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Improving Administration in Improving Administration in YourYour

Financial Aid OfficeFinancial Aid Office

SFA’s Tools for SuccessSFA’s Tools for Success

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How Do We Get There from Here?How Do We Get There from Here? How Do We Get There from Here?How Do We Get There from Here?

QualitQualit

yy

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Session ObjectivesSession Objectives Introduce SFA’s Tools for SuccessIntroduce SFA’s Tools for Success Review the SFA Title IV Review the SFA Title IV

Assessment ToolAssessment Tool Review the Quality Analysis ToolReview the Quality Analysis Tool Share Institutional Perspectives Share Institutional Perspectives

on the Tools and How They Can on the Tools and How They Can Help Help AllAll Schools Schools

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Three““Advance” Advance” Tools for Tools for

Approved QA Approved QA Member Member SchoolsSchools

““Advance” Advance” Tools for Tools for

Approved QA Approved QA Member Member SchoolsSchools

““Sustain” Sustain” Tools for Tools for

All (on the All (on the Web)Web)

““Sustain” Sustain” Tools for Tools for

All (on the All (on the Web)Web)

““Attain” Attain” Tools for Tools for

All (on the All (on the Web)Web)

““Attain” Attain” Tools for Tools for

All (on the All (on the Web)Web)

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Thinking Out of the Thinking Out of the BoxBox

… by providing all Title IV Schools with tools to succeed …

Available for all Case Available for all Case Management Management referrals referrals involving specific assistanceinvolving specific assistance

Most recent assessments Most recent assessments online:online: http://qaprogram.air.org

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SFA Assessment ToolsSFA Assessment Tools

Enhance the work of SFA Enhance the work of SFA and schoolsand schools

Help schools by providing Help schools by providing guidance on key questions guidance on key questions about their Title IV about their Title IV stewardshipstewardship

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Benefiting Schools, Benefiting Schools, Students, Students,

SFASFA Partnership in compliancePartnership in compliance Better technical assistanceBetter technical assistance Enhanced administration of Title IV Enhanced administration of Title IV

ProgramProgram Better service to institutions Better service to institutions

requiring more comprehensive requiring more comprehensive assistanceassistance

Better service to studentsBetter service to students

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What is Self Assessment?What is Self Assessment?

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Can you Can you ensure ensure your your school’s school’s eligibilityeligibilityfor Title IV?for Title IV?

Can you Can you ensure ensure your your school’s school’s eligibilityeligibilityfor Title IV?for Title IV?

A:A:

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Assessment A: Institutional Assessment A: Institutional ParticipationParticipation

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Assessment A: Assessment A: ContinuedContinued

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Do you need Do you need help help coordinating coordinating fiscal fiscal procedures?procedures?

Do you need Do you need help help coordinating coordinating fiscal fiscal procedures?procedures?

B:B:

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Assessment B: Fiscal RequirementsAssessment B: Fiscal Requirements

A sound fiscal system includes rules and A sound fiscal system includes rules and procedures for requesting, maintaining, procedures for requesting, maintaining, disbursing and otherwise managing funds disbursing and otherwise managing funds under Title IVunder Title IV

Variables to consider: Variables to consider:

Establishing Accounting SystemsEstablishing Accounting Systems

Cash Management ProceduresCash Management Procedures

Disbursement PoliciesDisbursement Policies

Coordinating Specific FundsCoordinating Specific Funds

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Are your Are your students students eligible?eligible?

Are your Are your students students eligible?eligible?

C:C:

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Assessment C: Student EligibilityAssessment C: Student Eligibility

All students must meet eligibility All students must meet eligibility requirements outlined in 668.130-139requirements outlined in 668.130-139

Select a small sample of student files Select a small sample of student files to assess your school’s current to assess your school’s current procedures for determining recipient procedures for determining recipient eligibility.eligibility.

Take note of missing, inadequate, Take note of missing, inadequate, and/or conflicting documentationand/or conflicting documentation

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Are you Are you awarding aid awarding aid to the right to the right students?students?

Are you Are you awarding aid awarding aid to the right to the right students?students?

D:D:

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Assessment D: Award RequirementsAssessment D: Award Requirements

For evaluating the effectiveness of For evaluating the effectiveness of awarding proceduresawarding procedures

Use a sample of five student filesUse a sample of five student files Variables to consider: Variables to consider: Program specific

eligibility, Institutional Award Allocations (CB), Institutional Awarding Policies (Packaging), Program Specific Award Rules, Minimum and Maximum Program Award Amounts, and Award Notification Requirements

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Is the money Is the money reaching the reaching the recipients?recipients?

Is the money Is the money reaching the reaching the recipients?recipients?

E:E:

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Assessment E: Disbursement Assessment E: Disbursement RequirementsRequirements

For evaluating the effectiveness For evaluating the effectiveness of disbursement proceduresof disbursement procedures

Use a sample of 5 student filesUse a sample of 5 student files Use the Student Financial Aid Use the Student Financial Aid

Handbook in addition to Title IV Handbook in addition to Title IV regulations to review regulations to review disbursement proceduresdisbursement procedures

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Can you Can you balance balance your your books?books?

Can you Can you balance balance your your books?books?

F:F:

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Area F: Reconciliation and ReportingArea F: Reconciliation and Reporting

For assessing reporting and For assessing reporting and reconciliation proceduresreconciliation procedures

Select 10 random student filesSelect 10 random student files Verify that your school’s Verify that your school’s

reporting and reconciliation reporting and reconciliation policies are carried out on a policies are carried out on a student-specific basisstudent-specific basis

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Can you Can you show that show that automated automated procedures procedures are working?are working?

