1. Initiating Comprehensive Reform of Student Financial Services
Neal – Introduction to this presentation, introduce title of presentation, presenters:
Portland Community College empowers students to manage their own finances. Students do not wait in lines; they have access and resources that support retention and completion. This presentation is about how a cross-functional team led the institution to a culture of “guided access”, ensuring that students are financially prepared to succeed
Presented by: Dr. Christine Chairsell and Neal Naigus PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

2. PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE5
Serves 5 counties in Oregon
FUNDING
Tuition and fees (54%)
State support (31%)
Property taxes (15%)
Enrolling 90,000 students annually (57,000 credit, 32,700 non-credit)
90,000
Currently 51% of credit students receive Financial Aid
51%
Diverse student population attending 4 comprehensive campuses and/or 7 centers 
4/7
Neal – describe the college structure and financing
Sylvania Campus
Rock Creek Campus
Cascade Campus
Southeast Campus
(Officially: October 2014)

3. Institutional Challenges
College Systems
More students
More financial aid requests
Higher loan debt
Returning Veterans
Increasing Federal Mandates
College Culture
Environmental
Neal – describe the challenges facing the college – culture of “open” access does not lead to “success,” responsive departments not connected to each other - “siloed”, larges economic recession in 50 years beginning in 2008/2009
PCC Vision, Mission, and Goals:
Vision
Building futures for our Students and Communities
Mission
Portland Community College advances the region’s long-term vitality by delivering accessible, quality education to support the academic, professional, and personal development of the diverse students and communities we serve.
Institutional Goals
Access: Access to learning opportunities will be expanded through the cultivation of community and business partnerships.
Diversity: Lifelong learning opportunities will be accessible to all and enriched by the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff.
Quality Education: Educational excellence will be supported through assessment of learning and practicing continuous improvement and innovation in all that we do.
Student Success: Outstanding teaching, student development programs and support services will provide the foundation for student skill development, degree completion and university transfer.
Economic, Workforce, and Community Development: Training provided to individuals, community and business partners will be aligned and coordinated with local economic, educational and workforce needs.
Sustainability: Effective use and development of college and community resources (human, capital and technological) will contribute to the social, financial and environmental well-being of communities served.

4. Student Loan Default Rates
Chris –
With this increasing enrollment, more and more students seeking education for employment, changes in career due to unemployment, etc.
Accountability related to student loan default increasing at the Fed. Level – instituted a 3-year cohort tracking of student loan defaults/ rather than 2-year (which has now been discontinued as of the 2011 cohort).

5. Educate the College 2009: The Perfect Storm 201o: The Aftermath
Chris – describe the process that the college used to create a shared sense of urgency and involvement.
2009:
The Perfect Storm
201o:
The Aftermath

6. Find Resources: Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant
Title III Program A Provides “… funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability of eligible institutions.”
5 Year $2 Million Grant
Focus on serving low-income students
Current PCC Grant - FLAIR Financial Literacy and Access to Improved Resources
Prior PCC Grants: Online student services - improved Math Curriculum – wait list – Grad Plan (Degree Audit)
Chris – PCC’s process to strengthen the institution during these challenges
Role of Title III is to improve academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability
The Title III FLAIR grant was written to address PCC’s need to strengthen institutional management and fiscal stability for students, as well as the college.

7. Strengthen Student Financial Services
Chris - FLAIR focuses on breaking down “siloes” in the college’s finance –related services, involving the PCC Foundation, Student Accounts, Financial Aid, and Veteran Services- rather than each department reaching out to students separately – these reform efforts sought to improve student access by creating web and portal environments with consistent self-service information- simplifying the complex business processes of the college to ensure that students are well aware and understand the processes, resources, and financial obligations that they are assuming as they plan and pay for college.
Highlight some of the web access changes and resources that are available to students in this image.

8. Identify Goals Title III FLAIR Grant
Improve Financial Access and Business Process
Improve Access to Scholarships via the PCC Foundation
Demystify Financial Aid
Increase Financial Education
Support Veterans
Establish Loan Default Prevention Program
Neal – reinforce the goals of the Title III grant and FLAIR program

9. Goal 1: Improve Financial Aid & Business Processes
Revised Policies & Deadlines
Registration, Payment, Financial Aid
Provided online payment plans
Accessible 24/7
Flexible payment options
Started deleting classes for non-payment (non-commitment)
Multiple deletion events
Wait-list efficiencies
Adopted e-refunds
Chris – share the changes in Student Accounts – creating online access for students to ensure financial options and proactive planning – ensuring students are ready for class each term by preparing their financial plan for college. A key component of this “guided access” is creating the environments for clear understanding of where students are in the process of paying for college with all the information they need to complete important requirements prior to the start of term.

