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6 Best Practices for Managing Financial Aid Disbursements

Financial hardship is the number one barrier that prevents students from enrolling and graduating college. Financial aid packages can make or break enrollment decisions, playing a crucial role in admissions strategies. Offering comprehensive financial aid disbursements is one of the best ways for institutions to support student success. By analyzing and updating financial aid processes, schools can maximize the use of available funds to keep students on track to achieve their goals.

Using a student information system (SIS) with financial aid management capabilities can be a game changer for your financial aid office. Here are some ways an SIS will transform your processes and better manage financial aid disbursements for students.

1. Empower Students With Self-Service

Self-service allows students to access their account information at any time, from anywhere. This makes it easier to manage loans, make tuition payments on-time, avoid over-borrowing, and meet scholarship requirements. In turn, they can focus on learning and stay on-track to graduation. Across institutional operations, self-service can also enhance advising, degree tracking, and more.

2. Streamline The Application Process

Technology has completely changed how students apply for and manage financial aid disbursements. Gathering, organizing, and submitting the necessary information can be challenging. Institutions can ease the process with an SIS that makes the experience seamless. 

Financial aid disbursement software can shorten the time it takes to complete applications, reduce application errors, and improve accuracy. The faster applications are processed, the sooner applicants will access financial aid offers and commit to enrollment. Financial aid management software also enables financial aid offices more information to distribute awards effectively, equitably, and reliably. 

3. Integrated Cross-Campus Data

An SIS offers a centralized platform that houses all billing information and financial aid disbursement under one roof. Staff can navigate and manage vast numbers of scholarship applications without the need for mountains of paperwork. They can manage all types of aid and loans in one place, while syncing data related to student records, billing, and admissions in real-time. 

4. Student Intervention

Well-timed interventions can make all the difference for students who struggle to meet the requirements of the aid applications and scholarships they need to stay enrolled. With the right software, institutions can equip staff with the insights they need to keep students on track. Schools might also consider reevaluating punitive measures for unpaid bills, like withholding transcripts for outstanding balances. Implementing student-first measures can keep students from putting their education and future careers on hold.

5. Incorporate Basic Needs

Financial aid helps make tuition more affordable, but many institutions have expanded the extent of their support to cover basic needs. This means covering costs like on-campus housing and dining within financial aid disbursements. Financial aid offices may also consider setting aside some of the annual budget to supply emergency funding.

6. Be Transparent

If prospective students and their families don’t have clear and accurate information about the cost of tuition, they can’t make an accurate financial plan. Ensure that all information being presented on campus websites and within aid offers are updated and accurate. Make sure students understand the differences between student loans, grants, and private scholarships. They should have a complete breakdown of their financial aid disbursements.

Choose EMPOWER: A Student Aid Management Solution

Financial aid is the most important deciding factor in enrollment for students. Using top-of-the-line financial aid management software makes it simple to navigate the award process from start to finish for both students and staff. Contact us for a demo of our software.

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How Colleges Can Improve the Tuition Payment Process for Students

Tuition Payment

A university’s billing and receivables department is one of its most critical functions. Outdated manual processes and data silos result in mistakes and inaccurate financial oversight. If this is something your school struggles with, it’s time to update your billing processes. Automated software for student billing helps streamline the tuition payment process for students while lightening workload for staff members. Read on to discover the benefits of student billing software for colleges.

1. Eliminate Manual Work

Student billing software automates tuition payment collection, eliminating the need to chase down, verify, and keep track of student payments. This reduces manual data entry, saving staff time and energy.

2. Integration

Integrating your billing department within your SIS condenses student information into one centralized platform, streamlining cross-department communications. Tuition payments are synced with student rosters and integrated with your accounting software. Automated receipts and historical records provide an accurate financial audit trail. 

3. Security

Online tuition payments are safer and more secure than cash or checks submitted through the mail. They reduce the opportunity for cash to be lost, stolen, or spent, minimizing school’s financial risk. 

4. Financial Visibility

By providing a convenient channel for tuition payments and other bills, colleges can drive revenue up and administrative costs down. Automated reporting in your SIS provides increased financial visibility so administrators can more accurately allocate funds and gain real-time updates on financial data.

5. Flexibility

Digital payment options allow schools to keep up with technology and meet the expectations of students and parents. Students will be more likely to meet their payments on time and have the ability to pay on the go, from anywhere. By offering online tuition payments, your school delivers a level of flexibility and mobility that has become the modern standard. 

Why Should Colleges Improve Billing Processes?

One of the most important reasons to improve your billing process is that it improves your relationships with students and parents. Creating a streamlined, service-oriented approach to student billing demonstrates that the student experience is your top priority. In addition, having a consistent and fair process sets expectations of the tuition payment process early on.

An improved billing process can also lower the cost of doing business while increasing revenue. Electronic billing reduces the amount a school spends on paper, postage, and envelopes. The financial office will experience a streamlined, automated process and fast turnaround for payment collection while increasing overall convenience for students. 

