A Private Liberal Arts College Upgrades Its Financial Aid Software
A Streamlined Approach to Financial Aid
Integrated financial aid software enhances efficiency and automates the financial aid process for Five Towns College.
Five Towns College is a liberal arts school that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees to approximately 1,350 students. 95% of Five Towns’ students receive financial aid, with around 70% receiving Title IV federal financial aid.
The financial aid operation was plagued by manual processes and time-consuming data entry tasks. The college implemented Campus Cafe’s SIS for its advanced reporting capabilities, integrated modules and communications tools.
Five Towns College: A Snapshot
The Challenge
Labor-intensive processes to manage students’ financial aid information
The school’s legacy system had limited options to manage Five Towns College students’ financial aid in four critical areas.
Loan packaging
The financial aid process was hampered by manual data entry.
Reporting
Endless spreadsheets and disparate systems wasted valuable resources.
Communications
Financial aid staff had to contact and work with students individually.
Interdepartmental coordination
During audits, everyone worked from separate or unreliable data sources.
“Auto notifications have helped us speed up the financial aid process, as well as the texting and communications built into the system.”
Jason LaBonte
Director of Financial Aid
The Solution
A system with advanced features and integrated data
Campus Cafe’s SIS with an integrated financial aid module improved reporting and communications processes.
Centralized information
Everyone works from the same data to process aid, find documents and generate reports.
Self-service portals
Students proactively manage their information and communicate with staff.
Built-in CRM
Automated workflows trigger notifications, messages and communications.
The Results
Improved internal operations and timely communication with students
Now the financial aid team uses automated workflows, pre-built reports, and communications tools to improve their daily operations and better serve students.
Autopackaging loans
The system securely and efficiently manages scholarships, aid and awards for students.
Integrated data
Student ledgers, records and program data sync with internal and external stakeholders.
CRM functionality
Students receive automated alerts for award verification, rejection and packaging.
Mobile-responsive portal
Users can conveniently view and upload documents, accept awards and communicate.
Training and support
The Campus Cafe team configures the financial aid setup, including workflows and reports.
Robust system security
The cloud-based system offers state-of-the-art security measures to safeguard data.
“Campus Cafe has just the right amount of functionality you need to run a good financial aid operation properly.”
Jason LaBonte
Director of Financial Aid