1. How Financial Aid and Student Accounts can work to improve Student Retention

2. Panelists Michael Williams Michelle Luck Linda Berlin
Director of Financial Aid
Schoolcraft College
Michelle Luck
Associate Director
Wayne State University
Linda Berlin
Director of Financial Aid
Northwestern Michigan College
Panelists

4. Studies Show Retention is impacted at three levels.
Individual Level
Institutional Level
Social and External Level

5. Individual Level Academic Performance Preparation Performance
Course Load and credits earned
Academic persistence
Attitudes and Satisfaction
Sense of belonging
Commitment to college
Positive attitude about academics
Social connectedness

6. College policies and procedures
Institutional Level
College policies and procedures
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Academic Probation
Balances owed
Registration schedules
Attendance
Return of Funds Calculations

7. Social and External Level
Employment
Family
Transportation
Housing
Food Insecurity
Medical

8. Questions
What is your college or university doing to remove institutional barriers for at-risk populations? 1
What specific policies and procedures are most problematic for students? Are there ways these policies and procedures could be adjusted to better serve your student population? 2

9. Questions
Which one issue seems to be the greatest barrier to student success when it comes to financial aid? 1
Which one issue seems to be the greatest barrier to student success when it comes to student accounts? 2
What are steps that could be taken to address these issues? 3

10. How to improve Retention
Forgive small balances.
Provide clear communication about Financial Aid responsibilities and expectations.
Using aid to incentivize behavior linked to success
Target most at-risk students and provide specific scholarship funds for performance related to enrollment, grades, declaring major, meeting with advisors, etc.
How to improve Retention

11. Discussion

12. Thank You!