted and have a dedicated resource to help them successfully recover, allowing the Student Financial Services team to focus on other student counseling concerns and continue the student support the school strives to provide. “The value in knowing Inceptia cares for our students like we do allows us to concentrate on our strengths and purpose to give the best to our students. The return on our investment in Repayment Counseling Outreach is positive for our students, staff and institution overall,” concludes Ms. Saadi. Talk to Us Find out how Repayment Counseling Outreach can benefit your school. Contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGETo carry forward with their strong commitment to students, Alvernia needed to connect with borrowers that had the potential to get into repayment trouble, but didn’t have the bandwidth to do the outreach or keep up with the regulatory changes. The CDR at Alvernia University was on an upward trajectory and with a small student body, just a few defaults can have a huge impact for federal aid. THE SOLUTIONRepayment Counseling Outreach from Inceptia offered the combination of outreach to connect with borrowers and knowledgeable student advocates to provide the support Alvernia students are accustom to. That took the load off of the Alvernia Student Financial Planning team while improving their CDR. THE RESULTS Extended student support 27% CDR reduction in the first year 16% CDR reduction first year to second year Relieved staff of regulatory knowledge PARTNER PROFILEAlvernia University is a private Pennsylvania school rooted in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions. Alvernia has penned their model of transformational education the Alvernia Advantage, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors and minors that are uniquely combined with a strong liberal arts foundation. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: Alvernia University Case Study Alvernia University Alvernia University Chooses Verification Gateway for a Seamless Student Experience It’s rooted in the culture of Alvernia University to be a beacon of hope that helps first-generation students succeed. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, the University sits in one of the lowest income cities in the nation for its size. The team in the Financial Aid office sees the need first-hand and is key to helping Alvernia continue their commitment to fulfilling the educational aspirations of students through service and support. Fulfilling the Need Takes a Team & Time The Student Financial Services office is often the first stop for students. Christine Saadi, Senior Director, Student Financial Services explains, “There can’t be just one person that is dedicated to verification with our varied student population, so everyone needs to understand the process, the forms, documentation, and understand Federal versus institutional verification. Not only is it challenging to find staff in the first place, it’s even harder when they need to be trained with so much information.” “The complexity of verification terminology can pose a challenge, particularly for students and parents with English as a second language. It can add another layer of confusion.” comments Ms. Saadi. “We really started noticing how much we needed to find a solution pre-COVID. We lost most of our team at one time and finding the time to train new team members on the intricacies of financial aid at Alvernia amongst student counseling was more than we could handle.” Verification Turnaround is Key to Retention Time and knowledge were challenges Ms. Saadi knew they needed to address to provide the best process for students. “Verification turnaround is directly related to keeping the attention of potential students, to help them follow through. When they are making these decisions, they are finishing hight school, searching for a college and sorting out their future. Verification is just one more thing. Our goal is to make it as easy, efficient and effective as possible and we couldn’t continue to progress without help.” Ms. Saadi connected with Inceptia, took a look at the whole process, and found that Verification Gateway could relieve many of their challenges. Verification Gateway intuitively guides students and parents through the verification process. The easy-to-follow alerts, task lists and sample documents let them know what documentation is needed, when it’s due and when they’ve completed their requirements. If clarification is needed, there are helpful tips along the way and Inceptia’s student advocate team is available to help. Improved Student and Staff Experience “Verification Gateway offers us a team of experts in all aspects of verification and student communications, with an online process that’s easier for our students. If we, or other departments do get a question, we can share the link to VG and continue to work together,” says Ms. Saadi. The communications that are part of Verification Gateway have increased the student response rate which means verifications are completed and packaged sooner. With less work on verification in the office, the Alvernia team can focus on those students that need other assistance and continue the degree of service they are known for. Talk to Us Contact your Business Development representative to learn more about Verification Gateway. THE CHALLENGEAlvernia’s stong first-generation student population means that the Student Financial Planning office is often the first stop. Staffing shortages and turnover reduced the depth of knowledge of the team which slowed down the verification process and impacted student services. THE SOLUTIONVerification Gateway delivers a team of experts in all aspects of verification and student communications, and an online process that’s easier for students. The communications included in Verification Gateway increased the student response rate which means verifications can be completed and packaged sooner. With less verification work in the office, the Alvernia team can focus on students needing other assistance and continue the degree of service they are known for. THE RESULTS Reduced workload for Alvernia team Increased student follow through Faster aid packaging Reduced traffic to the financial aid office at start of term Increased number of students cleared prior to term PARTNER PROFILEAlvernia University is a private Pennsylvania school rooted in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions. Alvernia has penned their model of transformational education the Alvernia Advantage, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors and minors that are uniquely combined with a strong liberal arts foundation. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: West Georgia Technical College Case Study West Georgia Technical College West Georgia Technical College Increases Personal Touch with Student Outreach Program West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia serving its surrounding communities through relevant training that leads to associate degrees, diplomas, technical certifications as well as continuing education. One of the ways WGTC supports student success is through a variety of class sessions including the “mini-mester.” Looking to increase enrollment for this beneficial session, they needed to find a way to reach students in time. Staffing Challenges With the mini-mester fast approaching, WGTC faced additional challenges in the form of technology updates and staffing changes – common disruptions to which many campuses can relate. This resulted in increased time spent on training, while still tasked with assisting students through the enrollment funnel and maintaining diligent student contact. Lori Basham, Director of Admissions, knew they needed to find another way to boost their enrollment. “Mini-mesters are always an enrollment challenge because there aren’t as many classes and students may not be ready, but the benefit to meeting a deadline and earning credit in half the time is well worth it. Having had various roles in the department, I knew we didn’t have the time as a team to provide the level of personal touch that is necessary for students to realize these benefits in time.”, said Basham. Matching Values & Reputation Lead to Inceptia WGTC’s mission is to be a model of innovation and excellence in technical education, recognized as an outstanding economic and community partner, and a nimble provider of pathways to rewarding careers. Basham explains, “Three of our core values are integrity, professionalism, and student success. We knew Inceptia would be able to relay our values through the training that is provided to their student advocates and that our students would be taken care of just as if we were communicating with them.” Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Enrollment & Student Data Gets a Boost WGTC provided a targeted list of students to be contacted through Inceptia’s strategic Student Outreach Program. With a 30% phone contact rate and nearly 64% email open rate, 35% of the students registered, and 36% enrolled by the deadline. “We provided a small list and still had success with the program. The return on our investment in the Outreach Program drastically outweighed the cost. We gained insight into what was holding our students back from mini-mester enrollment and we know our students were contacted with care,” says Basham. We’re already planning on our next campaign with Inceptia.” Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGE West Georgia Technical College knew they needed to keep up their contact with students to have successful mini-mester enrollment, but staffing challenges and a new CRM were taking more time and the registration deadline was looming. THE SOLUTION WGTC worked with Inceptia to implement a Student Outreach Program to promote the mini-mester and give a bit of extra encouragement to students who may not understand the timing and benefit of enrollment. THE RESULTS 35% of contacts registered 64% email open rate 500%+ return on investment Gathered student data on why they aren’t registering PARTNER PROFILE West Georgia Technical College was founded in 1966 and is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. WGTC serves its surrounding communities’ student success, economic development, and the community, by providing a skilled workforce, through the delivery of relevant education and training, via high school equivalency, college credit associate degrees, diplomas, and technical certificates of credit, as well as corporate and continuing education opportunities. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Inceptia Celebrates a Decade of “Great Advice” for Graduates Press Release Inceptia Celebrates a Decade of “Great Advice” for Graduates Lincoln, Neb. (April 4, 2023) – The 10th annual edition of “Great Advice for Grads” is now available for download and sharing. Carrying on a legacy of offering the best in student loan repayment, personal finance, and career information, Inceptia’s free e-guide is a timely resource for newly graduating college students of all ages. “From the start, we have always curated Great Advice content that speaks to all students and the money questions that arise after getting the degree,” says Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success at Inceptia. “We celebrate everyone completing their college journey, and choose topics that reflect the diversity of the Class of 2023. It truly is a guide from which everyone can benefit.” In collaboration with the personal finance experts at NerdWallet, this year’s Great Advice for Grads blends the practical and personal to provide a holistic look at post-college finances: The New Income-Driven Repayment Plan: How It Works You Got a Better Job. Now, How Do You Handle the Benefits? Are You and Your Partner Financially Compatible? Student Debt Can Make You Sick: 3 Ways to Deal with the Stress “Great Advice for Grads 2023” is available now as a free download for students, parents, educators and anyone who advocate for student financial wellness. ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. For more than 35 years, Inceptia and NSLP have helped millions of students achieve their higher education dreams at schools nationwide. Our mission is to support schools in illuminating a path towards educational and financial success for students and families, allowing them to pursue their dreams of reaching their full potential. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time delivering meaningful learning experiences across the student lifecycle that fosters education and personal development.. ABOUT NERDWALLET NerdWallet (Nasdaq: NRDS) is on a mission to provide clarity for all of life’s financial decisions. As a personal finance website and app, NerdWallet provides consumers with trustworthy and knowledgeable financial information so they can make smart money moves. From finding the best credit card to buying a house, NerdWallet is there to help consumers make financial decisions with confidence. Consumers have free access to our expert content and comparison shopping marketplaces, plus a data-driven app, which helps them stay on top of their finances and save time and money, giving them the freedom to do more. NerdWallet is available for consumers in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia. “NerdWallet” is a trademark of NerdWallet, Inc. All rights reserved. Other names and trademarks used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Case Study: Gwinnett Technical College Case Study Gwinnett Technical College Gwinnett Technical College Extends the Personal Touch and Meets Goals with Student Outreach Program Gwinnett Tech’s motto is, “Teach every individual; serve every business.” As part of the Technical College System of Georgia, Gwinnett Technical College is a public two-year institution that serves the communities of Gwinnett and North Fulton by offering campus and distance learning for associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in credit programs as well as for adult and continuing education training. Time Well-Spent, If You Have It An enrollment manager at Gwinnett Technical College (GTC) had a great idea: follow up the admitted student email with a personal phone call. There were prospective students that weren’t responding to emails and only acknowledging texts, with no follow through, but they were answering their phones. “There was something so interesting about it, just good old-fashioned phone calls, and talking with somebody to direct those students to the appropriate resources,” said Dr. Kohle Paul, Vice President, Student Affairs. All of the information was in the emails and texts, but the team found it really resonated with students when they were called. What the GTC team didn’t realize was that the impact and response rate would be so high from those contacts. Right Place, Right Time “The weeks the team facilitated the welcome to GTC calls were great, but with summer volume picking up, the team was unable to continue,” said Paul. “So, we started searching for other ways to continue the campaigns as we felt it added a personal touch to new students, welcoming them to the college and next steps, as well as returning students and welcoming them back.” The timing was right when Paul was attending a monthly meeting for the System and Inceptia was speaking. “I knew some of my system cohorts had been working with Inceptia and the experience of their contact team with managing student concerns and processing made me think this would be a great opportunity to extend our team’s reach with Inceptia’s expertise to deliver the same level of student understanding we would with more time.” Extending the Team Helps Meet Enrollment Goals Inceptia got to work on connecting with the students on the list GTC provided – a little over 800 admitted students. Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Through a strategically planned contact campaign, 181 students actually enrolled and, even better, some have signed up for the next term – early. Paul said, “This outreach campaign was extremely helpful to promote our fall enrollment and actually allowed us to reach our first time freshmen goal. So we were excited about the work!” Paul added, “It’s a valuable return on our partnership investment. That’s 181 more people that are enriching their lives through education and that’s really our goal.” All students that Inceptia interacted with also got a follow-up email, so even if they haven’t enrolled yet, the door is open and they have the information they need to move forward when they are ready. Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGEThe Gwinnett Technical College team had been following up with admitted students by phone, resulting in positive responses. But, when the volume picked up they were unable to keep up the pace. They needed to find a way to continue the personal-touch momentum. THE SOLUTIONGTC leveraged the Inceptia Student Outreach Programs team to extend the personal outreach to admitted students to welcome them, answer questions, provide next steps and offer encouragement. THE RESULTS Over 850 students contacted 181 new students enrolled 21% enrollment return More than $225,000 in tuition income PARTNER PROFILEGwinnett Tech, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, is a public two-year college that serves the communities of Gwinnett and North Fulton by offering campus and distance learning for associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in credit programs as well as for adult and continuing education training. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: Delgado Community College Case Study Delgado Community College Delgado Moves Students from Applied to Enrolled through Student Outreach Program Delgado Community College is a public community college with campuses throughout the New Orleans, Louisiana metropolitan area. Delgado serves more than 15,000 students with degrees and training focused on today’s in-demand jobs to drive the local and regional economy. Looking Beyond Enrollment One of Delgado’s mottos is “Be in that number!” meaning be one of us, be successful, and be well-employed. A motto that more fully speaks to the benefits of enrollment – breaking the barriers of education to challenged populations, increasing the number of graduates, and getting graduates into better-paying jobs. With those ideas in mind Michelle Greco, Director of Enrollment Management, was looking at their potential to enrollment numbers and needed to find a way to decrease the gap. “With seven campuses serving the New Orleans area, we can extend workforce development and continuing education even further, but only if we can get those potential students from applied to enrolled.” says Greco. You have to ask to find out why Greco had two subsets in mind – students that were new to Delgado and some that had withdrawn in Spring 2022, but her team didn’t have time to do the kind of outreach needed. “We wanted to find out why these individuals were not moving forward to actually register for classes. They took the first step to apply, so what’s holding them back?” Having past experience with the Inceptia team using Verification Gateway, Greco knew they would extend the care with the students that her office would, so she talked with her team about using Inceptia’s Student Outreach Programs targeted towards new and returning students. Within these programs, the Inceptia team engages with students to address barriers, reduce melt and student anxiety while promoting school connections and enrollment. “A lot of things sort of happen at the spur of the moment, and in everybody’s world, especially right now. Inceptia was able to accommodate a quick-turn request to best meet the timing with these potential students,” says Greco. “I was able to upload my list and within a day, an Inceptia support representative called me a few times to make sure that I was successful with the uploads, that they could see the data, and I uploaded the right number of participants. I really appreciated that extra attention during that time period when there wasn’t time available for me to do this special project.” Reaching Out Made the Connection The outreach audience consisted of 2,031 students – 219 that had withdrawn from Spring 2022 and 1,812 that were new to Delgado. “With help from Inceptia, I was able to provide the students I wanted to reach out to, so they could encourage them to enroll and address whatever was holding them back. I didn’t give them an “easy” list as these prospects hadn’t demonstrated much interest in the past.” Inceptia worked through the outreach candidates using a multifaceted time and delivery connection strategy. These connections resulted in 582 total enrollments for the regular term and term B combined. Of these enrollments, 524 were new students and 58 returned after having withdrawn. Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGEThough the Delgado Financial Aid team had an outreach plan in place, they knew there were potential students that needed a few more touchpoints and a little more information to help them take the next steps to fulfilling their educational aspirations. THE SOLUTIONUtilizing Student Outreach Programs multifaceted strategy for connecting with students, the Inceptia team contacted just over 2,000 students. The contacts consisted of 90% never having showed interest in Delgado and the remaining 10% had withdrawn in Spring 2022. THE RESULTS Just over 2,000 students contacted 524 new students enrolled 58 stop-out students enrolled 28% enrollment return Nearly $790,000 in tuition income PARTNER PROFILEFounded in 1921, Delgado Community College is New Orleans’ largest higher education institution and Louisiana’s oldest and largest community college, providing the most comprehensive array of education, training, and additional services available in the region. Delgado Community College offers programs through the Associate degree. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: CSCU Case Study Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Verification Gateway Provides a Reliable Verification Portal to Enable Steady Enrollment There’s a good reason 85,000 students call Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) their home. Students can choose from CSCU’s 12 community colleges, four universities, or its online college to earn an academic credential. Plus, CSCU has the lowest tuition cost in the state, making it an affordable option for students and families. 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’s 12 community colleges remain 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% average decrease in verifications completed 14 days prior to semester and a 38% average decrease in verifications completed 7 days prior to semester. This earlier completion of verifications resulted 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 remote learning and the technological requirements that went with it,” said Steve McDowell, Associate Vice President for Financial Aid Services 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.” 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 that often resulted in less time being available to work directly with students. Between all 17 institutions, about 40,000 students were being selected for verification annually, including more than 28,000 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. 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 administrative demand within higher education financial aid is complex and overwhelming at times,” McDowell said. “It was a welcomed relief for Inceptia to take over verifications so our teams could provide both a greater focus on community outreach and training activities for staff.” 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% average increase in completed verifications; and 50% average decrease in the time it had been taking from first ISIR received to verified. Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGESteve McDowell and the financial aid team needed a verification platform that could handle CSCU’s population of 12 community colleges and higher verifications numbers. The solution needed to be efficient for students and families and provide workload relief for the financial aid staff. THE SOLUTIONSelecting 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. THE 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 PARTNER PROFILEConnecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) is in Hartford, Connecticut and comprised of 12 community colleges, four universities, and an online college. 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. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Research Brief | It Takes a Campus: Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Research Brief It Takes a Campus Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Although important to all, the execution of a financial education program is often relegated to the financial aid department. For an all hands on deck approach, such a massive and critical undertaking is daunting, but is simply system overload for one department to manage alone. Here are the reasons and data as to why financial education is everyone’s job, and how to gain buy-in for campus-wide collaborative efforts. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the research brief will be delivered to the email address you provided. 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Case Study: Bossier Parish Community College Case Study Bossier Parish Community College Bossier Parish Community College Finds Expertise to Support Students through Student Outreach Program The Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) mission is to provide an innovative, accessible and caring learning environment that advances educational goals, cultivates community partnerships, and strengthens the regional economy. Located in culturally-diverse Bossier City, Louisiana and part of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, they strive to be a valued community partner, and a catalyst for growth and opportunity for individuals to contribute to the social cultural and economic vitality of their region. Supporting a “Caring Campus” Understanding the importance of connecting with students to ensure they had everything needed to start the next term, the BPCC team had staff who could make the phone calls. With two new campuses in place it was even more important to make sure those students had the same student-centered and caring experience the school strives to uphold. Teresa Jones, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Services, could see a challenge arising. “Taking my own experience into account as I started my college journey, I understand how students get lost in the process, whether it’s lack of background information or maybe just not understanding the terminology, they need support to be successful.” Most Questions Lead to Financial Aid Though the outreach team was connecting with students, it seems most of the questions that needed to be answered were related to financial aid and required expertise the team didn’t have. “Student connections were being made, but spending time to find the answers and return calls was frustrating for both the outreach team and the students,” says Jones. “It became clear we needed to do something else.” Knowledgeable Team Fills the Gap Since BPCC had already been working with Inceptia using Verification Gateway to streamline their verification process, they knew the Inceptia team members were experts on financial aid and could provide the information students needed to continue the journey with BPCC. Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Inceptia’s Student Outreach team implemented a contact campaign to the returning students BPCC provided to check in with students and help keep enrollment on t rack. Through a concentrated contact campaign, with a 30% phone contact rate and 60% email open rate, nearly 700 students indicated they were returning and data was gathered on over 100 more as to why they may not return. “Not only were we able to help answer our students’ questions more efficiently, we were able to connect with more of them and gather data to understand why students may not return and that’s valuable information for making future plans,” concludes Jones. Talk to Us Find out how Student Outreach Programs can enhance your student experience. Contact your Business Development Representative. THE CHALLENGE Bossier Parish Community College had an outreach team in place to reach out to returning students, but they found the questions students had, and what might be holding them back from returning, were more in-depth financial aid issues that were taking the outreach team too much time to research. THE SOLUTION BPCC implemented the Inceptia Student Outreach Programs team, with their vast knowledge of financial aid, to extend the personal outreach to returning students to check in on their attendance plans, answer questions, provide next steps and offer encouragement while allowing the BPCC team to concentrate on other counseling efforts. THE RESULTS Increased student service Reduced drain on staff Nearly 700 students confirmed returning 30% enrollment return overall PARTNER PROFILE Bossier Parish Community College is located in Bossier City, Louisiana. As a valued community partner, BPCC serves the region through its main campus and two off-campus instructional sites in Natchitoches and Sabine Valley. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative
Case Study: Alvernia University Case Study Alvernia University Alvernia University Enhances Student Support with Repayment Counseling Outreach Alvernia University has a longstanding commitment to helping students develop their innate talents, discover their passions and lead successful lives with deep meaning and purpose. By offering experiential learning and superior support throughout the student, Alvernia graduates are well-prepared to thrive in the workplace. The Student Financial Services team extends that same commitment to students when it comes to their financial future and student loan repayment by ensuring all students have access to resources to help with successful repayment. Repayment Counseling Staff Availability Didn’t Align Even though the team had a process for working with students and guiding them to successful loan repayment, Alvernia’s student loan defaults were rising and with a small student population, just a few can have a big impact. “When I started seeing a consistent rise in number of students defaulting, I knew we needed to make a change to our approach of loan repayment counseling,” said Christine Saadi, Sr. Director of Student Financial Services. Ms. Saadi met with the Inceptia team to evaluate the situation. “We needed to figure out if we could evaluate which students may run into repayment trouble in the future, but that takes a lot of time and our team was spread thin already,” comments Ms. Saadi. Realizing those borrowers that may have trouble is just part of the challenge. Once they could predict potential defaulters, Ms. Saadi and team knew that even if they added another person it would take more counseling time than available to offer the support the Alvernia students are accustomed to. It’s also a challenge to find someone that has the depth of repayment knowledge, or wants to, to keep up with the regulations and guidelines associated with the changing repayment landscape. Repayment Counseling Outreach Student Advocates Extend Support Bandwidth “Once we determined the issues and talked through our goals with Inceptia, we all saw how the Inceptia Repayment Counseling Outreach team could help us by doing the pro-active outreach and counseling needed to help our at-risk borrowers.” Inceptia’s highly-trained counselors have a deep concentration of loan repayment and soft skills training to help student borrowers understand their repayment requirements and determine next best steps for their financial situation and changes that have occurred. The Repayment Counseling Outreach program includes multiple contact methods to nudge borrowers into taking actions that will put them on the right track for repayment, including live support to answer questions. Students Empowered, Staff Relieved Alvernia’s students that are slipping into delinquency are being proactively contacted and have a dedicated resource to help them successfully recover, allowing the Student Financial Services team to focus on other student counseling concerns and continue the student support the school strives to provide. “The value in knowing Inceptia cares for our students like we do allows us to concentrate on our strengths and purpose to give the best to our students. The return on our investment in Repayment Counseling Outreach is positive for our students, staff and institution overall,” concludes Ms. Saadi. Talk to Us Find out how Repayment Counseling Outreach can benefit your school. Contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGETo carry forward with their strong commitment to students, Alvernia needed to connect with borrowers that had the potential to get into repayment trouble, but didn’t have the bandwidth to do the outreach or keep up with the regulatory changes. The CDR at Alvernia University was on an upward trajectory and with a small student body, just a few defaults can have a huge impact for federal aid. THE SOLUTIONRepayment Counseling Outreach from Inceptia offered the combination of outreach to connect with borrowers and knowledgeable student advocates to provide the support Alvernia students are accustom to. That took the load off of the Alvernia Student Financial Planning team while improving their CDR. THE RESULTS Extended student support 27% CDR reduction in the first year 16% CDR reduction first year to second year Relieved staff of regulatory knowledge PARTNER PROFILEAlvernia University is a private Pennsylvania school rooted in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions. Alvernia has penned their model of transformational education the Alvernia Advantage, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors and minors that are uniquely combined with a strong liberal arts foundation. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: Alvernia University Case Study Alvernia University Alvernia University Chooses Verification Gateway for a Seamless Student Experience It’s rooted in the culture of Alvernia University to be a beacon of hope that helps first-generation students succeed. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, the University sits in one of the lowest income cities in the nation for its size. The team in the Financial Aid office sees the need first-hand and is key to helping Alvernia continue their commitment to fulfilling the educational aspirations of students through service and support. Fulfilling the Need Takes a Team & Time The Student Financial Services office is often the first stop for students. Christine Saadi, Senior Director, Student Financial Services explains, “There can’t be just one person that is dedicated to verification with our varied student population, so everyone needs to understand the process, the forms, documentation, and understand Federal versus institutional verification. Not only is it challenging to find staff in the first place, it’s even harder when they need to be trained with so much information.” “The complexity of verification terminology can pose a challenge, particularly for students and parents with English as a second language. It can add another layer of confusion.” comments Ms. Saadi. “We really started noticing how much we needed to find a solution pre-COVID. We lost most of our team at one time and finding the time to train new team members on the intricacies of financial aid at Alvernia amongst student counseling was more than we could handle.” Verification Turnaround is Key to Retention Time and knowledge were challenges Ms. Saadi knew they needed to address to provide the best process for students. “Verification turnaround is directly related to keeping the attention of potential students, to help them follow through. When they are making these decisions, they are finishing hight school, searching for a college and sorting out their future. Verification is just one more thing. Our goal is to make it as easy, efficient and effective as possible and we couldn’t continue to progress without help.” Ms. Saadi connected with Inceptia, took a look at the whole process, and found that Verification Gateway could relieve many of their challenges. Verification Gateway intuitively guides students and parents through the verification process. The easy-to-follow alerts, task lists and sample documents let them know what documentation is needed, when it’s due and when they’ve completed their requirements. If clarification is needed, there are helpful tips along the way and Inceptia’s student advocate team is available to help. Improved Student and Staff Experience “Verification Gateway offers us a team of experts in all aspects of verification and student communications, with an online process that’s easier for our students. If we, or other departments do get a question, we can share the link to VG and continue to work together,” says Ms. Saadi. The communications that are part of Verification Gateway have increased the student response rate which means verifications are completed and packaged sooner. With less work on verification in the office, the Alvernia team can focus on those students that need other assistance and continue the degree of service they are known for. Talk to Us Contact your Business Development representative to learn more about Verification Gateway. THE CHALLENGEAlvernia’s stong first-generation student population means that the Student Financial Planning office is often the first stop. Staffing shortages and turnover reduced the depth of knowledge of the team which slowed down the verification process and impacted student services. THE SOLUTIONVerification Gateway delivers a team of experts in all aspects of verification and student communications, and an online process that’s easier for students. The communications included in Verification Gateway increased the student response rate which means verifications can be completed and packaged sooner. With less verification work in the office, the Alvernia team can focus on students needing other assistance and continue the degree of service they are known for. THE RESULTS Reduced workload for Alvernia team Increased student follow through Faster aid packaging Reduced traffic to the financial aid office at start of term Increased number of students cleared prior to term PARTNER PROFILEAlvernia University is a private Pennsylvania school rooted in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions. Alvernia has penned their model of transformational education the Alvernia Advantage, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors and minors that are uniquely combined with a strong liberal arts foundation. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: West Georgia Technical College Case Study West Georgia Technical College West Georgia Technical College Increases Personal Touch with Student Outreach Program West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia serving its surrounding communities through relevant training that leads to associate degrees, diplomas, technical certifications as well as continuing education. One of the ways WGTC supports student success is through a variety of class sessions including the “mini-mester.” Looking to increase enrollment for this beneficial session, they needed to find a way to reach students in time. Staffing Challenges With the mini-mester fast approaching, WGTC faced additional challenges in the form of technology updates and staffing changes – common disruptions to which many campuses can relate. This resulted in increased time spent on training, while still tasked with assisting students through the enrollment funnel and maintaining diligent student contact. Lori Basham, Director of Admissions, knew they needed to find another way to boost their enrollment. “Mini-mesters are always an enrollment challenge because there aren’t as many classes and students may not be ready, but the benefit to meeting a deadline and earning credit in half the time is well worth it. Having had various roles in the department, I knew we didn’t have the time as a team to provide the level of personal touch that is necessary for students to realize these benefits in time.”, said Basham. Matching Values & Reputation Lead to Inceptia WGTC’s mission is to be a model of innovation and excellence in technical education, recognized as an outstanding economic and community partner, and a nimble provider of pathways to rewarding careers. Basham explains, “Three of our core values are integrity, professionalism, and student success. We knew Inceptia would be able to relay our values through the training that is provided to their student advocates and that our students would be taken care of just as if we were communicating with them.” Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Enrollment & Student Data Gets a Boost WGTC provided a targeted list of students to be contacted through Inceptia’s strategic Student Outreach Program. With a 30% phone contact rate and nearly 64% email open rate, 35% of the students registered, and 36% enrolled by the deadline. “We provided a small list and still had success with the program. The return on our investment in the Outreach Program drastically outweighed the cost. We gained insight into what was holding our students back from mini-mester enrollment and we know our students were contacted with care,” says Basham. We’re already planning on our next campaign with Inceptia.” Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGE West Georgia Technical College knew they needed to keep up their contact with students to have successful mini-mester enrollment, but staffing challenges and a new CRM were taking more time and the registration deadline was looming. THE SOLUTION WGTC worked with Inceptia to implement a Student Outreach Program to promote the mini-mester and give a bit of extra encouragement to students who may not understand the timing and benefit of enrollment. THE RESULTS 35% of contacts registered 64% email open rate 500%+ return on investment Gathered student data on why they aren’t registering PARTNER PROFILE West Georgia Technical College was founded in 1966 and is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. WGTC serves its surrounding communities’ student success, economic development, and the community, by providing a skilled workforce, through the delivery of relevant education and training, via high school equivalency, college credit associate degrees, diplomas, and technical certificates of credit, as well as corporate and continuing education opportunities. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Inceptia Celebrates a Decade of “Great Advice” for Graduates Press Release Inceptia Celebrates a Decade of “Great Advice” for Graduates Lincoln, Neb. (April 4, 2023) – The 10th annual edition of “Great Advice for Grads” is now available for download and sharing. Carrying on a legacy of offering the best in student loan repayment, personal finance, and career information, Inceptia’s free e-guide is a timely resource for newly graduating college students of all ages. “From the start, we have always curated Great Advice content that speaks to all students and the money questions that arise after getting the degree,” says Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success at Inceptia. “We celebrate everyone completing their college journey, and choose topics that reflect the diversity of the Class of 2023. It truly is a guide from which everyone can benefit.” In collaboration with the personal finance experts at NerdWallet, this year’s Great Advice for Grads blends the practical and personal to provide a holistic look at post-college finances: The New Income-Driven Repayment Plan: How It Works You Got a Better Job. Now, How Do You Handle the Benefits? Are You and Your Partner Financially Compatible? Student Debt Can Make You Sick: 3 Ways to Deal with the Stress “Great Advice for Grads 2023” is available now as a free download for students, parents, educators and anyone who advocate for student financial wellness. ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. For more than 35 years, Inceptia and NSLP have helped millions of students achieve their higher education dreams at schools nationwide. Our mission is to support schools in illuminating a path towards educational and financial success for students and families, allowing them to pursue their dreams of reaching their full potential. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time delivering meaningful learning experiences across the student lifecycle that fosters education and personal development.. ABOUT NERDWALLET NerdWallet (Nasdaq: NRDS) is on a mission to provide clarity for all of life’s financial decisions. As a personal finance website and app, NerdWallet provides consumers with trustworthy and knowledgeable financial information so they can make smart money moves. From finding the best credit card to buying a house, NerdWallet is there to help consumers make financial decisions with confidence. Consumers have free access to our expert content and comparison shopping marketplaces, plus a data-driven app, which helps them stay on top of their finances and save time and money, giving them the freedom to do more. NerdWallet is available for consumers in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia. “NerdWallet” is a trademark of NerdWallet, Inc. All rights reserved. Other names and trademarks used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Case Study: Gwinnett Technical College Case Study Gwinnett Technical College Gwinnett Technical College Extends the Personal Touch and Meets Goals with Student Outreach Program Gwinnett Tech’s motto is, “Teach every individual; serve every business.” As part of the Technical College System of Georgia, Gwinnett Technical College is a public two-year institution that serves the communities of Gwinnett and North Fulton by offering campus and distance learning for associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in credit programs as well as for adult and continuing education training. Time Well-Spent, If You Have It An enrollment manager at Gwinnett Technical College (GTC) had a great idea: follow up the admitted student email with a personal phone call. There were prospective students that weren’t responding to emails and only acknowledging texts, with no follow through, but they were answering their phones. “There was something so interesting about it, just good old-fashioned phone calls, and talking with somebody to direct those students to the appropriate resources,” said Dr. Kohle Paul, Vice President, Student Affairs. All of the information was in the emails and texts, but the team found it really resonated with students when they were called. What the GTC team didn’t realize was that the impact and response rate would be so high from those contacts. Right Place, Right Time “The weeks the team facilitated the welcome to GTC calls were great, but with summer volume picking up, the team was unable to continue,” said Paul. “So, we started searching for other ways to continue the campaigns as we felt it added a personal touch to new students, welcoming them to the college and next steps, as well as returning students and welcoming them back.” The timing was right when Paul was attending a monthly meeting for the System and Inceptia was speaking. “I knew some of my system cohorts had been working with Inceptia and the experience of their contact team with managing student concerns and processing made me think this would be a great opportunity to extend our team’s reach with Inceptia’s expertise to deliver the same level of student understanding we would with more time.” Extending the Team Helps Meet Enrollment Goals Inceptia got to work on connecting with the students on the list GTC provided – a little over 800 admitted students. Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Through a strategically planned contact campaign, 181 students actually enrolled and, even better, some have signed up for the next term – early. Paul said, “This outreach campaign was extremely helpful to promote our fall enrollment and actually allowed us to reach our first time freshmen goal. So we were excited about the work!” Paul added, “It’s a valuable return on our partnership investment. That’s 181 more people that are enriching their lives through education and that’s really our goal.” All students that Inceptia interacted with also got a follow-up email, so even if they haven’t enrolled yet, the door is open and they have the information they need to move forward when they are ready. Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGEThe Gwinnett Technical College team had been following up with admitted students by phone, resulting in positive responses. But, when the volume picked up they were unable to keep up the pace. They needed to find a way to continue the personal-touch momentum. THE SOLUTIONGTC leveraged the Inceptia Student Outreach Programs team to extend the personal outreach to admitted students to welcome them, answer questions, provide next steps and offer encouragement. THE RESULTS Over 850 students contacted 181 new students enrolled 21% enrollment return More than $225,000 in tuition income PARTNER PROFILEGwinnett Tech, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, is a public two-year college that serves the communities of Gwinnett and North Fulton by offering campus and distance learning for associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in credit programs as well as for adult and continuing education training. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: Delgado Community College Case Study Delgado Community College Delgado Moves Students from Applied to Enrolled through Student Outreach Program Delgado Community College is a public community college with campuses throughout the New Orleans, Louisiana metropolitan area. Delgado serves more than 15,000 students with degrees and training focused on today’s in-demand jobs to drive the local and regional economy. Looking Beyond Enrollment One of Delgado’s mottos is “Be in that number!” meaning be one of us, be successful, and be well-employed. A motto that more fully speaks to the benefits of enrollment – breaking the barriers of education to challenged populations, increasing the number of graduates, and getting graduates into better-paying jobs. With those ideas in mind Michelle Greco, Director of Enrollment Management, was looking at their potential to enrollment numbers and needed to find a way to decrease the gap. “With seven campuses serving the New Orleans area, we can extend workforce development and continuing education even further, but only if we can get those potential students from applied to enrolled.” says Greco. You have to ask to find out why Greco had two subsets in mind – students that were new to Delgado and some that had withdrawn in Spring 2022, but her team didn’t have time to do the kind of outreach needed. “We wanted to find out why these individuals were not moving forward to actually register for classes. They took the first step to apply, so what’s holding them back?” Having past experience with the Inceptia team using Verification Gateway, Greco knew they would extend the care with the students that her office would, so she talked with her team about using Inceptia’s Student Outreach Programs targeted towards new and returning students. Within these programs, the Inceptia team engages with students to address barriers, reduce melt and student anxiety while promoting school connections and enrollment. “A lot of things sort of happen at the spur of the moment, and in everybody’s world, especially right now. Inceptia was able to accommodate a quick-turn request to best meet the timing with these potential students,” says Greco. “I was able to upload my list and within a day, an Inceptia support representative called me a few times to make sure that I was successful with the uploads, that they could see the data, and I uploaded the right number of participants. I really appreciated that extra attention during that time period when there wasn’t time available for me to do this special project.” Reaching Out Made the Connection The outreach audience consisted of 2,031 students – 219 that had withdrawn from Spring 2022 and 1,812 that were new to Delgado. “With help from Inceptia, I was able to provide the students I wanted to reach out to, so they could encourage them to enroll and address whatever was holding them back. I didn’t give them an “easy” list as these prospects hadn’t demonstrated much interest in the past.” Inceptia worked through the outreach candidates using a multifaceted time and delivery connection strategy. These connections resulted in 582 total enrollments for the regular term and term B combined. Of these enrollments, 524 were new students and 58 returned after having withdrawn. Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGEThough the Delgado Financial Aid team had an outreach plan in place, they knew there were potential students that needed a few more touchpoints and a little more information to help them take the next steps to fulfilling their educational aspirations. THE SOLUTIONUtilizing Student Outreach Programs multifaceted strategy for connecting with students, the Inceptia team contacted just over 2,000 students. The contacts consisted of 90% never having showed interest in Delgado and the remaining 10% had withdrawn in Spring 2022. THE RESULTS Just over 2,000 students contacted 524 new students enrolled 58 stop-out students enrolled 28% enrollment return Nearly $790,000 in tuition income PARTNER PROFILEFounded in 1921, Delgado Community College is New Orleans’ largest higher education institution and Louisiana’s oldest and largest community college, providing the most comprehensive array of education, training, and additional services available in the region. Delgado Community College offers programs through the Associate degree. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: CSCU Case Study Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Verification Gateway Provides a Reliable Verification Portal to Enable Steady Enrollment There’s a good reason 85,000 students call Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) their home. Students can choose from CSCU’s 12 community colleges, four universities, or its online college to earn an academic credential. Plus, CSCU has the lowest tuition cost in the state, making it an affordable option for students and families. 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’s 12 community colleges remain 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% average decrease in verifications completed 14 days prior to semester and a 38% average decrease in verifications completed 7 days prior to semester. This earlier completion of verifications resulted 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 remote learning and the technological requirements that went with it,” said Steve McDowell, Associate Vice President for Financial Aid Services 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.” 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 that often resulted in less time being available to work directly with students. Between all 17 institutions, about 40,000 students were being selected for verification annually, including more than 28,000 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. 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 administrative demand within higher education financial aid is complex and overwhelming at times,” McDowell said. “It was a welcomed relief for Inceptia to take over verifications so our teams could provide both a greater focus on community outreach and training activities for staff.” 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% average increase in completed verifications; and 50% average decrease in the time it had been taking from first ISIR received to verified. Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGESteve McDowell and the financial aid team needed a verification platform that could handle CSCU’s population of 12 community colleges and higher verifications numbers. The solution needed to be efficient for students and families and provide workload relief for the financial aid staff. THE SOLUTIONSelecting 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. THE 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 PARTNER PROFILEConnecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) is in Hartford, Connecticut and comprised of 12 community colleges, four universities, and an online college. 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. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Research Brief | It Takes a Campus: Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Research Brief It Takes a Campus Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Although important to all, the execution of a financial education program is often relegated to the financial aid department. For an all hands on deck approach, such a massive and critical undertaking is daunting, but is simply system overload for one department to manage alone. Here are the reasons and data as to why financial education is everyone’s job, and how to gain buy-in for campus-wide collaborative efforts. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the research brief will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative 123…5»
