Insight Newsletter – May Insight Newsletter May 4, 2020 Helping You Stay Connected with Students New Student Outreach Solution to Reduce Melt During the changing environment, how do schools reach prospective students? What about current students experiencing job loss or hardships or those who have withdrawn? What can schools do to help students from experiencing melt? We ask these questions because this year, melt is likely to be higher as reports suggest that one in ten high school students is reconsidering attending a four-year school. One in six is considering attending a school closer to home. To curb those numbers, connecting with prospective, current and withdrawn students during this time is critical and although reaching them may look different today, targeted and proactive communication can help make determinations in how to shift future recruitment and outreach efforts in this current time; but who and where will you find resources for that? Through personalized contact, integrated financial wellness and re-engagement with students, Inceptia’s Student Outreach Program may be able to help. For additional information on reducing melt, read our research brief. FAFSA Completion Outreach New FAFSA Outreach to Promote Completion for Financial Aid We share the concerns of States, Colleges, and Universities that the lack of FAFSA completion may dramatically impact students looking to enroll or already enrolled in higher education institutions. If these prospective students do not complete their FAFSA, they may not fully understand how their unique financial circumstances can be taken into consideration for financial aid. This lack of understanding could result in a tragic number of students not attending college due to financial reasons when they may very well have been able to afford it. Inceptia wants to work with you to provide proactive outreach to students to increase the number that complete the FAFSA and help them see all the options they have available. By doing this we can help reduce financial barriers to attending school and help reduce student anxiety. Schools can also access our free FAFSA Toolkit which provides marketing materials to help schools promote FAFSA completion. PJ Advisor SaaS Coming Soon! Some financial aid advocates are concerned about the ability for financial aid offices to handle the large number of appeals and get reworked packages to students in time for them to decide whether to enroll or return to campus. In an April 17, 2020, industry article, Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said “Financial aid delayed is the same as no financial aid.” To help schools efficiently and automatically process professional judgements, we are transitioning our professional judgement platform, PJ Advisor, for SaaS delivery. PJ Advisor is a streamlined, paperless, and uncomplicated alternative to managing the growing number of requests for professional judgment. Loan Summary Letters Help Students Manage Loans Although loan repayment has been suspended through September, we know that teaching students how to track and manage their loans remains a critical piece of proactive repayment wellness. Loan Summary letters provide your students with the information and tools they need now to plan for evenutal repayment, and make informed borrowing choices as they continue their educational journey. Borrower Support to Explain CARES Act Continues Inceptia has continued to support borrowers as they navigate the challenges of understanding the CARES Act. Our Student Loan Advocate Counselors are answering questions and providing guidance to borrowers as they cut through the noise to understand their student loan obligations during COVID-19 – and it's free. If you have a borrower needing assistance, please have them call us at 844.358.7979 or chat live: Inceptia.org/assistance. Free Exit Counseling Toolkit Although federal student loan payments are suspended through September, it is important that the Class of 2020 still prepare for eventual repayment. As you transition to a remote learning environment to educate and inform, Inceptia is pleased to release this collection of online Exit Counseling tools that allows campus staff and educators to connect with students who are no longer able to communicate face-to-face. Webinars & Resources Join our verification and student melt series. Understanding and Combating Student Melt Wednesday, May 13 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. CT An overview of the melt phenomenon in the midst of the pandemic, using curated research to highlight some of the root causes and issues, as well as steps we can take to raise awareness and identify strategies to help students get to and through college. Increase Enrollment and Decrease Cost with Verification Services Wednesday, May 20 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. CT Join us as we talk with Steve McDowell, the Director of Financial Aid services for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system, to find out how they are looking ahead to the next school session. We'll focus in on the role verification services plays with reducing melt, staffing challenges, expense management and verification lift. LCTCS Takes Advantage of VerificationGateway Benefits The LCTCS system colleges needed to keep up with the verifications but its limited staff size prevented them from doing so. With 12 colleges and different processes in place for each college, Dr. Amy Cable and the colleges wanted to outsource a solution that would consistently streamline the verification process. Unraveling the Financial Aid Office in anUncertain Time On-Demand We talked to a panel of leading financial aid professionals from a diverse school background to find out what they were thinking about and planning for in the upcoming months as school sessions come to an end and planning for the next begins. Topics: verification, professional judgment, SAP appeals. Verification Gateway Virtual verification for more completed verifications, faster aid packaging and increased enrollment opportunity. New Topics for Financial Avenue! Based on your feedback, we have been busy creating new lesson plans for Financial Avenue. These plans provide everything you need to foster a discussion around popular financial micro topics, including a student presentation and curriculum guide with supporting resources. Covering topics like Eating on a Budget, Women and Finance, Exit Counseling and more, these lesson plans are an exciting addition to the