Insight Newsletter December 2, 2020 Adding Extra Effort to Encourage FAFSA Completion FAFSA completion serves two key functions: it signals the intent of students to attend college, and helps schools predict enrollment. It is alarming, then, that at two months into the new FAFSA cycle, completion rates are being noted as a "slow-motion train wreck for college enrollment and students’ futures". Most recent stats from NCAN’s Form Your Future show FAFSA completions are down 15.5% for the high school class of 2021, from the last academic year – a slight improvement within the last month. Without the ability to see students face-to-face, pop into a classroom, or post a sign, FAFSA completion suffers unless we adopt new outreach strategies. Replacing gentle reminders with personalized, specific communication promotes completion and provides connection; Inceptia’s FAFSA Completion Outreach program does just that. Through a variety of methods, our student advocates will reach out to students to help them see the value in completing the FAFSA and answer questions along the way. Because students may need multiple reminders to make the message “stick,” we also offer our free FAFSA Toolkit containing checklists, letters and emails, posters, and videos ready for you to share with students and families. Finally, a longer-than-usual holiday break can cause “melt” for prospective, current and withdrawn students. The FAFSA Outreach and Student Outreach Programs can help you connect and even re-engage with students to provide supportive options to encourage FAFSA completion and also re-enrollment with your institution. For additional details, contact our Client Support team or your Inceptia Business Development representative today. Increased Verification Volume Relief with Verification Gateway With a population of roughly 40,000 students, the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) financial aid team needed a verification platform that could handle a high volume of verifications, was efficient for students and families and provide workload relief for staff. CSCU implemented Verification Gateway to streamline the federal verification process for their students. The interview-style questions, virtual document collection, complete reporting and personal interaction when needed, offered CSCU the help they wanted. 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 “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,” said Steve McDowell, Associate Vice President for Financial Aid Services and Title IV Compliance. Read more. Choose Financial Avenue as your CashCourse Replacement NEFE recently announced their financial literacy program, CashCourse, will be retired at the end of the current academic year. For the colleges and universities relying on this program to fulfill their financial education goals, Inceptia invites you to explore our program, Financial Avenue, as your new financial education curriculum. Learn More About Financial Avenue Review our Learning Objectives Request a demo account Register for our virtual demo on Tuesday, December 8 at 1:00 p.m. CT Hear what students and staff at the University of Nebraska Kearney enjoy most about using Financial Avenue We know that budgets may be limited, so please contact us to discuss pricing. We look forward to working with you in finding a new solution to meet your financial education needs. What to Expect when Repayment Returns The CARES Act student loan repayment suspension is set to expire December 31, 2020, and there are still many questions. Without thoughtful planning, it’s going to be a challenging return for students and schools, but there are ways to ease the stress. There are still opportunities to connect with your students to re-prepare them for repayment; and to adjust your office strategy for consultation and future goals. Visit the Return to Repayment Outreach page to gain insights, find a solution and prepare: Review articles on the key impacts of CARES Act expiration View on-demand webinars on preparing for repayment Listen to Q&A sessions with your peers on the CARES Act ramifications Learn more to get help connecting with your students. Upcoming Webinars Increase Enrollment and Decrease Cost with Verification Services (NASFAA FABS Session) Thursday, December 10 · 1 p.m. CT Getting Ready for Student Loan Repayment Tuesday, January 26 · 12:00 p.m. CT Undercover Mindfulness for a Resilient New Year Wednesday, January 20 · 1 p.m. CT NEWS & EVENTS Webinar: Discover Inceptia Repayment Wellness Services | Multiple Sessions