EMPOWER SIS Billing and Receivables

EMPOWER student billing software is the best choice for colleges. Our SIS provides a simple-to-use web portal for students to pay their tuition online while making financial reporting a breeze for staff. Contact us to learn more about how we can help improve your school’s billing process with a modern student information system tailored to your needs.

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5 Best Practices for Effective Donor Database for Colleges

Donations help keep colleges and universities financially healthy and allow them to expand their programs, buildings, and scholarships. Without donor support, a school cannot develop and grow to meet the needs of students. That’s why it’s critical to have a clear donor database plan. How you engage, interact with, and show appreciation for donors will impact whether they continue to support your college. Here are some best practices for effective donor management. 

What is donor management?

Donor management is the steps your school takes to acquire new donors, collect donor information, and cultivate strong relationships. Creating a positive experience increases the chances that your donors will continue supporting their alma mater for the long term.

5 Tips to Improve Your Donor Management Strategy

1. Invest in donor management software

A donor management system is a software tool that allows colleges to store, organize, and report on donor data. Some of the features of a donor management system include:

  • A donor database: This is the tool you’ll use to build, view, and update donor profiles.
  • Online giving platform: This provides a more seamless experience for donors.
  • Reporting features: You’ll be able to run reports on fundraising campaigns, donor engagement metrics, and other insights.
  • Personalized donor outreach: When you keep track of donor information, you can personalize donor outreach messages by addressing them by name and thanking them for their specific donation amount.
  • Identify potential major donors: Donor management systems provide insight into who your most engaged donors are, so you can focus your outreach efforts.

2. Track Metrics

Once you have a donor management software, you’ll be able to use quantifiable metrics to assess your donor management progress. You can use your donor database to analyze retention rate, acquisition cost, lifetime value, and other metrics to gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns. 

3. Segment Donors

Using the information in your donor database, you can segment supporters based on their shared interests or behaviors, creating smaller donor groups. Then, you can create tailored content for each group rather than sending generic, one-size-fits-all messages to your entire donor base.

4. Regularly Update Donor Information

Your donor information is only valuable if it’s accurate and complete. With an accurate and updated donor database, you can be sure that your marketing and outreach efforts aren’t being wasted. Regularly audit your database to identify inaccurate or outdated information. Donor management software may be able to complete this process automatically, saving your team time.

5. Communicate With Donors Regularly

It’s important to keep the channels of communication open without bombarding your donor’s inboxes. Find the right balance by touching base regularly, with messages spread over a few months. Highlight additional ways to engage that don’t involve donating, such as volunteering or attending events. Provide updates on how donations have helped you achieve a goal, complete a project, fund a program, or work toward another objective. This will help foster stronger supporter relationships and encourage long-term giving.

Build A Strong Donor Database With EMPOWER SIS

Investing in donor management software is important for the financial security and growth of your school. A school can’t build and nurture relationships with donors if it doesn’t have accurate and segmented data at its fingertips. EMPOWER makes managing donor data easier and more efficient with an organized, central donor database. Our SIS provides a seamless experience for both staff and donors, building stronger relationships for the long-term. Contact us for a demo.

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How Student Tracking Software Helps Students and Educators Perform Their Best

To adapt to the ever-evolving digital world and compete with other academic institutions, colleges must keep up with new methods and technology. Implementing the right student information system gives colleges the tools needed to help students succeed both academically and personally. Student tracking is a crucial SIS feature that allows educators to track students’ progress, improve their performance, and guide them to graduation day. 

What Is Student Tracking Software?

Student tracking software is an online system that enables educators to manage attendance, track students’ progress, upload and share assignments, organize exams and grades, and more. Student tracking is important for both teachers and students. When students can see their progress, they can better understand how their efforts contribute to their long-term goals and path to graduation. Teachers can assess individual student performance and use data to modify lesson plans or intervene when students are falling behind.

The Benefits of Student Tracking Software

1. Accurate Attendance Tracking

Research has shown that when students feel less motivated or they can’t see the relevance of a class to their chosen degree goals, their attendance drops. Poor attendance can signify a student’s lack of motivation and trigger an alert for educational intervention. It can also indicate to teachers that a change in teaching style or lesson plan may be beneficial. Higher student attendance leads to overall improved learning outcomes at educational institutions.

2. Eliminate Manual Processes

The days of manually taking roll calls and keeping physical attendance records are over. Student tracking allows for higher efficiency by eliminating manual workloads and storing information in one centralized place. Teachers can focus their efforts on helping students, rather than wasting time performing administrative duties.

3. Reporting and Analysis

Student tracking software makes in-depth analysis simpler and faster. Teachers and students can evaluate weaknesses, strengths, and other academic records all in one place. AI-powered analytics and reports help teachers identify student patterns and monitor their development in real-time. This encourages constructive feedback and can contribute to higher performance.

