It’s summer, first semester invoices have been sent, and now the real work begins. It’s common to receive an influx of appeals once students receive their semester bills. While some may be of the “what have I got to lose” variety, many requests for additional assistance can and should be addressed using your professional judgment (PJ) authority. Much has been written on the technical aspects of using PJ to recalculate a student’s Student Aid Index (SAI), Cost of Attendance (COA), or change their dependency status. You can read the details in the FSA Handbook or check out this blog. Our focus today is not on the regulatory minutia, but rather on how you can create a process that provides both the student and you with a better, more efficient path to success.
Every process has a beginning, and this one must start with a basic knowledge of the PJ rules, which are:
- There cannot be a ‘No PJ allowed’ rule at your institution.
- There cannot be a procedure or policy that covers all students or groups of students that may request eligibility reconsideration.
- The financial aid administrator cannot change the SAI or COA result; they can only change a component and then recalculate.
- PJ cannot be used to make a student who by FSA’s definition is independent a dependent student.
These rules present your first challenge because unlike most things financial aid, it creates a situation that is not black and white and cannot be easily put into a procedure for frontline staff members who are likely to have the initial conversations with parents and students. As such, you should be coaching your team members in some soft skills as well as technical knowledge to ensure only viable appeals get to the awarding staff.
That said, there are technical skills that are the critical foundation — need analysis and the annual maximums for each aid program. Here’s an example…a student comes to the front desk to ask for help. Their parent was laid off, and their current household income is far less than reported in the FAFSA. On first blush, this is a PJ situation. But is it? Looking at the student’s record the first thing you see is the gap between their eligibility and the total aid awarded. And the student already has the maximum Pell grant, state grant, and Direct Loan. Even if you could do so, making this student’s SAI lower (or COA higher for that matter) doesn’t result in additional eligibility, just makes the gap bigger. We’re not saying this student shouldn’t be encouraged to appeal if there are institutional or other funds available to help close the gap. Instead, the point is that having the student collect and submit a bunch of paperwork that will need to be reviewed by a team member, but will not resolve the student’s situation, is not a good use of time for anyone. Thinking critically about the student’s situation and using your technical skills and expertise helps to avoid unnecessary work for everyone.
After you have a basic understanding of next steps, your technical skills need to be supplemented with soft skills to perfect the process.
- Active Listening – one of the biggest roadblocks to efficiency is when the financial aid administrator thinks they know what the student or parent will say and begins to formulate a response without hearing the whole story. There are nuances to every situation, and you won’t hear them if you’re focused on what you are going to say next. Instead, be in the moment with the student. Take notes and repeat the high points. This will ensure you understand the situation and all its nuances and show the students or parents you were really listening to them. Ask questions to tease out the details needed to counsel the student appropriately. For example, a student may cite high credit card bills as a basis for their appeal. We have the technical knowledge to know that credit card payments are not a factor in the need analysis. However, when prompted with the right questions, the student clarifies the situation by telling you the credit cards were used to pay off a hospital bill for a parent or to support household expenses when one parent lost their job. Either of these scenarios could be the basis of a PJ adjustment.
- Empathy – You hear the same thing dozens of times each day, so it is hard to remember that everyone looking for help is probably telling their story for the first time. And for most, having to say that they have a bill they can’t pay is a humiliating experience. Especially for parents who are trying to get their child into or keep them enrolled at the child’s dream college. Some people are more naturally empathetic than others, but it is a skill that can be developed like any other. Some people aren’t good at math, but they can still pass the test; they just must work harder. For those who are not natural empaths, use exercises or even role-play to strengthen that ‘muscle’. Everyone has some type of experience where they had to swallow their pride and ask for help. Remembering your own experience, what that felt like, will put you in a better mindset to help your student.
- Collaboration – Remember, at the end of the day, you and your student want the same thing. Financial aid is often housed within enrollment services because it is a critical part of the enrollment process for most students. Without enrollment, we’re all out of a job, so even if it isn’t apparent in your position, you are playing a critical role in keeping your institution in business. With that said, the student wants to be enrolled, and you want them to be, so it’s time to get on the same side of table (figuratively if not literally). Stop thinking of all the things you can’t do, and start brainstorming the things you can. It’s a two-way street; if the student/parents are willing to be part of the process, your chances of success are even better.
As we said at the beginning, you do need some technical skills to be able to counsel students requesting a second look at their financial aid application. However, using your PJ powers is just one part of a larger process of helping students to enroll or stay enrolled. That process works best when your team is listening, empathizing, and collaborating at a high level. As such, don’t forget the soft skills when you’re planning your staff training.
At the Higher Education Assistance Group, we understand the challenges financial aid managers face when it comes to developing staff. You don’t need to choose between time for training and time for working when you utilize our Staff Training Services. Email us at info@heag.us to learn more.