Financial Avenue suite. Look for these lesson plans to go live in the summer, with new topics being released throughout the rest of the year. Financial Education Can Help Students Move Through COVID-19 Challenges As colleges and students navigate a mass migration to online education in the wake of COVID-19, we can begin to see that some students will be more disproportionately affected than others. Low-income students, already on the precipice of academic success, will face greater hurdles to persist and thrive than their more financially stable peers. A loss of campus employment, a loss of student housing or meals plans, being forced to seek full-time employment to support family; any or all of these issues can derail even the most highly motivated yet financially fragile student. While many schools were able to provide support services pre-pandemic to lift these students up, these supports have fallen away as campuses were forced to close. The challenge that schools face now, as defined by a recent article in The Chronicle, is …” how do you do high touch in what has suddenly become a ‘no touch’ world? How do you support the financially insecure students you have enticed to join your institutions? For students who already struggle to stay enrolled, and for the institutions who say they are committed to keeping them, the COVID-19 crisis may be a make-or-break moment.” We believe that financial education plays a key role in helping all students succeed, but even more so for low-income students who cannot as easily overcome financial stressors. These students can benefit the most from learning how to manage finances and prepare for their financial futures, while also learning about how to handle current financial setbacks by being an informed advocate for themselves. Inceptia can help your school support student financial wellness with Financial Avenue. Our suite of ten courses address the individual student, taking a psychological approach to how we make money choices. From covering the essentials of everyday personal financial decisions, to connecting the dots between academic performance and future financial gains, Financial Avenue is designed to support students in getting to and through college by feeling financially empowered. To help students get started, we recommend these particular courses as an answer to many financial questions they may be facing: College and Money – understand the link between your intended major, your academic performance, and the cost of college; identify different forms of aid that may be available, including grants and scholarships Loan Guidance – track and manage current loan borrowing, estimate repayment, and take action now to alter your future repayment trajectory Spending and Borrowing – how to make smart choices when you must borrow or spend money Debt and Repayment – make a plan to tackle and pay down debt by understanding key terms, strategies and consumer rights We understand that students will continue to face challenges as the education landscape changes. However, providing them with an opportunity to become financially informed is an essential part of student support, especially for low-income students already on the bubble. Promoting Student Webinars April was Financial Literacy Month and in its honor, we hosted a webinar specifically designed for students. Now on-demand, students can watch it anytime, anywhere and from any device. The Psychology of Money webinar helps students determine their money personality and how it affects their moneymaking decisions to raise self-awareness allowing them to make changes. We encourage you to promote this webinar to students through your favorite social channels. Just copy the link (Psychology of Money: here) and paste into the post box on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Give a bit of a teaser, too; we like quick blips like, “Mind on your money, and money on your mind” for Psychology of Money. Your Student Data Needs Protection and it’s Mandatory The ability to keep your students’ and your schools’ sensitive data – online and on paper – secure is more critical than ever. A data breach results in reputational and financial consequences and it could lead to identity theft and fraudulent activity. Security preparedness is not only a key to understanding the constant threats in the environment but also a regulatory requirement. One of the requirements that has recently recurred as top-of-mind is The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), which states that higher education institutions must be transparent about how Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is collected, stored and used. While this requirement is not new, cyber dangers become more prevalent every day presenting an immediate review of your data security policies and protocols. You can view FSA’s February 28, 2020, Enforcement of Cybersecurity Requirements under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, here. To support the protection of your institution and your students’ sensitive data, review your current policies, adjust and modify where necessary, and document the requirements. Once you have current policies in place, develop a training program and establish a strict protocol with your institution’s staff. Frequently schedule to revisit the protocol, include at minimum, an annual refresher to employees, and revise your policies to adjust to changes in your environment. If it has been a while since you last communicated your data security protection policies, it is prudent to do that now. If you’re using a third-party servicer, they too fall under GLBA. Check with them to determine what controls they have in place to protect student data and ask for confirmation that the controls have been and are regularly tested. Your best defense against data threats is to continue to be diligent about your practices and take the proper precautions to review and adjust as situations change. Your students not only trust you with their education, but with their data too. Click here to learn more about Inceptia’s data security. Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students at 5,500 schools reach their higher education dreams. Each year we help nearly 340,000 students learn how to pay for college, navigate financial aid, borrow wisely, and resolve their student loan repayment challenges. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time focusing on students. Learn more at Inceptia.org. NEWS & EVENTS There are no upcoming events.