10. Plan for Changes May 2011 Commenced Planning
Neal – as the college implemented online, accessible resources for students- the fundamental nature of the work within departments also changed
Highlight data change on this slide

11. Increased Transparency to Students
Vision:
Give students a virtual one-stop site where they can handle all of their financial transactions and planning while attending PCC.
Chris – describe the portal environment for Paying for College
Highlight what each channel does and what students can find there.

12. Deletion for Non-Payment Timeline
Chris – highlight the college’s payment requirement – Deletion for Non-payment
After access resources were in place, the college requires proactive financial arrangements two Mondays before the start of each term.
Students have the access and information to complete their financial planning.
Describe and walk through the timelines for a term showing how all departments interconnect to ensure that students have the information to be prepared for the term.

13. Goal 2: Improve Access to Scholarships
Objective - By September 30, 2015:
Increase the number of major gift prospects qualified from 20 (2009 baseline) to 60
Increase the number of alumni who respond to PCC Foundation communications from 400 (2009 baseline) to 1500
Rhonda – describe the infrastructure changes at the PCC Foundation:
Simplified scholarship framework – new donor templates and agreements
Improved outreach to alumni – alumni phone-athon completed in – initially, raising greater awareness among alums
Resources were assigned for prospect research – development and validation process for prospective donors
Updated website and education resources on “how to create a winning scholarship” – we believe that this is a national model
New scholarship system that “auto-matches” students to appropriate scholarships and integrated with the college’s information systems
New endowment for future scholarship recipients

14. Goal 3: Demystify Financial Aid
Financial Aid TV
Communication Protocol:
Current students: Financial Aid Dashboard
New students: Financial Aid Website
Call Centers: Financial Aid, Bursary & Registration
Neal – describe goals
Improved access to the financial aid process – transparent, clear, students know where they are in the process
Video support to explain federal regulations, etc.
Call Centers to support students as they have questions and need help
Student Communication style guides to simplify all student communication and ensure it reflects the student-friendly language on the FA website
Fillable forms for FA requirements integrated with the college’s imaging system – eliminating manual data entry by staff and the infamous “drop box”
Access to online policies and procedures to ensure that all FA staff implement consistently

15. Goal 4: Increase Financial Education
Guides to Student Success:
Student’s Guide to Money
Managing your Financial Aid
Scholarship Application Guide
Coming soon –
Education and Employment
“PCC students will have access to financial literacy education that provides accurate and current information, resources and assistance.”
Chris: Panther Tracks-
Show how to access on the PCC website
Highlight what each track contains

16. Goal #6: Support Veterans
Implement Online VA Forms
Certification of benefits
Military Billing Specialist
Intentional VA advising (1st term)
Assessment of VA Student Population:
Data-driven decision-making structure
Neal - Online submission of course schedules to certify VA benefits
Revised website
VA Advising Workshop for all new VA students each term

17. Goal #7: Loan Default Prevention
Established Work Groups
Identified “At Risk” Characteristics
Developed and Implement Strategies
Internal (Completion & Grace Programs)
External (Delinquencies)
Defined Analytics
Chris - District Default Management Task Force
Analysis of the 2010 draft list of student defaults from PCC (many who had attended over a 15 year period)
Helped the college learn the characteristics of students who might be “at- risk” of default
Additional data analysis related to FA students as they enter warning or probation
Mandatory Financial Literacy for students on probation
Implementing a new GRACE outreach program
Continuing our partnership with Inceptia to reach out to students who are delinquent and engage them with servicers and repayment options

18. Financial Preparation is Critical for Student Success!
Positive faculty/staff feedback
Retention is improving
Shift in student culture
Shift in college culture
Grant metrics
“Students are prepared to learn on day one!”
Chris – describe shifts in college culture
Chris - will show grant metric handout electronically – each participant should have it on their thumb drive with the PPT

19. Student Loan Default Rates
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Chris – where we are today
16.5% is the draft rate for 2011 – will be published as final in September; then new draft rate for 2013 will come out in February, 2015

20. Chris – describe changes in late fees, holds, collections, etc.

21. Questions?

22. RESOURCES WEBSITES: PCC.edu + + FLAIR (Title III)
+ tuition (rates & calculator)
+ fa (financial aid)
+ myrefunds (e-refunds)
+ foundation (foundation)