Financial Aid for the Financial Aid for the VERY Adult LearnerVERY Adult Learner

MASFAA ConferenceMASFAA Conference

11/08/200711/08/2007

Allene Begley Curto Allene Begley Curto

Springfield CollegeSpringfield College

School of Human ServicesSchool of Human Services

Who Is the VERY Adult Who Is the VERY Adult Learner?Learner?

An older student An older student (over age 24 or 25)(over age 24 or 25)

A student who A student who previously attended previously attended college but has not college but has not attended for several attended for several yearsyears

A student who never A student who never attended college attended college (went straight to (went straight to work after high work after high school)school)

Baggage of the VERY Baggage of the VERY Adult LearnerAdult Learner Obligations to Obligations to

family and workfamily and work Prior educational Prior educational

debt (and non-debt (and non-educational debt)educational debt)

MAJOR lifestyle MAJOR lifestyle changechange

HIGH HIGH expectations for expectations for Financial AidFinancial Aid

Communication/StyleCommunication/Style

LettersLetters FormsForms PublicationsPublications Phone and Phone and

Counter responseCounter response ConfidentialityConfidentiality Stress LevelsStress Levels

Admission/EnrollmentAdmission/Enrollment

Abbreviated Abbreviated application and application and enrollment enrollment windowwindow

More likely to More likely to defer/drop/defer/drop/

change enrollmentchange enrollment More likely to More likely to

attempt to attempt to accelerateaccelerate

The Joys of AdmissionThe Joys of Admission

““I just spoke to the recruiter and I’m going to I just spoke to the recruiter and I’m going to apply for admission tomorrow – can I have apply for admission tomorrow – can I have my refund now?” my refund now?”

““I I waswas going to come last term but I going to come last term but I didn’tdidn’t so so why didn’t you why didn’t you knowknow I decided to come I decided to come nextnext term?”term?”

““I I waswas going to come last term but I going to come last term but I didn’tdidn’t so so why didn’t you why didn’t you knowknow that I never wanted to that I never wanted to hear from you again?” hear from you again?”

““I’m not admitted because I can’t get my I’m not admitted because I can’t get my transcript from the other college until I pay transcript from the other college until I pay my balance so can you just give me my my balance so can you just give me my refund now so I can pay them?” refund now so I can pay them?”

Enrollment ChangesEnrollment Changes

Job and family responsibilities change Job and family responsibilities change and the student needs to drop to part and the student needs to drop to part time, defer, withdraw. How do you time, defer, withdraw. How do you track those changes to enrollment?track those changes to enrollment?

Wait - how do you even know the Wait - how do you even know the student actually student actually beganbegan enrollment? enrollment?

When could grade level change when When could grade level change when awarding undergraduate students for awarding undergraduate students for loans? When are transfer credits loans? When are transfer credits evaluated? Do you have Prior evaluated? Do you have Prior Learning programs? Learning programs?

Regulatory/Eligibility Regulatory/Eligibility IssuesIssues DefaultsDefaults DischargesDischarges BankruptcyBankruptcy Aggregate limitsAggregate limits

DefaultsDefaults

Attended BeforeAttended Before Loan period from Loan period from

many years earliermany years earlier Old records or Old records or

incorrect database incorrect database informationinformation

Multiple Multiple Consolidation Consolidation LoansLoans

Disability DischargesDisability Discharges

Conditional Conditional Discharge - Discharge - negated if negated if borrows again borrows again while conditionalwhile conditional

Permanent Permanent Discharge - not Discharge - not eligible for loan eligible for loan unless condition unless condition has changedhas changed

BankruptcyBankruptcy

Bankruptcy (per Bankruptcy (per se) does not make se) does not make a student a student ineligible for a ineligible for a loanloan

Bankruptcy does Bankruptcy does notnot clear a default clear a default

Active bankruptcy Active bankruptcy should cancel should cancel pending pending disbursementsdisbursements

Aggregate LimitsAggregate Limits

34 loans at 8 different schools 34 loans at 8 different schools over an 18 year period…and not over an 18 year period…and not much left to award at our schoolmuch left to award at our school

Check the limits are correct! Use Check the limits are correct! Use base Stafford loans actually base Stafford loans actually disbursed and not repaiddisbursed and not repaid