Case Study: Alvernia University Case Study Alvernia University Alvernia University Chooses Verification Gateway for a Seamless Student Experience It’s rooted in the culture of Alvernia University to be a beacon of hope that helps first-generation students succeed. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, the University sits in one of the lowest income cities in the nation for its size. The team in the Financial Aid office sees the need first-hand and is key to helping Alvernia continue their commitment to fulfilling the educational aspirations of students through service and support. Fulfilling the Need Takes a Team & Time The Student Financial Services office is often the first stop for students. Christine Saadi, Senior Director, Student Financial Services explains, “There can’t be just one person that is dedicated to verification with our varied student population, so everyone needs to understand the process, the forms, documentation, and understand Federal versus institutional verification. Not only is it challenging to find staff in the first place, it’s even harder when they need to be trained with so much information.” “The complexity of verification terminology can pose a challenge, particularly for students and parents with English as a second language. It can add another layer of confusion.” comments Ms. Saadi. “We really started noticing how much we needed to find a solution pre-COVID. We lost most of our team at one time and finding the time to train new team members on the intricacies of financial aid at Alvernia amongst student counseling was more than we could handle.” Verification Turnaround is Key to Retention Time and knowledge were challenges Ms. Saadi knew they needed to address to provide the best process for students. “Verification turnaround is directly related to keeping the attention of potential students, to help them follow through. When they are making these decisions, they are finishing hight school, searching for a college and sorting out their future. Verification is just one more thing. Our goal is to make it as easy, efficient and effective as possible and we couldn’t continue to progress without help.” Ms. Saadi connected with Inceptia, took a look at the whole process, and found that Verification Gateway could relieve many of their challenges. Verification Gateway intuitively guides students and parents through the verification process. The easy-to-follow alerts, task lists and sample documents let them know what documentation is needed, when it’s due and when they’ve completed their requirements. If clarification is needed, there are helpful tips along the way and Inceptia’s student advocate team is available to help. Improved Student and Staff Experience “Verification Gateway offers us a team of experts in all aspects of verification and student communications, with an online process that’s easier for our students. If we, or other departments do get a question, we can share the link to VG and continue to work together,” says Ms. Saadi. The communications that are part of Verification Gateway have increased the student response rate which means verifications are completed and packaged sooner. With less work on verification in the office, the Alvernia team can focus on those students that need other assistance and continue the degree of service they are known for. Talk to Us Contact your Business Development representative to learn more about Verification Gateway. THE CHALLENGEAlvernia’s stong first-generation student population means that the Student Financial Planning office is often the first stop. Staffing shortages and turnover reduced the depth of knowledge of the team which slowed down the verification process and impacted student services. THE SOLUTIONVerification Gateway delivers a team of experts in all aspects of verification and student communications, and an online process that’s easier for students. The communications included in Verification Gateway increased the student response rate which means verifications can be completed and packaged sooner. With less verification work in the office, the Alvernia team can focus on students needing other assistance and continue the degree of service they are known for. THE RESULTS Reduced workload for Alvernia team Increased student follow through Faster aid packaging Reduced traffic to the financial aid office at start of term Increased number of students cleared prior to term PARTNER PROFILEAlvernia University is a private Pennsylvania school rooted in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions. Alvernia has penned their model of transformational education the Alvernia Advantage, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors and minors that are uniquely combined with a strong liberal arts foundation. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: West Georgia Technical College Case Study West Georgia Technical College West Georgia Technical College Increases Personal Touch with Student Outreach Program West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia serving its surrounding communities through relevant training that leads to associate degrees, diplomas, technical certifications as well as continuing education. One of the ways WGTC supports student success is through a variety of class sessions including the “mini-mester.” Looking to increase enrollment for this beneficial session, they needed to find a way to reach students in time. Staffing Challenges With the mini-mester fast approaching, WGTC faced additional challenges in the form of technology updates and staffing changes – common disruptions to which many campuses can relate. This resulted in increased time spent on training, while still tasked with assisting students through the enrollment funnel and maintaining diligent student contact. Lori Basham, Director of Admissions, knew they needed to find another way to boost their enrollment. “Mini-mesters are always an enrollment challenge because there aren’t as many classes and students may not be ready, but the benefit to meeting a deadline and earning credit in half the time is well worth it. Having had various roles in the department, I knew we didn’t have the time as a team to provide the level of personal touch that is necessary for students to realize these benefits in time.”, said Basham. Matching Values & Reputation Lead to Inceptia WGTC’s mission is to be a model of innovation and excellence in technical education, recognized as an outstanding economic and community partner, and a nimble provider of pathways to rewarding careers. Basham explains, “Three of our core values are integrity, professionalism, and student success. We knew Inceptia would be able to relay our values through the training that is provided to their student advocates and that our students would be taken care of just as if we were communicating with them.” Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Enrollment & Student Data Gets a Boost WGTC provided a targeted list of students to be contacted through Inceptia’s strategic Student Outreach Program. With a 30% phone contact rate and nearly 64% email open rate, 35% of the students registered, and 36% enrolled by the deadline. “We provided a small list and still had success with the program. The return on our investment in the Outreach Program drastically outweighed the cost. We gained insight into what was holding our students back from mini-mester enrollment and we know our students were contacted with care,” says Basham. We’re already planning on our next campaign with Inceptia.” Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGE West Georgia Technical College knew they needed to keep up their contact with students to have successful mini-mester enrollment, but staffing challenges and a new CRM were taking more time and the registration deadline was looming. THE SOLUTION WGTC worked with Inceptia to implement a Student Outreach Program to promote the mini-mester and give a bit of extra encouragement to students who may not understand the timing and benefit of enrollment. THE RESULTS 35% of contacts registered 64% email open rate 500%+ return on investment Gathered student data on why they aren’t registering PARTNER PROFILE West Georgia Technical College was founded in 1966 and is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. WGTC serves its surrounding communities’ student success, economic development, and the community, by providing a skilled workforce, through the delivery of relevant education and training, via high school equivalency, college credit associate degrees, diplomas, and technical certificates of credit, as well as corporate and continuing education opportunities. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Inceptia Celebrates a Decade of “Great Advice” for Graduates Press Release Inceptia Celebrates a Decade of “Great Advice” for Graduates Lincoln, Neb. (April 4, 2023) – The 10th annual edition of “Great Advice for Grads” is now available for download and sharing. Carrying on a legacy of offering the best in student loan repayment, personal finance, and career information, Inceptia’s free e-guide is a timely resource for newly graduating college students of all ages. “From the start, we have always curated Great Advice content that speaks to all students and the money questions that arise after getting the degree,” says Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success at Inceptia. “We celebrate everyone completing their college journey, and choose topics that reflect the diversity of the Class of 2023. It truly is a guide from which everyone can benefit.” In collaboration with the personal finance experts at NerdWallet, this year’s Great Advice for Grads blends the practical and personal to provide a holistic look at post-college finances: The New Income-Driven Repayment Plan: How It Works You Got a Better Job. Now, How Do You Handle the Benefits? Are You and Your Partner Financially Compatible? Student Debt Can Make You Sick: 3 Ways to Deal with the Stress “Great Advice for Grads 2023” is available now as a free download for students, parents, educators and anyone who advocate for student financial wellness. ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. For more than 35 years, Inceptia and NSLP have helped millions of students achieve their higher education dreams at schools nationwide. Our mission is to support schools in illuminating a path towards educational and financial success for students and families, allowing them to pursue their dreams of reaching their full potential. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time delivering meaningful learning experiences across the student lifecycle that fosters education and personal development.. ABOUT NERDWALLET NerdWallet (Nasdaq: NRDS) is on a mission to provide clarity for all of life’s financial decisions. As a personal finance website and app, NerdWallet provides consumers with trustworthy and knowledgeable financial information so they can make smart money moves. From finding the best credit card to buying a house, NerdWallet is there to help consumers make financial decisions with confidence. Consumers have free access to our expert content and comparison shopping marketplaces, plus a data-driven app, which helps them stay on top of their finances and save time and money, giving them the freedom to do more. NerdWallet is available for consumers in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia. “NerdWallet” is a trademark of NerdWallet, Inc. All rights reserved. Other names and trademarks used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Case Study: Gwinnett Technical College Case Study Gwinnett Technical College Gwinnett Technical College Extends the Personal Touch and Meets Goals with Student Outreach Program Gwinnett Tech’s motto is, “Teach every individual; serve every business.” As part of the Technical College System of Georgia, Gwinnett Technical College is a public two-year institution that serves the communities of Gwinnett and North Fulton by offering campus and distance learning for associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in credit programs as well as for adult and continuing education training. Time Well-Spent, If You Have It An enrollment manager at Gwinnett Technical College (GTC) had a great idea: follow up the admitted student email with a personal phone call. There were prospective students that weren’t responding to emails and only acknowledging texts, with no follow through, but they were answering their phones. “There was something so interesting about it, just good old-fashioned phone calls, and talking with somebody to direct those students to the appropriate resources,” said Dr. Kohle Paul, Vice President, Student Affairs. All of the information was in the emails and texts, but the team found it really resonated with students when they were called. What the GTC team didn’t realize was that the impact and response rate would be so high from those contacts. Right Place, Right Time “The weeks the team facilitated the welcome to GTC calls were great, but with summer volume picking up, the team was unable to continue,” said Paul. “So, we started searching for other ways to continue the campaigns as we felt it added a personal touch to new students, welcoming them to the college and next steps, as well as returning students and welcoming them back.” The timing was right when Paul was attending a monthly meeting for the System and Inceptia was speaking. “I knew some of my system cohorts had been working with Inceptia and the experience of their contact team with managing student concerns and processing made me think this would be a great opportunity to extend our team’s reach with Inceptia’s expertise to deliver the same level of student understanding we would with more time.” Extending the Team Helps Meet Enrollment Goals Inceptia got to work on connecting with the students on the list GTC provided – a little over 800 admitted students. Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Through a strategically planned contact campaign, 181 students actually enrolled and, even better, some have signed up for the next term – early. Paul said, “This outreach campaign was extremely helpful to promote our fall enrollment and actually allowed us to reach our first time freshmen goal. So we were excited about the work!” Paul added, “It’s a valuable return on our partnership investment. That’s 181 more people that are enriching their lives through education and that’s really our goal.” All students that Inceptia interacted with also got a follow-up email, so even if they haven’t enrolled yet, the door is open and they have the information they need to move forward when they are ready. Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGEThe Gwinnett Technical College team had been following up with admitted students by phone, resulting in positive responses. But, when the volume picked up they were unable to keep up the pace. They needed to find a way to continue the personal-touch momentum. THE SOLUTIONGTC leveraged the Inceptia Student Outreach Programs team to extend the personal outreach to admitted students to welcome them, answer questions, provide next steps and offer encouragement. THE RESULTS Over 850 students contacted 181 new students enrolled 21% enrollment return More than $225,000 in tuition income PARTNER PROFILEGwinnett Tech, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, is a public two-year college that serves the communities of Gwinnett and North Fulton by offering campus and distance learning for associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in credit programs as well as for adult and continuing education training. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: Delgado Community College Case Study Delgado Community College Delgado Moves Students from Applied to Enrolled through Student Outreach Program Delgado Community College is a public community college with campuses throughout the New Orleans, Louisiana metropolitan area. Delgado serves more than 15,000 students with degrees and training focused on today’s in-demand jobs to drive the local and regional economy. Looking Beyond Enrollment One of Delgado’s mottos is “Be in that number!” meaning be one of us, be successful, and be well-employed. A motto that more fully speaks to the benefits of enrollment – breaking the barriers of education to challenged populations, increasing the number of graduates, and getting graduates into better-paying jobs. With those ideas in mind Michelle Greco, Director of Enrollment Management, was looking at their potential to enrollment numbers and needed to find a way to decrease the gap. “With seven campuses serving the New Orleans area, we can extend workforce development and continuing education even further, but only if we can get those potential students from applied to enrolled.” says Greco. You have to ask to find out why Greco had two subsets in mind – students that were new to Delgado and some that had withdrawn in Spring 2022, but her team didn’t have time to do the kind of outreach needed. “We wanted to find out why these individuals were not moving forward to actually register for classes. They took the first step to apply, so what’s holding them back?” Having past experience with the Inceptia team using Verification Gateway, Greco knew they would extend the care with the students that her office would, so she talked with her team about using Inceptia’s Student Outreach Programs targeted towards new and returning students. Within these programs, the Inceptia team engages with students to address barriers, reduce melt and student anxiety while promoting school connections and enrollment. “A lot of things sort of happen at the spur of the moment, and in everybody’s world, especially right now. Inceptia was able to accommodate a quick-turn request to best meet the timing with these potential students,” says Greco. “I was able to upload my list and within a day, an Inceptia support representative called me a few times to make sure that I was successful with the uploads, that they could see the data, and I uploaded the right number of participants. I really appreciated that extra attention during that time period when there wasn’t time available for me to do this special project.” Reaching Out Made the Connection The outreach audience consisted of 2,031 students – 219 that had withdrawn from Spring 2022 and 1,812 that were new to Delgado. “With help from Inceptia, I was able to provide the students I wanted to reach out to, so they could encourage them to enroll and address whatever was holding them back. I didn’t give them an “easy” list as these prospects hadn’t demonstrated much interest in the past.” Inceptia worked through the outreach candidates using a multifaceted time and delivery connection strategy. These connections resulted in 582 total enrollments for the regular term and term B combined. Of these enrollments, 524 were new students and 58 returned after having withdrawn. Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGEThough the Delgado Financial Aid team had an outreach plan in place, they knew there were potential students that needed a few more touchpoints and a little more information to help them take the next steps to fulfilling their educational aspirations. THE SOLUTIONUtilizing Student Outreach Programs multifaceted strategy for connecting with students, the Inceptia team contacted just over 2,000 students. The contacts consisted of 90% never having showed interest in Delgado and the remaining 10% had withdrawn in Spring 2022. THE RESULTS Just over 2,000 students contacted 524 new students enrolled 58 stop-out students enrolled 28% enrollment return Nearly $790,000 in tuition income PARTNER PROFILEFounded in 1921, Delgado Community College is New Orleans’ largest higher education institution and Louisiana’s oldest and largest community college, providing the most comprehensive array of education, training, and additional services available in the region. Delgado Community College offers programs through the Associate degree. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: CSCU Case Study Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Verification Gateway Provides a Reliable Verification Portal to Enable Steady Enrollment There’s a good reason 85,000 students call Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) their home. Students can choose from CSCU’s 12 community colleges, four universities, or its online college to earn an academic credential. Plus, CSCU has the lowest tuition cost in the state, making it an affordable option for students and families. 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’s 12 community colleges remain 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% average decrease in verifications completed 14 days prior to semester and a 38% average decrease in verifications completed 7 days prior to semester. This earlier completion of verifications resulted 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 remote learning and the technological requirements that went with it,” said Steve McDowell, Associate Vice President for Financial Aid Services 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.” 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 that often resulted in less time being available to work directly with students. Between all 17 institutions, about 40,000 students were being selected for verification annually, including more than 28,000 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. 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 administrative demand within higher education financial aid is complex and overwhelming at times,” McDowell said. “It was a welcomed relief for Inceptia to take over verifications so our teams could provide both a greater focus on community outreach and training activities for staff.” 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% average increase in completed verifications; and 50% average decrease in the time it had been taking from first ISIR received to verified. Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGESteve McDowell and the financial aid team needed a verification platform that could handle CSCU’s population of 12 community colleges and higher verifications numbers. The solution needed to be efficient for students and families and provide workload relief for the financial aid staff. THE SOLUTIONSelecting 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. THE 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 PARTNER PROFILEConnecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) is in Hartford, Connecticut and comprised of 12 community colleges, four universities, and an online college. 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. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Research Brief | It Takes a Campus: Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Research Brief It Takes a Campus Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Although important to all, the execution of a financial education program is often relegated to the financial aid department. For an all hands on deck approach, such a massive and critical undertaking is daunting, but is simply system overload for one department to manage alone. Here are the reasons and data as to why financial education is everyone’s job, and how to gain buy-in for campus-wide collaborative efforts. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the research brief will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative 123…5»
Case Study: West Georgia Technical College Case Study West Georgia Technical College West Georgia Technical College Increases Personal Touch with Student Outreach Program West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia serving its surrounding communities through relevant training that leads to associate degrees, diplomas, technical certifications as well as continuing education. One of the ways WGTC supports student success is through a variety of class sessions including the “mini-mester.” Looking to increase enrollment for this beneficial session, they needed to find a way to reach students in time. Staffing Challenges With the mini-mester fast approaching, WGTC faced additional challenges in the form of technology updates and staffing changes – common disruptions to which many campuses can relate. This resulted in increased time spent on training, while still tasked with assisting students through the enrollment funnel and maintaining diligent student contact. Lori Basham, Director of Admissions, knew they needed to find another way to boost their enrollment. “Mini-mesters are always an enrollment challenge because there aren’t as many classes and students may not be ready, but the benefit to meeting a deadline and earning credit in half the time is well worth it. Having had various roles in the department, I knew we didn’t have the time as a team to provide the level of personal touch that is necessary for students to realize these benefits in time.”, said Basham. Matching Values & Reputation Lead to Inceptia WGTC’s mission is to be a model of innovation and excellence in technical education, recognized as an outstanding economic and community partner, and a nimble provider of pathways to rewarding careers. Basham explains, “Three of our core values are integrity, professionalism, and student success. We knew Inceptia would be able to relay our values through the training that is provided to their student advocates and that our students would be taken care of just as if we were communicating with them.” Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Enrollment & Student Data Gets a Boost WGTC provided a targeted list of students to be contacted through Inceptia’s strategic Student Outreach Program. With a 30% phone contact rate and nearly 64% email open rate, 35% of the students registered, and 36% enrolled by the deadline. “We provided a small list and still had success with the program. The return on our investment in the Outreach Program drastically outweighed the cost. We gained insight into what was holding our students back from mini-mester enrollment and we know our students were contacted with care,” says Basham. We’re already planning on our next campaign with Inceptia.” Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGE West Georgia Technical College knew they needed to keep up their contact with students to have successful mini-mester enrollment, but staffing challenges and a new CRM were taking more time and the registration deadline was looming. THE SOLUTION WGTC worked with Inceptia to implement a Student Outreach Program to promote the mini-mester and give a bit of extra encouragement to students who may not understand the timing and benefit of enrollment. THE RESULTS 35% of contacts registered 64% email open rate 500%+ return on investment Gathered student data on why they aren’t registering PARTNER PROFILE West Georgia Technical College was founded in 1966 and is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. WGTC serves its surrounding communities’ student success, economic development, and the community, by providing a skilled workforce, through the delivery of relevant education and training, via high school equivalency, college credit associate degrees, diplomas, and technical certificates of credit, as well as corporate and continuing education opportunities. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative
Inceptia Celebrates a Decade of “Great Advice” for Graduates Press Release Inceptia Celebrates a Decade of “Great Advice” for Graduates Lincoln, Neb. (April 4, 2023) – The 10th annual edition of “Great Advice for Grads” is now available for download and sharing. Carrying on a legacy of offering the best in student loan repayment, personal finance, and career information, Inceptia’s free e-guide is a timely resource for newly graduating college students of all ages. “From the start, we have always curated Great Advice content that speaks to all students and the money questions that arise after getting the degree,” says Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success at Inceptia. “We celebrate everyone completing their college journey, and choose topics that reflect the diversity of the Class of 2023. It truly is a guide from which everyone can benefit.” In collaboration with the personal finance experts at NerdWallet, this year’s Great Advice for Grads blends the practical and personal to provide a holistic look at post-college finances: The New Income-Driven Repayment Plan: How It Works You Got a Better Job. Now, How Do You Handle the Benefits? Are You and Your Partner Financially Compatible? Student Debt Can Make You Sick: 3 Ways to Deal with the Stress “Great Advice for Grads 2023” is available now as a free download for students, parents, educators and anyone who advocate for student financial wellness. ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. For more than 35 years, Inceptia and NSLP have helped millions of students achieve their higher education dreams at schools nationwide. Our mission is to support schools in illuminating a path towards educational and financial success for students and families, allowing them to pursue their dreams of reaching their full potential. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time delivering meaningful learning experiences across the student lifecycle that fosters education and personal development.. ABOUT NERDWALLET NerdWallet (Nasdaq: NRDS) is on a mission to provide clarity for all of life’s financial decisions. As a personal finance website and app, NerdWallet provides consumers with trustworthy and knowledgeable financial information so they can make smart money moves. From finding the best credit card to buying a house, NerdWallet is there to help consumers make financial decisions with confidence. Consumers have free access to our expert content and comparison shopping marketplaces, plus a data-driven app, which helps them stay on top of their finances and save time and money, giving them the freedom to do more. NerdWallet is available for consumers in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia. “NerdWallet” is a trademark of NerdWallet, Inc. All rights reserved. Other names and trademarks used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Case Study: Gwinnett Technical College Case Study Gwinnett Technical College Gwinnett Technical College Extends the Personal Touch and Meets Goals with Student Outreach Program Gwinnett Tech’s motto is, “Teach every individual; serve every business.” As part of the Technical College System of Georgia, Gwinnett Technical College is a public two-year institution that serves the communities of Gwinnett and North Fulton by offering campus and distance learning for associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in credit programs as well as for adult and continuing education training. Time Well-Spent, If You Have It An enrollment manager at Gwinnett Technical College (GTC) had a great idea: follow up the admitted student email with a personal phone call. There were prospective students that weren’t responding to emails and only acknowledging texts, with no follow through, but they were answering their phones. “There was something so interesting about it, just good old-fashioned phone calls, and talking with somebody to direct those students to the appropriate resources,” said Dr. Kohle Paul, Vice President, Student Affairs. All of the information was in the emails and texts, but the team found it really resonated with students when they were called. What the GTC team didn’t realize was that the impact and response rate would be so high from those contacts. Right Place, Right Time “The weeks the team facilitated the welcome to GTC calls were great, but with summer volume picking up, the team was unable to continue,” said Paul. “So, we started searching for other ways to continue the campaigns as we felt it added a personal touch to new students, welcoming them to the college and next steps, as well as returning students and welcoming them back.” The timing was right when Paul was attending a monthly meeting for the System and Inceptia was speaking. “I knew some of my system cohorts had been working with Inceptia and the experience of their contact team with managing student concerns and processing made me think this would be a great opportunity to extend our team’s reach with Inceptia’s expertise to deliver the same level of student understanding we would with more time.” Extending the Team Helps Meet Enrollment Goals Inceptia got to work on connecting with the students on the list GTC provided – a little over 800 admitted students. Each member of the Inceptia student advocate counseling team goes through extensive initial training, including assessments and quality assurance checks. In addition, the team participates in monthly internal and external training to keep their skills current along with soft skills practices to thoughtfully manage their student conversations for a successful outcome. Through a strategically planned contact campaign, 181 students actually enrolled and, even better, some have signed up for the next term – early. Paul said, “This outreach campaign was extremely helpful to promote our fall enrollment and actually allowed us to reach our first time freshmen goal. So we were excited about the work!” Paul added, “It’s a valuable return on our partnership investment. That’s 181 more people that are enriching their lives through education and that’s really our goal.” All students that Inceptia interacted with also got a follow-up email, so even if they haven’t enrolled yet, the door is open and they have the information they need to move forward when they are ready. Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGEThe Gwinnett Technical College team had been following up with admitted students by phone, resulting in positive responses. But, when the volume picked up they were unable to keep up the pace. They needed to find a way to continue the personal-touch momentum. THE SOLUTIONGTC leveraged the Inceptia Student Outreach Programs team to extend the personal outreach to admitted students to welcome them, answer questions, provide next steps and offer encouragement. THE RESULTS Over 850 students contacted 181 new students enrolled 21% enrollment return More than $225,000 in tuition income PARTNER PROFILEGwinnett Tech, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, is a public two-year college that serves the communities of Gwinnett and North Fulton by offering campus and distance learning for associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in credit programs as well as for adult and continuing education training. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: Delgado Community College Case Study Delgado Community College Delgado Moves Students from Applied to Enrolled through Student Outreach Program Delgado Community College is a public community college with campuses throughout the New Orleans, Louisiana metropolitan area. Delgado serves more than 15,000 students with degrees and training focused on today’s in-demand jobs to drive the local and regional economy. Looking Beyond Enrollment One of Delgado’s mottos is “Be in that number!” meaning be one of us, be successful, and be well-employed. A motto that more fully speaks to the benefits of enrollment – breaking the barriers of education to challenged populations, increasing the number of graduates, and getting graduates into better-paying jobs. With those ideas in mind Michelle Greco, Director of Enrollment Management, was looking at their potential to enrollment numbers and needed to find a way to decrease the gap. “With seven campuses serving the New Orleans area, we can extend workforce development and continuing education even further, but only if we can get those potential students from applied to enrolled.” says Greco. You have to ask to find out why Greco had two subsets in mind – students that were new to Delgado and some that had withdrawn in Spring 2022, but her team didn’t have time to do the kind of outreach needed. “We wanted to find out why these individuals were not moving forward to actually register for classes. They took the first step to apply, so what’s holding them back?” Having past experience with the Inceptia team using Verification Gateway, Greco knew they would extend the care with the students that her office would, so she talked with her team about using Inceptia’s Student Outreach Programs targeted towards new and returning students. Within these programs, the Inceptia team engages with students to address barriers, reduce melt and student anxiety while promoting school connections and enrollment. “A lot of things sort of happen at the spur of the moment, and in everybody’s world, especially right now. Inceptia was able to accommodate a quick-turn request to best meet the timing with these potential students,” says Greco. “I was able to upload my list and within a day, an Inceptia support representative called me a few times to make sure that I was successful with the uploads, that they could see the data, and I uploaded the right number of participants. I really appreciated that extra attention during that time period when there wasn’t time available for me to do this special project.” Reaching Out Made the Connection The outreach audience consisted of 2,031 students – 219 that had withdrawn from Spring 2022 and 1,812 that were new to Delgado. “With help from Inceptia, I was able to provide the students I wanted to reach out to, so they could encourage them to enroll and address whatever was holding them back. I didn’t give them an “easy” list as these prospects hadn’t demonstrated much interest in the past.” Inceptia worked through the outreach candidates using a multifaceted time and delivery connection strategy. These connections resulted in 582 total enrollments for the regular term and term B combined. Of these enrollments, 524 were new students and 58 returned after having withdrawn. Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGEThough the Delgado Financial Aid team had an outreach plan in place, they knew there were potential students that needed a few more touchpoints and a little more information to help them take the next steps to fulfilling their educational aspirations. THE SOLUTIONUtilizing Student Outreach Programs multifaceted strategy for connecting with students, the Inceptia team contacted just over 2,000 students. The contacts consisted of 90% never having showed interest in Delgado and the remaining 10% had withdrawn in Spring 2022. THE RESULTS Just over 2,000 students contacted 524 new students enrolled 58 stop-out students enrolled 28% enrollment return Nearly $790,000 in tuition income PARTNER PROFILEFounded in 1921, Delgado Community College is New Orleans’ largest higher education institution and Louisiana’s oldest and largest community college, providing the most comprehensive array of education, training, and additional services available in the region. Delgado Community College offers programs through the Associate degree. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: CSCU Case Study Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Verification Gateway Provides a Reliable Verification Portal to Enable Steady Enrollment There’s a good reason 85,000 students call Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) their home. Students can choose from CSCU’s 12 community colleges, four universities, or its online college to earn an academic credential. Plus, CSCU has the lowest tuition cost in the state, making it an affordable option for students and families. 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’s 12 community colleges remain 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% average decrease in verifications completed 14 days prior to semester and a 38% average decrease in verifications completed 7 days prior to semester. This earlier completion of verifications resulted 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 remote learning and the technological requirements that went with it,” said Steve McDowell, Associate Vice President for Financial Aid Services 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.” 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 that often resulted in less time being available to work directly with students. Between all 17 institutions, about 40,000 students were being selected for verification annually, including more than 28,000 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. 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 administrative demand within higher education financial aid is complex and overwhelming at times,” McDowell said. “It was a welcomed relief for Inceptia to take over verifications so our teams could provide both a greater focus on community outreach and training activities for staff.” 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% average increase in completed verifications; and 50% average decrease in the time it had been taking from first ISIR received to verified. Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGESteve McDowell and the financial aid team needed a verification platform that could handle CSCU’s population of 12 community colleges and higher verifications numbers. The solution needed to be efficient for students and families and provide workload relief for the financial aid staff. THE SOLUTIONSelecting 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. THE 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 PARTNER PROFILEConnecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) is in Hartford, Connecticut and comprised of 12 community colleges, four universities, and an online college. 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. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Research Brief | It Takes a Campus: Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Research Brief It Takes a Campus Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Although important to all, the execution of a financial education program is often relegated to the financial aid department. For an all hands on deck approach, such a massive and critical undertaking is daunting, but is simply system overload for one department to manage alone. Here are the reasons and data as to why financial education is everyone’s job, and how to gain buy-in for campus-wide collaborative efforts. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the research brief will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative 123…5»