Free K-12 Financial Education Courses Extended Through June 30 Press Release Free K-12 Financial Education Courses Extended Through June 30 Lincoln, Neb., (April 21, 2020) – Inceptia is pleased to announce that our free offering of financial education coursework for K-12 students has been extended through June 30. In response to last month’s school closings, Inceptia had previously offered free use of our online program Financial Avenue through the end of April. However, the enthusiasm of participating students and the extension of school closures through the end of the academic year made it easy to see how this program can continue to benefit students through June. “We are encouraged that the response to this initiative has been so positive,” says Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success at Inceptia. “This indicates to us that K-12 students are recognizing the need to financially empower themselves before they start making big financial decisions. That’s exactly why we created Financial Avenue.” The program offers ten individual courses that cover everything from saving and budgeting, to planning for college and a career, to spending wisely and tackling debt. For high school juniors and seniors, especially, the courses on FAFSA and college preparation offer a perfect opportunity to begin actively working toward their college journey. As part of its nonprofit philanthropic mission, Inceptia has always offered Financial Avenue free to K-12 educators and administrators. It is our firm belief that making it available to the public at this time provides a unique opportunity for all students to focus in-depth on a topic that will provide a solid foundation for future financial wellness. To access the free courses, students may go to https://fa.financialavenue.org/sign-up/ and use Access Code "longspringbreak" to create a user account and get started. Additional information on the program is available with this guide and with our Student Experience video. We are happy to answer any questions at talktous@inceptia.org. From the Inceptia family to yours, we hope for wellness for all, both physical and financial. ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students at 5,500 schools reach their higher education dreams. Each year we help nearly 340,000 students learn how to pay for college, navigate financial aid, borrow wisely, and resolve their student loan repayment challenges. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time focusing on students.
Insight Newsletter – April Insight April 6, 2020 Amidst the uncertainty and changing times, we're looking at each day as an opportunity to be here for your students and your school. We are making our tools and resources more available and we are listening. However, if you're like us, your already crowded inbox is becoming even more crowded with emails. To reduce emails, we've started a monthly update email newsletter. We're going to do our best to limit our emails to monthly and use social media for additional updates. Take a look below at what's coming up for items that can be used to help further the goals for your students. And, if you don't already, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up-to-date on Inceptia. We're here for you. Let us know how we can help! Project Assistance – Leveraging Automation and User-Friendly Solutions Verification Gateway Transforming verification to provide time savings and expanded resources.Read Success Stories. PJ Advisor Helping you manage professional judgements. SAP Advisor Making appeal management easier for students and staff. Uncomplicating Contracts We may be able to help you uncomplicate the contract process. Whether your state allows for cooperative purchasing or your area falls under a defined threshold, Inceptia's Verification Gateway solution may be within the outlined provisions. Learn more. Anonymous Chat Added For Repayment Counseling Outreach In order to provide more options and engage with borrowers who would prefer to remain anonymous, Inceptia has added chat functionality to our non-logged in websites targeting borrower repayment. Borrowers can now chat with a repayment counselor during standard business hours to gain insight on repayment options. Chat is available on the following website pages: Inceptia Assistance Create a Custom Plan Helpful Forms For Inceptia Repayment Counseling Outreach clients, social media materials to help you promote the anonymous chat feature to your borrowers are available on your Inceptia dashboard. Financial Aid Office Education Opportunities Unraveling the Financial Aid Office in an Uncertain Time Tuesday, April 7 11:00 a.m. to Noon CT Join us as we talk with our panel of leading financial aid professionals from a diverse school background to find out what they are thinking about and planning for in the upcoming months as school sessions come to an end and planning for the next begins. We'll cover topics regarding verification, professional judgment, and SAP appeals. 20 Quick Financial Wins We Can Achieve With Students Wednesday, April 8 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. CT Students are often overwhelmed by the idea of money, budgeting, and financial planning. It's so big that they don't know where to start, how to create a plan and how to stay motivated to stay on track. Join us for an interactive session of sharing ideas on how to help students achieve some quick wins to improve their confidence, skills and knowledge, one baby step at a time. Missed Opportunities and Abandoned Ambitions: Understanding and Combating Student Melt Wednesday, May 13 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. CT There are some incoming freshmen who have taken all the necessary steps to start college but simply disappear over the summer. And there are currently enrolled students who have done what it takes to persist, but leave school due to verification