1. Federal Student Aid Customer Experience Journey
Brenda Wensil | Chief Customer Experience Officer
U.S. Department of Education
Federal Student Aid
Customer Experience Office
July 2015

2. Agenda Overview of Federal Student Aid
Customer Experience Organization
Digital Customer Experience

3. About Federal Student Aid - Video

4. About Us
Federal Student Aid (FSA) is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation.
FSA is responsible for managing the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
1,200 employees help make college education possible for every dedicated mind.

5. What We Do Grants Student Loans Work Study
We offer more than $150 billion to help millions of students pay for higher education.
Grants
Student Loans
Work Study

6. Overview of the Financial Aid Process - Video

7. Federal Student Aid Organization

8. Customer Experience Office
Federal Student Aid Customer Experience Office was created in late 2010.
Federal Student Aid Customer Experience Office (CE) is responsible for identifying, measuring and reporting customer expectations and satisfaction with the federal financial aid services and products offered by Federal Student Aid. 
CE is accountable for understanding the customers’ perception of service over the entire customer lifecycle and identifying ways to improve customer satisfaction.
CE serves as the "voice of the customer" and works as an advocate for customer facing issues.

9. Chief Customer Experience Officer
Brenda Wensil is the Chief Customer Experience Officer at the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid. Joined the office in December 2010.
Prior to joining the Department of Education, Wensil held leadership roles for 20 years with Wachovia Corporation as Head of Customer Strategy, Marketing and Customer Relations, as well as Head of Retail Segments and Director of Enterprise Supplier Performance Management.
Consulted with Barclays Bank in London, leading an international team to redesign and execute the company’s global technology supplier management functions.

10. Customer Experience Organization
Office of the
Chief Customer Experience Officer
Brenda Wensil, Chief Customer Experience Officer
Jennifer Douglas, Deputy Chief Customer Experience Officer
Awareness & Outreach Group
Wendy Bhaghat, Director
Ombudsman Group
Joye DeMoss, Ombudsman
Student Experience Group
Lisa DiCarlo, Director
School Experience Group
E.T. Winzer,
Director
Customer Analytics Group
Ed Pacchetti,

11. Customer Experience Workforce
Customer Experience represents about 9% of FSA’s workforce.

12. CE Top 5 Priorities
Evolve the customer aid lifecycle to improve simplicity, ease, access to information and satisfaction.
Drive the customer to information about financial aid and repayment options through innovative marketing techniques.
3. Optimize efficiencies and new processes to advance financial aid delivery to customers and the market.
4. Manage budget and resources creating savings, cost-neutral solutions where possible and visibility into the spend.
5. Create a culture that thrives on trust, credibility, collaboration, professional accountability and integrity.

13. Customer Experience Business Functions
Awareness & Outreach Group
Customer Analytics Group
The Awareness and Outreach (A&O) Group is responsible for the vision, strategy, end-to-end management of, and the formulation and evaluation of products, services, tools and vehicles that impact awareness and outreach and customer engagement across the student aid life cycle. 
Accountable for targeting segments of the student population and their families and influencers, providing information and guidance to assist in post-secondary school planning and decision-making and educating aid program recipients. 
Manages FSA’s social media strategy and enterprise implementation and engagement activities.
Manages the design, development and fulfillment of financial aid publications.
The Customer Analytics Group (CAG) gathers, analyzes and reports on FSA customer behavior, issues and feedback.
Develops various customer feedback systems to provide customers ways to provide information of the performance of FSA and its customer contact vendors.
Provides management trend reports to FSA Operating Committee members to stimulate discussions on ways to improve the customer experience.
School Experience Group
Student Experience Group
The School Experience Group (SEG) works proactively to identify the unique service needs of all 6,300+ post-secondary education institutions including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), Hispanic Speaking Institutions (HSI’s), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCU’s).
Provides program management, oversight, monitoring and targeted technical assistance to improve Title IV program compliance.
Develops tools and guidelines to assist Title IV program participants and Federal Student Aid staff to assess, attain, or improve compliance with Title IV Program requirements.
Student Experience Group (SEG) acts as the entry point to the student aid life-cycle by delivering integrated awareness and application products and services that are driven by the needs of millions of students, potential applicants and their families. 
Accountable for the annual development of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and associated applicant products. They monitor policy, regulatory, and program changes that impact student aid eligibility, application/system development, and other Student Experience Group activities. 
Manages a multi channel contact center (Federal Student Aid Information Center) which is responsible for responding to customer inquiries. 13

