Provides Documentation of all that you do Collects Documentation of all
practices/policies/procedures in one place Reference guide Training manual Evidence of administrative capabilities “Because you has to!”(Not a regulation??) Best Practice Facilitates continuity if a staff member is not
present for any length of time
Develop a process to create, review, and update regularly
Creating it the first time is the most difficult part
Involve all staff Gather what you have Beg, borrow, steal –Be
careful how you steal! Develop a plan with
timetable Start small with easiest first– Fax procedures vs. R2T4
Yesterday! Provide a timeline for stages of
completion: Each person’s individual procedures Work group completion dates Draft due date Comment/Review period Final draft and review
Everyone Appoint a project leader Each member of the staff needs to provide
detailed procedures of what they do Establish working groups– Cross sectional– By function– Inter-office
Have a hardcopy version available for auditors, training, etc
Electronic Version Web page? Office/College server– Access for all staff– Link to web access/forms center
Create and compile individual task procedures
Work through the NASFAA Policy and Procedure tool or similar format
Mission statements / philosophies Related school information– Catalog– Handbooks– Web
You only have to do it once, but…. The manual should be reviewed at least
annually Each staff member needs to be
responsible for updating their information whenever there is a change
Have someone responsible for following up on this each year
Suggested Content
Based on NASFAA Policies and Procedures model
www.nasfaa.org/publications/ppmanualindex.htm
Introduction– Mission (school/office)– Philosophy or purpose– Purpose of manual– Responsible parties
• Administrative organization and office management
– School structure– Role of Financial Aid– Inter-office connections– Records management– Sharing of records
Financial Aid programs– Eligibility to participate– Administratively capable– Fiscally responsibleo http://ifap.ed.gov/qahome/qaassessments/fisca
lmanagement.html– Administered programs– General student aid criteria
Consumer information requirements– List of information disclosures– How disseminated o www.ifap.ed.gov/qahome/qaassessments/consumerinformation.htmlo www.ifap.ed.gov/qadocs/ConsumerModule/Consum
erInfoAct6.doc
Applications and forms– School’s applications and forms– Deadlines– Routing procedures– Appeal procedures
• File review– Verification policies and procedures– Collection and review of non-federal items– Database matching, reject and c-codes
Student budgets– Budgets and cost of attendance for various
student populations– How budgets derived and updated– Additional costs and budget appeals
Awarding and packaging of aid– General packaging philosophies– Student population specific packaging
criteria– Original and revised award letter
notifications– Effect of appeals and enrollment changes– Enrollment verification– Appeal policies and procedures
Professional judgment– Who may exercise– Circumstances that may be appealed– Appeal procedures– Documentation requirements
Disbursement– Financial Aid role in disbursements and
cash management– Cross reference policies and procedures of
other offices involved
° Remedial° ESL° Transfer° Consortium
° Second degree° Incomplete° Withdrawn° Reported
• Satisfactory Academic Progress– Standards– Measurement time frame– Assessment procedures– Treatment of special courses
• Extenuating Circumstances appeal procedures
Institutional refunds– Policies and Procedures for Title IV– Refund policies for state and institutional
funds
Fraud– Difference between academic and financial
aid fraud with examples– Responsible individuals – Fraud procedures
Audits– Procedures and policies for audit° Federal ° State (if applicable)° Institutional– Financial audit requirements
Institutional Policies and Procedures– Any institutional specific policies and
procedures not covered above
NASFAA Tools– Introduction and Instructions– Template with sample– Table of contents– Formatting document
• IFAP– Quality Assurance Program – Beginning-
Intermediate-Advanced tools° www.ifap.ed.gov/qadocs/policiesandprocedures/designprocessforpandp.doc° www.ifap.ed.gov/qahome/qaassessments/fiscalmanagment.html° www.ifap.ed.gov/qahome/qaassessments/
consumerinformation.html° www.nasfaa.org/publications/ppmanualindex.htm