roadblocks. Both sets of students are opposite sides of the same "student melt" coin, resulting in lost opportunities for both college and learner. So what can we do to combat melt? Share this Great Advice with Your Students Great Advice for Grads It's here! Check out our 7th edition of the Great Advice for Grads e-guide providing college graduates with the financial advice they need, at a time when they need it most. Click here to read it or download a flyer to share! The More You Know: Great Advice for Grad & Pro Check it out! We designed our newest e-guide specifically for graduate and professional students. Filled with financial tips, loan repayment strategies and more! Click here to read Grad & Pro or download a flyer! Student Webinars to Promote Financial Education During School Closures Weird Science: Understanding How Your Mind and Emotions Affect Your Money Wednesday, April 1 11:30 a.m. to Noon CT If you are ready to get serious about taking charge of your finances, you need to start by understanding the link between your mind, your emotions, and your wallet. This fun, 30-minute session will help you identify your unique Money Personality and both the pros and cons of how you handle your money. We'll even leave you with tips to retrain your brain so that you can begin to make intentional spending choices, rather than being ruled by emotions! Getting Ready for Student Loan Repayment Wednesday, April 22 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT If you're preparing to graduate, don't plan to return to school, or will drop below half-time enrollment, the repayment clock will soon begin ticking on your federal loans. Head into repayment with the information you need to make smart choices and avoid costly mistakes. Additional Resources This is also a great time to promote FAFSA completion. In addition to the Financial Avenue course, we also offer all schools access to our free FAFSA Toolkit. You may also access other valuable resources on Inceptia.org. Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students at 5,500 schools reach their higher education dreams. Each year we help nearly 340,000 students learn how to pay for college, navigate financial aid, borrow wisely, and resolve their student loan repayment challenges. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time focusing on students. Learn more at Inceptia.org. NEWS & EVENTS There are no upcoming events.
2020 Marks Seventh Consecutive Year of “Great Advice for Grads”, Addition of “The More You Know for Grad and Pro” Press Release 2020 Marks Seventh Consecutive Year of “Great Advice for Grads”, Addition of “The More You Know for Grad and Pro” Lincoln, Neb. (March 31, 2020) – Continuing with a tradition dating back to 2014, Inceptia has published their seventh edition of "Great Advice for Grads," a free e-guide designed to help the Class of 2020 get started on the path to financial empowerment during uncertain times. We are also pleased to publish our first companion guide for graduate and professional students, "The More You Know: Great Advice for Grad and Pro." “Great Advice” is the product of a collaborative relationship with the personal finance site NerdWallet, featuring content from the site’s expert money authors regarding student loans, managing debt, improving credit, and general finances. “The More You Know” also includes content that is tailor-made for the post-grad set, with resources from AccessLex Institute. With each year, the content of the e-guide becomes more and more shaped by the self-reported financial hurdles of students across the country. 2020 is no different, despite our current financial climate and worldwide challenges. “We always strive to deliver relevant content that students are seeking,” says Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success at Inceptia. “We know that right now, students are looking for sound advice that can be used to help them make the best-informed choices. We are happy to provide that and be a trusted source during turbulent times.” Included in the 2020 e-guides are articles that speak to those student inquiries, including: Don’t Freak Out About an Emergency Fund — Just Start One Can’t Bear to Check Your Finances? Here’s Help The Best Financial Advice at Every Age How to Choose the Right Health Plan As part of its nonprofit philanthropic mission, Inceptia makes “Great Advice” and “The More You Know” available as a free download for students, parents, educators and all others who advocate for student financial education. “Great Advice for Grads 2020” is available for download at Inceptia.org/gradadvice20 and “The More You Know: Great Advice for Grad and Pro” can be accessed at Inceptia.org/gradproadvice20. ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students at 5,500 schools reach their higher education dreams. Each year we help nearly 340,000 students learn how to pay for college, navigate financial aid, borrow wisely, and resolve their student loan repayment challenges. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time focusing on students. Learn more at Inceptia.org. ABOUT NERDWALLET NerdWallet offers consumers clarity for all of life’s financial decisions. Whether it’s credit cards, insurance, student loans or investing, people lack the clear, unbiased information they need to make the best choice. With NerdWallet, consumers have free access to user-friendly tools and advice that save time and money, and give them the freedom to do more. NerdWallet is based in San Francisco and employs more than 440 Nerds. For more information, visit nerdwallet.com. ABOUT ACCESSLEX INSTITUTE AccessLex Institute is a nonprofit organization committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional. In partnership with its nearly 200 Member law schools, improving access and positively influencing legal education have been at the heart of the Company's mission since 1983.