Can you Can you show that show that automated automated procedures procedures are working?are working?

G:G:

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Assessment G: AutomationAssessment G: Automation

To help determine if your school is in To help determine if your school is in compliance, locate a copy of your compliance, locate a copy of your policies and procedures related to policies and procedures related to automation.automation.

[To be considered administratively [To be considered administratively capable to participate in the SFA capable to participate in the SFA Programs, a school must participate in Programs, a school must participate in all electronic processes required by the all electronic processes required by the Department]Department]

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Do you need Do you need help with help with other other management management issues?issues?

Do you need Do you need help with help with other other management management issues?issues?

H:H:

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Assessment H: Administrative Assessment H: Administrative PracticesPractices

For assessing institution-specific For assessing institution-specific management operationsmanagement operations

Assessment worksheet topics: Assessment worksheet topics: NCAA, FERPA, Drug Free Schools NCAA, FERPA, Drug Free Schools and Campuses, etc.and Campuses, etc.

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Work in ProgressWork in Progress New Web-based & interactive New Web-based & interactive

modules under developmentmodules under development Unveiling at EAC’s in Nov/Dec Unveiling at EAC’s in Nov/Dec

‘01‘01 Most problematic areas: Most problematic areas:

RT24, SAP, and RT24, SAP, and RecertificationRecertification

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Promote greater sharing of Promote greater sharing of information between Title IV information between Title IV institutionsinstitutions

Share Effective Practices Share Effective Practices information with:information with:•the entire Title IV communitythe entire Title IV community•SFA leaders – to facilitate changeSFA leaders – to facilitate change

Sustaining QualitySustaining Quality

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Effective PracticeEffective PracticeReportsReportsOnline form for Online form for

sharing practical sharing practical knowledge:knowledge:

Your colleagues need your insights.Your colleagues need your insights. 

For more than 15 years, the Quality Assurance Program has promotedstudent financial aid practices that work, in part by relaying accounts of problem solving 

efforts that schools have devised and implemented.  In advance, we thank you for again sharingyour practical knowledge with your student financial aid colleagues.  Your partnership

in this continuing information effort will help all concerned to further the goal of putting America’s students through school.

 

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Flexibility to pilot alternative Flexibility to pilot alternative management approaches in management approaches in administering Title IV aidadministering Title IV aid

Schools must Schools must volunteervolunteer and and be approvedbe approved for participation in the QA Program. for participation in the QA Program.

Coming: A Federal Register Notice Coming: A Federal Register Notice inviting schools to apply to participate in inviting schools to apply to participate in QA.QA.

Advancing QualityAdvancing Quality

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Quality Analysis ToolQuality Analysis Tool Available to all schools in ‘02-’03Available to all schools in ‘02-’03 Analyze FAFSA application/ISIR dataAnalyze FAFSA application/ISIR data Generate reports showing effect of data Generate reports showing effect of data

element changes on EFC/Pell Grant element changes on EFC/Pell Grant eligibilityeligibility

Improve/customize verification programImprove/customize verification program Data to suggest future changes in Data to suggest future changes in

federal verification selection criteriafederal verification selection criteria

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Locally Designed VerificationLocally Designed Verification

Focuses on local sources of errorFocuses on local sources of error Identifies changes to FAFSA fields Identifies changes to FAFSA fields

that have an impact on awardsthat have an impact on awards

What are the benefits of What are the benefits of school-designed school-designed verification procedures?verification procedures?

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The Power of DataThe Power of Data The QA Tool allows schools to The QA Tool allows schools to

conduct in-depth analysis of conduct in-depth analysis of applicant dataapplicant data

A series of reports can be A series of reports can be constructed using custom formats, constructed using custom formats, selected fields and queries to selected fields and queries to extract specific information about extract specific information about your applicant populationyour applicant population

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QA Tool Reports –QA Tool Reports –

Fine TuningFine Tuning Verification Verification ProceduresProcedures

Corrected Records in EFC RangeCorrected Records in EFC Range Custom ReportsCustom Reports Field Change ReportField Change Report Field Range ReportField Range Report Pell Corrected Records ReportPell Corrected Records Report Student Listing with Verification FlagsStudent Listing with Verification Flags Transaction ComparisonTransaction Comparison

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What We’ve Learned So FarWhat We’ve Learned So Far

Improve FAFSA instructions for and/or Improve FAFSA instructions for and/or education efforts regarding estimating education efforts regarding estimating income and tax informationincome and tax information

Incorporate tax “estimators” into Incorporate tax “estimators” into verification profilesverification profiles

Use - but don’t overly rely on Use - but don’t overly rely on student/family income level when student/family income level when deciding who to verifydeciding who to verify

Consider collecting information on the Consider collecting information on the cost of verification.cost of verification.

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Institutional PerspectiveInstitutional Perspective

Craig CornellCraig Cornell – – Associate Director of Financial Aid Associate Director of Financial Aid Kent State UniversityKent State University

2001 Winner2001 WinnerThe Quality Assurance The Quality Assurance Program - Program - Model of Model of

Quality Quality AwardAward

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If you have questions, more If you have questions, more information can be found online information can be found online at: at:

http://qaprogram.air.orhttp://qaprogram.air.orgg

Thank you for your interestThank you for your interest