It's a whole new ballgame in FA office
Verification process, digitization, call center help speed things up
By Andrew Turner, North Lake News-Register Web Editor
From the beginning of the 2011/2012 academic school year, the Financial Aid office has faced major changes and challenges. They were restructured with a new staff and implemented a modern verification process, as well as a new system to communicate with students. These changes were initially met with a sense of disarray; students often waited in long lines and lacked sufficient means of communication. Vitoria Rae, director of College Financial Aid at North Lake, led the office through the adjustment period.
“It was a challenge to say the least,” she said. “This semester it’s a whole different ballgame!”
In the past, student applications for financial aid were submitted and processed by hand. Now, however, the process is streamlined by digitization. Students who previously waited six to eight weeks to receive a response to their application can now see approval as soon as three days. The process has been significantly sped up by student workshops and a greater emphasis on advising.
Additionally, students now have new methods of communicating with the Financial Aid office. A call center was established that allows students to contact Financial Aid with their questions, and students can now access other pertinent information via the Financial Aid Twitter and Facebook pages.
While the office is quickly transitioning into the digital age, Rae keeps the office grounded in its original purpose: getting students the help they need to receive a degree and helping them find their path forward in life.
“We are invested in our students. We want our students to succeed, but we want them to complete as well.
“That’s what is important. We want our students to understand there’s life after North Lake,” she said.