14. Customer Experience Business Functions
Front Office
Ombudsman Group
Manages the business process improvement and development for the Customer Experience Office.
Develops strategic objectives and ensures strategic alignment.
Manages the development and execution of StudentAid.gov target state.
Manages the development and execution of borrower strategy including messaging and partnerships with external stakeholders.
The Ombudsman Group is dedicated to helping resolve disputes related to Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans, Guaranteed Student Loans, and Perkins Loans.
Provides timely assistance to borrowers of loans made, insured, or guaranteed.
Receives, reviews, and attempts to informally resolve complaints from loan borrowers.
Serves as an impartial resource to mediate disputes internally without the need for outside arbitration.
Key Projects
Integrated Student Experience
Borrower campaigns
Financial literacy initiatives
White House initiatives
Customer service modernization
Social media campaigns
Outreach events, webinars and trainings
Customer segmentation
Voice of the customer
FAFSA annual development
Training for schools on default prevention and other Title IV topics of interest
Partnerships with organizations to reach Presidents and other college leaders at MSIs and community colleges that can drive desired changes at their colleges
Content management
Loan resolution modernization
Customer feedback and analytics management 14

16. Integrated Student Experience
To offer an industry-leading one-stop-shop for students and borrowers through StudentAid.gov.
StudentAid.gov will seamlessly display all relevant Federal Student Aid content, data and tools to users through one web portal.
FSA will use only one URL: StudentAid.gov, even though web pages are hosted separately.
All web pages will use a consistent look-and-feel, voice, and design driven by customer feedback.
NOTE: The legacy systems that supports this data and tools (CPS, COD, NSLDS, etc.) will remain unchanged, but the content will be presented through a singular experience

17. Drivers
ED’s signature initiative for Executive Order on Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service.
Plain Language Act, the White House Campaign to Cut Waste.
Presidential Memorandum to improve repayment options and improve services issued.
Digital Government Strategy aimed at delivering better digital services to the American people.

18. Integrated Student Experience Target State
The Integrated Student Experience Target State delivers a comprehensive digital platform that provides access to FSA business processes via the appropriate channel for the customer.
Integrated Student Experience Features
Multi-Channel
Experience
Responsive Design (Mobile Web)
Before School
While In School
In Repayment
Web
Content Management
Online Bill Pay
Financial Aid Content
Career Search
PLUS Request
Counseling
(EC, FACT, Exit)
IDR Application
Financial Aid History
Integrated CRM Capability
FAFSA4Caster Calculator
Repayment Estimator
MPN / Endorser Addendum
Agreement to Serve (Teach)
Loan Consolidation
Ombudsman
Social Media
FAFSA
PSLF application
Deferment Application
Single Sign On/ Identity Mgmt (NPAS)
Mobile
Experience
Mobile Experience
Correspondence
Promote Informed Choice
Maximize Your Aid Campaign
Promote FAFSA
Promote Enrollment & Graduation
Repayment Plan Options Campaign
PSLF Campaign
MyData Button (Application, Servicing)
Paper
Open API
Key:
Existing Capability
Future Integration

19. Phase 1 Complete
A consolidated and streamlined web experience (StudentAid.gov) with updated designs and content written in plain language. Built in-house using FSA developers and writers, resulting in cost savings.
Offers informational content for students on Federal Student Aid programs
FSA’s first mobile-optimized website
Includes ombudsman request form, contact form, events, videos, infographics, data center
Retired websites including College.gov, Students.gov, Ombudsman.ed.gov, FederalStudentAid.ed.gov

20. Phase 2 Complete
Displays Student Access data from National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) system using a web service provided by NSLDS
Log in using FSA ID
Loan/Grant history
My Data Download
Released Repayment Estimator rebuilt on StudentLoans.gov, available for users with or without existing loans: StudentAid.gov/repayment-estimator

21. Marketing to Our Customers

22. Twitter/FAFSA

23. @FAFSA Office Hours on Twitter23

24. Facebook/FederalStudentAid24

25. YouTube/FederalStudentAid25

26. Integrated Spring Repayment Campaign: Components
Partner
Outreach
Paid Media
Native Advertising
Video Pre-roll
Gaming
Organic Social Media
In-grace Borrower s
Explore
Content
Leverage Existing Content:
Videos and Infographics
Website Content and Tools (e.g., Repayment Estimator)
Publications
Create New Content:
Promotional Videos
Q&A Video Series
Social Media Content
Update Content:
StudentAid.gov/repay
Financial Aid Toolkit Page for Partners
Blog
PSAs and Webinars
StudentLoans.gov
StudentAid.gov
ED.gov Blog

27. Matt & Mike - Video

28. Customer Impact Since July 2012
26+ million mobile visits
100+ million visits
9,400+
YouTube Subscribers
Facebook Fans/Likes
348k
86k+
Twitter Followers 28

29. Return on Investment $1.5 Million Cost Savings Over 2 Years
Improved Customer Experience and Financial Literacy
Streamlined Content Management
Improved Marketing and Customer Acquisition 29

30. Continuous Improvement
Usability Studies
Review Metrics
Review Surveys 30

31. What’s On The Horizon? 31

32. Sneak Peak

33. Contact Information
Brenda Wensil Federal Student Aid Chief Customer Experience Officer 33