Case Study: Delgado Community College Case Study Delgado Community College Delgado Moves Students from Applied to Enrolled through Student Outreach Program Delgado Community College is a public community college with campuses throughout the New Orleans, Louisiana metropolitan area. Delgado serves more than 15,000 students with degrees and training focused on today’s in-demand jobs to drive the local and regional economy. Looking Beyond Enrollment One of Delgado’s mottos is “Be in that number!” meaning be one of us, be successful, and be well-employed. A motto that more fully speaks to the benefits of enrollment – breaking the barriers of education to challenged populations, increasing the number of graduates, and getting graduates into better-paying jobs. With those ideas in mind Michelle Greco, Director of Enrollment Management, was looking at their potential to enrollment numbers and needed to find a way to decrease the gap. “With seven campuses serving the New Orleans area, we can extend workforce development and continuing education even further, but only if we can get those potential students from applied to enrolled.” says Greco. You have to ask to find out why Greco had two subsets in mind – students that were new to Delgado and some that had withdrawn in Spring 2022, but her team didn’t have time to do the kind of outreach needed. “We wanted to find out why these individuals were not moving forward to actually register for classes. They took the first step to apply, so what’s holding them back?” Having past experience with the Inceptia team using Verification Gateway, Greco knew they would extend the care with the students that her office would, so she talked with her team about using Inceptia’s Student Outreach Programs targeted towards new and returning students. Within these programs, the Inceptia team engages with students to address barriers, reduce melt and student anxiety while promoting school connections and enrollment. “A lot of things sort of happen at the spur of the moment, and in everybody’s world, especially right now. Inceptia was able to accommodate a quick-turn request to best meet the timing with these potential students,” says Greco. “I was able to upload my list and within a day, an Inceptia support representative called me a few times to make sure that I was successful with the uploads, that they could see the data, and I uploaded the right number of participants. I really appreciated that extra attention during that time period when there wasn’t time available for me to do this special project.” Reaching Out Made the Connection The outreach audience consisted of 2,031 students – 219 that had withdrawn from Spring 2022 and 1,812 that were new to Delgado. “With help from Inceptia, I was able to provide the students I wanted to reach out to, so they could encourage them to enroll and address whatever was holding them back. I didn’t give them an “easy” list as these prospects hadn’t demonstrated much interest in the past.” Inceptia worked through the outreach candidates using a multifaceted time and delivery connection strategy. These connections resulted in 582 total enrollments for the regular term and term B combined. Of these enrollments, 524 were new students and 58 returned after having withdrawn. Talk to Us To learn more about Student Outreach Programs, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGEThough the Delgado Financial Aid team had an outreach plan in place, they knew there were potential students that needed a few more touchpoints and a little more information to help them take the next steps to fulfilling their educational aspirations. THE SOLUTIONUtilizing Student Outreach Programs multifaceted strategy for connecting with students, the Inceptia team contacted just over 2,000 students. The contacts consisted of 90% never having showed interest in Delgado and the remaining 10% had withdrawn in Spring 2022. THE RESULTS Just over 2,000 students contacted 524 new students enrolled 58 stop-out students enrolled 28% enrollment return Nearly $790,000 in tuition income PARTNER PROFILEFounded in 1921, Delgado Community College is New Orleans’ largest higher education institution and Louisiana’s oldest and largest community college, providing the most comprehensive array of education, training, and additional services available in the region. Delgado Community College offers programs through the Associate degree. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Case Study: CSCU Case Study Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Verification Gateway Provides a Reliable Verification Portal to Enable Steady Enrollment There’s a good reason 85,000 students call Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) their home. Students can choose from CSCU’s 12 community colleges, four universities, or its online college to earn an academic credential. Plus, CSCU has the lowest tuition cost in the state, making it an affordable option for students and families. 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’s 12 community colleges remain 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% average decrease in verifications completed 14 days prior to semester and a 38% average decrease in verifications completed 7 days prior to semester. This earlier completion of verifications resulted 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 remote learning and the technological requirements that went with it,” said Steve McDowell, Associate Vice President for Financial Aid Services 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.” 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 that often resulted in less time being available to work directly with students. Between all 17 institutions, about 40,000 students were being selected for verification annually, including more than 28,000 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. 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 administrative demand within higher education financial aid is complex and overwhelming at times,” McDowell said. “It was a welcomed relief for Inceptia to take over verifications so our teams could provide both a greater focus on community outreach and training activities for staff.” 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% average increase in completed verifications; and 50% average decrease in the time it had been taking from first ISIR received to verified. Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGESteve McDowell and the financial aid team needed a verification platform that could handle CSCU’s population of 12 community colleges and higher verifications numbers. The solution needed to be efficient for students and families and provide workload relief for the financial aid staff. THE SOLUTIONSelecting 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. THE 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 PARTNER PROFILEConnecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) is in Hartford, Connecticut and comprised of 12 community colleges, four universities, and an online college. 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. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Research Brief | It Takes a Campus: Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Research Brief It Takes a Campus Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Although important to all, the execution of a financial education program is often relegated to the financial aid department. For an all hands on deck approach, such a massive and critical undertaking is daunting, but is simply system overload for one department to manage alone. Here are the reasons and data as to why financial education is everyone’s job, and how to gain buy-in for campus-wide collaborative efforts. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the research brief will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative 123…5»
Case Study: CSCU Case Study Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Verification Gateway Provides a Reliable Verification Portal to Enable Steady Enrollment There’s a good reason 85,000 students call Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) their home. Students can choose from CSCU’s 12 community colleges, four universities, or its online college to earn an academic credential. Plus, CSCU has the lowest tuition cost in the state, making it an affordable option for students and families. 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’s 12 community colleges remain 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% average decrease in verifications completed 14 days prior to semester and a 38% average decrease in verifications completed 7 days prior to semester. This earlier completion of verifications resulted 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 remote learning and the technological requirements that went with it,” said Steve McDowell, Associate Vice President for Financial Aid Services 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.” 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 that often resulted in less time being available to work directly with students. Between all 17 institutions, about 40,000 students were being selected for verification annually, including more than 28,000 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. 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 administrative demand within higher education financial aid is complex and overwhelming at times,” McDowell said. “It was a welcomed relief for Inceptia to take over verifications so our teams could provide both a greater focus on community outreach and training activities for staff.” 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% average increase in completed verifications; and 50% average decrease in the time it had been taking from first ISIR received to verified. Talk to Us To learn more about Verification Gateway, contact your Business Development representative or visit inceptia.org. THE CHALLENGESteve McDowell and the financial aid team needed a verification platform that could handle CSCU’s population of 12 community colleges and higher verifications numbers. The solution needed to be efficient for students and families and provide workload relief for the financial aid staff. THE SOLUTIONSelecting 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. THE 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 PARTNER PROFILEConnecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) is in Hartford, Connecticut and comprised of 12 community colleges, four universities, and an online college. 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. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the case study will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative Research Brief | It Takes a Campus: Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Research Brief It Takes a Campus Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Although important to all, the execution of a financial education program is often relegated to the financial aid department. For an all hands on deck approach, such a massive and critical undertaking is daunting, but is simply system overload for one department to manage alone. Here are the reasons and data as to why financial education is everyone’s job, and how to gain buy-in for campus-wide collaborative efforts. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the research brief will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative 123…5»
Research Brief | It Takes a Campus: Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Research Brief It Takes a Campus Gathering Internal Support to Promote Financial Education Although important to all, the execution of a financial education program is often relegated to the financial aid department. For an all hands on deck approach, such a massive and critical undertaking is daunting, but is simply system overload for one department to manage alone. Here are the reasons and data as to why financial education is everyone’s job, and how to gain buy-in for campus-wide collaborative efforts. Request Resources Please fill out the form below and click submit. A PDF of the research brief will be delivered to the email address you provided. Full Name:* Title:* Organization/Institution:* Email Address:* Phone Number:View Inceptia's full privacy statement.CAPTCHA Find my representative