Our Commitment During COVID-19 Our Commitment During COVID-19 As we continue to see developments in the coronavirus COVID-19 situation, we wanted to update you on our response. The health and safety of our employees is our highest priority along with continuing to provide industry-leading service to your students, borrowers and your school. We are mindful of the importance of continuing our service to students and schools during these unusual times. We are following CDC guidance. Employees who can work from home are doing so reducing the number of people in the office and allowing us to provide greater distance between employees remaining to provide essential business activities. We will continue to adjust these policies as needed, in order to respond to the developing situation. We have been working on systems to handle business remotely, if needed. We want to assure you that during these uncertain times, you can count on Inceptia. We are doing all that we can to ensure our operations are not impacted. Please contact the Client Support team or your business development consultant with any questions or concerns. Inceptia Client Support 888.529.2028 inceptiacs@inceptia.org
Free K-12 Financial Education Courses Through April 30 Press Release Free K-12 Financial Education Courses Through April 30 Lincoln, Neb. (March 17, 2020) – During this time of school closures, many K-12 students and families find themselves in an unprecedented situation of having to seek out online educational resources to fill the learning gap. We here at Inceptia understand this challenge and are proud to offer our free financial education courses to all K-12 students now through April 30. Financial Avenue offers ten individual courses that cover everything from saving and budgeting, to planning for college and a career, to spending wisely and tackling debt. "There really is something for everyone within Financial Avenue," says Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success at Inceptia. "We designed the courses to speak specifically to teens without talking down to them, with a mixture of videos, activities, and quizzes to keep them engaged. For students who are getting ready to make major financial decisions in the very near future, the time to prepare is now. That’s what Financial Avenue is all about." As part of its nonprofit philanthropic mission, Inceptia has always offered Financial Avenue free to K-12 educators and administrators. It is our firm belief that making it available to the public at this time provides a unique opportunity for all students to focus in-depth on a topic that will provide a solid foundation for future financial wellness. To access the free courses, students may go to https://fa.financialavenue.org/sign-up/ and use Access Code "longspringbreak" to create a user account and get started. Additional information on the program is available with this guide and with our Student Experience video. We are happy to answer any questions at talktous@inceptia.org. From the Inceptia family to yours, we hope for wellness for all, both physical and financial. ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students at 5,500 schools reach their higher education dreams. Each year we help nearly 340,000 students learn how to pay for college, navigate financial aid, borrow wisely, and resolve their student loan repayment challenges. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time focusing on students.
Financial Aid Services to Utilize Inceptia’s Verification Gateway Platform to Provide Verification Services to Clients Press Release Financial Aid Services to Utilize Inceptia’s Verification Gateway Platform to Provide Verification Services to Clients Lincoln, Neb. (November 11, 2019) – Inceptia, a leader in uncomplicating financial aid for students and schools, today announced Financial Aid Services (FSA), an Atlanta-based management consulting firm that helps colleges and universities optimize their financial aid and student business operations, will utilize Inceptia’s Verification Gateway platform to provide verification services to its clients. “Integrity, experience and technical knowhow are top priorities as we look for partners to help us support our clients. Inceptia brings all of them, along with an unyielding commitment to helping schools and students succeed. We look forward to a great partnership!” said David Gray, FAS President. Effective immediately, for the 2020/2021 academic year, FAS will transfer its verification processing to the Verification Gateway platform. The transition will provide FAS school clients a fully automated, seamless process with the flexibility to add personal interaction, if needed, guiding students and parents through verification via a highly secure, mobile-friendly web portal. Randy Heesacker, president and CEO, NSLP, said, “With over 25 years serving higher education, FAS is a highly respected company with whom many schools entrust their vital financial aid operations. We are extremely pleased that FAS has selected Inceptia’s Verification Gateway platform as the FAS verification solution and look forward to working together.” ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students at 5,500 schools reach their higher education dreams. Each year we help nearly 340,000 students learn how to pay for college, navigate financial aid, borrow wisely, and resolve their student loan repayment challenges. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time focusing on students. Learn more at Inceptia.org. ABOUT FINANCIAL AID SERVICES FAS, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, has provided consulting, staffing, assessments, and processing services to assist colleges in improving operational efficiency, student satisfaction and regulatory compliance in the area of financial aid for nearly 29 years. The staff of over 60 employees and associates average 26 years of experience in financial aid administration.
