The holiday season often brings a welcome pause for students and staff but for financial aid offices, it can also coincide with peak workload periods. Between FAFSA processing, SAP reviews, year-end reconciliation, January start terms, and increased student inquiries, the need for steady staffing doesn’t always align with employees’ well-earned time off.
With thoughtful planning and a supportive team culture, however, aid offices can maintain continuity of service while also respecting staff needs for rest and rejuvenation. Below are practical strategies to help your office manage holiday workloads efficiently and sustainably:
- Plan Early and Prioritize Intentionally
Holiday staffing challenges are more manageable when offices begin planning in advance. Conduct a pre-holiday workflow assessment to determine:
- Which tasks are time-sensitive (e.g., disbursement schedules, SAP processing, year-end closeout)
- Which tasks can be deferred (e.g., non-urgent verifications, spring outreach campaigns)
- Which responsibilities require coverage every business day vs. those that can be batched
Once your unique office needs have been determined, you can then work with third-party support services to contract adequate short-term staffing support to ensure that essential duties are covered even with reduced staffing. Clear prioritization prevents last-minute crises and helps staff focus on what must get done before winter break, while ensuring that everyone in your office is able to disconnect and enjoy their time off without having to worry about everything else that needs to get done.
- Create a Cross-Training Culture
Cross training is one of the most valuable long-term strategies for maintaining continuity through staffing fluctuations. Ensuring that multiple staff members can step into core functions—such as verification, loan origination, R2T4, phone coverage, or front-desk triage—provides critical flexibility when team members are out.
Consider developing a “holiday operations playbook” that includes:
- Short guides for key processes
- Quick-reference checklists
- Escalation paths for urgent student issues
- Screenshots or walk-through videos for less frequently performed tasks
The result is fewer bottlenecks, less stress for the people covering unfamiliar tasks, and greater resilience for the office as a whole.
- Use Scheduling Strategies That Balance Coverage and Rest
Instead of allowing PTO requests to accumulate unpredictably, set expectations early:
- Encourage staff to submit requests in advance so gaps can be identified.
- Consider partial-day or staggered schedules to keep essential functions covered.
- Honor protected time off—when staff are out, reinforce that they are truly off, without the expectation of responding to emails or being on-call.
- Prioritize fairness, using a rotation or seniority system if at all necessary.
These practices help maintain coverage while supporting healthy work-life balance.
- Adjust Expectations Where Appropriate
December is often a shortened work month, and attempting to maintain normal workloads can increase burnout and errors. As such, managers should leverage this period to temporarily recalibrate expectations across functional areas, by clearly communicating decisions and timelines around:
- Delayed nonessential projects or reports
- Scaled back outreach communications
- Rescheduled lower-priority committee work
- Paused long-term planning tasks that require team-wide participation
Communicating adjusted expectations transparently helps staff and stakeholders feel supported rather than overwhelmed, especially when clear timelines are communicated and negotiated around when the workflow can and should pick up again.
- Improve Communication and Transparency
During busy or short-staffed periods, regular communication is essential. Short daily or twice-weekly check-ins with essential and leadership staff can help ensure your team:
- Understands current priorities
- Knows who is “on point” for specific functions
- Can anticipate workload spikes
- Feels comfortable sharing concerns or capacity issues
As such, managers during the holiday weeks should encourage staff to raise issues early, even if the news is not positive. This type of transparency allows the team to adapt before small issues become delays that affect students and possibly impact the future workflow as individuals return to the office.
- Leverage Temporary, Remote, or Contract Support
When internal capacity is not sufficient, outside support can stabilize operations. Options include:
- Seasonal or temporary administrative staff for data entry, phone coverage, or document management
- Remote financial aid professionals or consulting firms that can assist with verifications, file review, SAP, R2T4, or backlog management
- Work-study or graduate assistants who can support non-Title IV tasks such as front desk operations or routine communications
Many institutions rely on temporary or contracted staff during winter term start-up, especially when vacancies or extended leave overlap with holiday PTO. The key is to onboard temporary support with clear expectations and defined task lists.
- Maintain Staff Well-Being and Recognize Emotional Labor
Many higher-education professionals experience heightened stress during the holiday season. End-of-term deadlines, student escalations, and personal obligations can take a toll. Leaders can mitigate burnout by:
- Checking in regularly about workload and stress levels
- Reminding staff of available wellness or employee assistance programs
- Encouraging PTO use and true disconnection while out of the office
- Offering flexible scheduling when possible
- Ensuring that holiday gatherings or celebrations are optional, inclusive, and accessible
Even small gestures such as handwritten notes, small thank-you gifts, or providing snacks during peak weeks can significantly boost morale.
- Celebrate Wins and Appreciate Your Team
During the holiday season, when most people are in a festive spirit, taking time to acknowledge the hard work of your staff can have a meaningful impact, especially during heightened demand periods. As such, office leadership should consider:
- Recognizing individual and team accomplishments
- Sending a year-end message celebrating resilience and success
- Creating space for staff to express gratitude for colleagues
- Sharing positive student feedback with the team
As multiple studies have found, feeling appreciated improves morale and retention and helps staff return in January recharged for the year ahead.
While the holiday season can present meaningful staffing and workload challenges, financial aid offices can thrive with thoughtful planning, flexible workflows, and a supportive team environment. By prioritizing strategically, cross training intentionally, and investing in staff well-being, leaders can maintain smooth operations without sacrificing team morale.
If your institution needs additional support during high-volume periods, including interim assistance, backlog processing, temporary staffing, or operational consulting, HEAG is here to help. Contact us at info@heag.us to learn how we can support your office throughout the holiday season and beyond.