How to counsel the student at or How to counsel the student at or near limitsnear limits

More More Regulatory/Eligibility Regulatory/Eligibility IssuesIssues

Selective Service Selective Service Citizenship not Citizenship not

confirmed (name confirmed (name changes, changes, naturalization)naturalization)

VerificationVerification

Selective ServiceSelective Service

If over 26, can’t register nowIf over 26, can’t register now but still must document was but still must document was

registered if/when requiredregistered if/when required May have entered US after age 24May have entered US after age 24 May have been unaware required May have been unaware required

to register or thought to register or thought waswas registeredregistered

If female or DOB before 1/1/1960 – If female or DOB before 1/1/1960 – document!document!

CitizenshipCitizenship

Eligible non-citizens, naturalized Eligible non-citizens, naturalized citizens, asylum/refugee status citizens, asylum/refugee status

Citizenship okay – but not Citizenship okay – but not confirmed by SSA due to name or confirmed by SSA due to name or DOB!DOB!

Document and inform!Document and inform!

Verification/Conflicting Verification/Conflicting InformationInformation Household has spouse that wasn’t Household has spouse that wasn’t

spouse in base year and base year spouse in base year and base year joint tax was filed with ex-spouse joint tax was filed with ex-spouse

Can’t we Can’t we allall just file Head of just file Head of Household? Household?

Do we count my nieces kids that live Do we count my nieces kids that live with us or my mother that doesn’t and with us or my mother that doesn’t and what about my boyfriend and his what about my boyfriend and his brother? brother?

Avoid that sinking Avoid that sinking feeling!feeling! Use Early warning Use Early warning

systems!systems! Monitor Enrollment for Monitor Enrollment for

beginning attendance beginning attendance and add/dropsand add/drops

Use the transfer Use the transfer monitoring process!monitoring process!

Check NSLDS!Check NSLDS! Review subsequent Review subsequent

ISIRs!ISIRs!

Communication!Communication!

What you say and What you say and what they hearwhat they hear

Review forms and Review forms and lettersletters

Use your web siteUse your web site Train staffTrain staff Speak “fedreg” Speak “fedreg”

fluently but translate fluently but translate for everyone else!for everyone else!

CAEL Exemplary Practices CAEL Exemplary Practices on Financing for Adult on Financing for Adult learnerslearners The Institution promotes choice and uses an array of The Institution promotes choice and uses an array of

payment options for adult learners including: payment options for adult learners including: Informs adult learners about convenient payment Informs adult learners about convenient payment

options available to them. options available to them. Assists adult learners with deferred payment Assists adult learners with deferred payment

options when tuition reimbursement is not options when tuition reimbursement is not available until course completion. available until course completion.

Makes financial aid available to part-time students.Makes financial aid available to part-time students. Assesses charges incrementally and establishes Assesses charges incrementally and establishes

equitable refund policies. equitable refund policies. Helps learners develop strategies for locating Helps learners develop strategies for locating

external funding to assist with education costs. external funding to assist with education costs.

CAEL Exemplary CAEL Exemplary Financing Practices Financing Practices (cont.)(cont.) In partnership with organizations such In partnership with organizations such

as businesses and/or unions:as businesses and/or unions: Work to influence tuition reimbursement Work to influence tuition reimbursement

policies.policies. Ensure that the learner is not caught Ensure that the learner is not caught

between institution and organization on between institution and organization on tuition payment issues.tuition payment issues.

Work with the organization to Work with the organization to communicate basis for costs and accurate communicate basis for costs and accurate and understandable reporting and billing. and understandable reporting and billing.

ResourcesResources

Council for Adults and Experiential Council for Adults and Experiential Learning Learning www.cael.orgwww.cael.org

American Council on Education American Council on Education www.acenet.eduwww.acenet.edu (click on Adult (click on Adult Learners)Learners)

US ED US ED www.studentaid.ed.govwww.studentaid.ed.gov EmployersEmployers Chambers of CommerceChambers of Commerce

Where do we go from Where do we go from here?here?

Modify your own Modify your own forms and forms and publicationspublications

Ensure you have Ensure you have warning systemswarning systems

Request “adult Request “adult friendly” publications friendly” publications from vendors and from vendors and agenciesagencies

Develop a world class Develop a world class sense of humorsense of humor