Inceptia Offers Free Resources to Promote FAFSA Completion Press Release Inceptia Offers Free Resources to Promote FAFSA Completion Lincoln, Neb. (September 17, 2019) – Inceptia, a leader in uncomplicating financial aid for students and schools, shares their FAFSA Toolkit to help schools create urgency around FAFSA completion and reduce stress for students and schools by providing useful tools. With the opening of the 2020-21 FAFSA just two weeks away, Inceptia is pleased to release the FAFSA Toolkit, an online resource center to help schools promote FAFSA completion. “When it comes to nudging students to complete the FAFSA, you can never have enough tools to spread the message” says Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success. “We know it takes time and resources to create a comprehensive FAFSA communication plan and we want to ease that burden for schools. The toolkit provides a one-stop source to help schools promote the FAFSA and offer tools to help students understand the importance of early completion, the process, and answer questions." Early FAFSA completion allows more time to find and resolve any issues that may keep a student from receiving the aid they need to start or stay in school. Since schools have their own deadlines in addition to the federal deadline, completing the FAFSA early reduces the last-minute stress on all fronts. The toolkit is free to all schools and includes an on-demand webinar with tips on effective communication strategies to motivate students. Postcards, emails, posters, deadline reminders, Q&A, and common mistakes information are a sampling of the assets available in the toolkit to help schools conduct their own FAFSA campaign. Browse the Inceptia FAFSA Toolkit to put your FAFSA communication plan together today. ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in financial aid management, repayment wellness, and financial education. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students at 5,500 schools reach their higher education dreams. Each year, we help nearly 280,000 students learn how to pay for college, borrow wisely, resolve their delinquency issues, and repay their student loan obligations. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time focusing on students.
Inceptia and NerdWallet Release Fourth Annual “Great Advice for Parents” Press Release Inceptia and NerdWallet Release Fourth Annual "Great Advice for Parents" Lincoln, Neb. (September 4, 2019) – The fourth annual Great Advice for Parents is now available. This free e-guide is published through the partnership of Inceptia, a nonprofit serving educational institutions, EducationQuest Foundation, and personal finance site NerdWallet. The collection of articles and tips from finance experts is intended to provide parents and students with valuable information regarding college planning and finances. This year’s guide focuses on FAFSA and financial aid, and tips on things you’ll want to consider over the next few months, like choosing a major or how to handle finances in college. “These final years of high school go so fast, it can be easy to lose track of what you and your student should know when it comes to college finances,” says Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success at Inceptia. “If we can help students and families focus on crucial decisions and conversations, they can make better-informed choices regarding college-fit and student debt.” The 2019 edition of Great Advice for Parents provides timely information regarding: Financial Aid and the FAFSA Considering College Expenses Navigating College Admissions and Majors “Great Advice for Parents” is also meant to be a useful resource for high school educators, counselors, coaches, and mentors, as well as other nonprofit organizations that assist students and families in preparing for college. It is available for free download or may be shared with students and families with our downloadable Great Advice for Parents flyer. ABOUT INCEPTIA Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in financial aid management, repayment wellness, and financial education. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students at 5,500 schools reach their higher education dreams. Each year, we help nearly 280,000 students learn how to pay for college, borrow wisely, resolve their delinquency issues, and repay their student loan obligations. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time focusing on students. ABOUT NERDWALLET NerdWallet is on a mission to provide clarity for all of life’s financial decisions. As a personal finance website and app, NerdWallet provides consumers with personalized, unbiased advice so they can make smart money moves. From finding the best credit card to buying a house to investing their next dollar, and more, NerdWallet is there to help consumers make financial decisions with confidence. Consumers have free access to our expert content, tools and tailored advice that help them stay on top of their finances, and save them time and money, giving them the freedom to do more. For more information, visit NerdWallet.com. ABOUT EDUCATIONQUEST FOUNDATION EducationQuest Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve access to higher education in Nebraska. Headquartered in Lincoln, EducationQuest provides free college planning services, need-based scholarship programs, college access grants for high schools, college access resources for middle schools, and outreach services for community agencies. For more information, visit EducationQuest.org or call 800.303.3745.
A First-Time HEFW Attendee’s Perspective: Thoughts from Christina Schmidt, 2019 Inceptia Ambassador Thoughts from Christina Schmidt, 2019 Inceptia Ambassador A First-Time HEFW Attendee's Perspective This year will be my first time attending the Higher Education Financial Wellness Summit, and I'm really excited to be take part in a conference dedicated to such a unique topic. I am confident that this will be a great opportunity to expand my knowledge of how other institutions approach financial literacy, and a chance to bring back some valuable ideas for new campus literacy initiatives. But first, a little bit about what I do. Much of my time as a Financial Aid Counselor at the University of Rochester has been dedicated to working with students who are economically disadvantaged and have been selected for the New York State Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program. Many students are first generation and I enjoy providing resources to help them understand their financial aid options and gain a foundation for navigating their personal finances. A helpful tool has been Inceptia's Financial Avenue program. It has been such a rewarding experience to see students grow in confidence using this platform. One of my students, Dennis, is a reminder to me of why I do what I do. He recently reflected upon his experience: "As a high school senior preparing for a tough financial transition into college, I had the fear of being financially ignorant after learning about my admission to the University of Rochester. However, a previous moment of financial ignorance turned into financial literacy after the introduction of Financial Avenue. The courses not only taught me about the ability to save money for college, but to regard it as an investment. Thanks to Financial Avenue, I was able to save enough money for emergency use until the end of the semester." Another way Inceptia has positively impacted the University of Rochester is through our campus food pantry, which just launched in 2019. I have been a stakeholder in the planning of the food pantry, whose purpose is to serve the immediate needs of hungry students who stay on campus over the summer and are without a meal plan. In preparation for the launch, I attended various Inceptia webinars highlighting the issue of systemic food insecurity across college campuses. It has been eye-opening to see the data supporting the need for this campus resource. I will be looking for ways to invite this student population to use Inceptia's Financial Avenue resources to help them with day-to-day budgeting and money management skills. I believe the upcoming Higher Education Financial Wellness Summit will provide a fruitful experience by enhancing my work in financial aid. There are a number of breakout sessions being offered that will address the challenges of the populations of students with whom our Financial Aid Office interacts. Of particular interest to me is the "Full Minds, Empty Stomachs: Food Insecurity on Campus" session, presented by Inceptia's very own Carissa Uhlman! Other session topics I'm excited about include developing peer programs, promoting responsible loan borrowing, and ways to assess and evaluate program success. I am eager to share ideas about financial literacy programming implementation with representatives from other institutions. The pre-conference session, "Where Do I Go Next? Moving beyond Getting Your Program off the Ground" will be a great place to share our successes and best practices with one another. I, for one, know that I could use some fresh ideas on how to build partnerships across campus as a means of gaining new Financial Avenue participants! Not only am I looking to bring back new concepts to implement on campus, but I'm also looking for opportunities for personal enrichment, as well. Joshua Becker is one of four keynote speakers who will be at the summit. He recently posted an article on his website titled, "Our Money is Only as Valuable as What We Choose to Spend It On." He promotes a minimalistic lifestyle, and boy does that sound liberating! I look forward to his insights and hope to bring a more mindful approach to spending money in my own life. I've been following the summit's Twitter account (@the_hefwa) for the last month. If you don't follow them already, it's a great way to get a preview of what's to come and keep abreast of the summit happenings in real time. I will be tweeting as well, so follow me @ChrisFSchmidt or, better yet, come find me at the summit! About the author: Christina Schmidt, M.Div. - Christina has worked in higher education for seven years in a combination of admissions and financial aid. In her current position as an Assistant Director for Financial Aid at the University of Rochester, she implements financial literacy programming using Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program. She coordinates financial aid outreach efforts across campus and in the local community.She was selected to be the Inceptia Ambassador at the 2019 Higher Education Financial Wellness Summit. Follow her on Twitter @ChrisFSchmidt.