4. Open Communication

Based on the system’s data, teachers can reach out to students who are having difficulty to offer extra help and encouragement. This fosters a learning environment of open communication and motivates students to do their best. They can focus on outperforming themselves and achieving personal goals, rather than competing against other students.

EMPOWER SIS For Student Tracking

With digital transformation, educational institutions are integrating advanced software solutions for efficient and smarter work. EMPOWER offers an unparalleled level of customization and flexibility for any school. Our support team provides your staff with in-depth training and is available to answer questions or troubleshoot issues. See why more schools choose EMPOWER SIS. Call us for a free demo. 

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Prioritize Training And Support: Tips To Choosing The Best Student Information System

A university should be a safe haven for students and staff, yet many campuses don’t feel that way. In 2019, the number of reported criminal cases at universities in the United States was over 27,000. Protecting students and mitigating risk of incidents should be a top priority for universities, which is why campus security systems and software are more important now than ever before. 

When choosing a SIS, carefully consider what features you need, how easy the features are to use, and how they will work to assist your school. One of the most important features to look for is software training and support. Here’s why.

The Importance of SIS Software Training And Support

There will be a learning curve when you’re integrating a new system or technology. Once your SIS is ready for testing and launch, you want to make sure that you’ll be able to turn to someone to answer questions or handle any issues that arise.

A reliable technology partner will stand by your side every step of the way. It’s important to work with a company that has a deep online knowledge base as well as a responsive support desk that responds quickly. The best SIS providers offer customized and detailed on-site and online training for your staff and other users. 

Unlimited and ongoing access to support is integral to the success of your school when implementing a new SIS. There’s no point to integrating a brand new system if no one understands how to navigate it properly, and without training you’ll only be adding to the frustrations and workload of your staff.

Choose EMPOWER For Exceptional SIS Training And Support

From the design of your platform to training and ongoing maintenance, no provider of SIS will support your school like EMPOWER.

Your EMPOWER system is set up with your institutional data, your business rules, and your variables from your migrated data. Using school data makes the training more relevant for staff members and provides a better opportunity to review and become comfortable with EMPOWER.

Training typically takes place over a two month period, allowing staff members to try out new skills, ask questions, and become familiar with the system. They receive exceptional, personalized training at a comfortable pace.

Contact us to learn more about how we can support your school.

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EMPOWER Software For Campus Security: Making Your College A Safe Place

Software For Campus Security

A university should be a safe haven for students and staff, yet many campuses don’t feel that way. In 2019, the number of reported criminal cases at universities in the United States was over 27,000. Protecting students and mitigating risk of incidents should be a top priority for universities, which is why campus security systems and software are more important now than ever before. 

What Is Campus Security Software?

Campus security software includes systems designed to improve the safety of students, faculty, and staff while on campus. It integrates every aspect of your security system into one platform, from incident reporting and surveillance to visitor registration and parking enforcement.

EMPOWER Campus Security Software Features

EMPOWER’s Campus Security module helps parking enforcement, public safety and the dean of students work together to help ensure a safe, smoothly-running campus environment. 

EMPOWER Campus Security software features include:

  • Campus security data collection 
  • Incident reporting and management
  • Campus judicial process data collection and processing
  • Parking management, vehicle registration, and related fees/fines
  • Visitor registration
  • Campus facility descriptor and location database
  • Access to housing assignments, academic schedules, and photo IDs for security officials

The Benefits of Campus Security Software

1. Response Time

When it comes to responding to threats and incidents, time is of the essence. Security needs to ensure a fast response time and accurate incident reporting to help local authorities and internal security teams to resolve issues quickly. 

2. Analytics

A standardized security management solution helps to create better data analytics. Colleges can use data to find proactive ways to mitigate campus safety risks and handle future incidents effectively.

3. Visitor Management

With the number of visitors that come in and out of your campus every day, having a real-time list of expected visitors and a list of unauthorized visitors can make all the difference in keeping your campus safe. 

4. Monitoring

With facilities and students spread across large or multiple campuses, the monitoring of education facilities presents unique challenges. Having monitoring and access control solutions integrated in one module makes it easier to report and track incidents. 

EMPOWER: The Best Campus Security Software

Failure to keep your students safe can result in potential physical, financial, and reputational harm to the school. Providing reliable campus security is paramount, and EMPOWER provides the best solutions for your college. Contact us for more information on how our Campus Security module can help you monitor your school’s safety effectively, securely and privately.

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The Best SIS For Continuing Education Programs

Continuing Education

What Is A Student Information System? 

Student information systems are the best way to digitally store and track data such as grades, transaction records, and more. They are integral to streamlining educational institutions’ processes and communications. Students use SIS to gain access to crucial information regarding programs, pay for courses, and connect with the institution. Administrators are able to access all relevant information regarding the student’s academic experience.

SIS For Continuing Education programs

Continuing education programs have a unique set of needs and require more flexible administration practices than traditional college programs. Considering that 71% of higher ed students are non-traditional students, the learner’s experience for higher education programs is more important than ever. 

If you offer community education courses, workforce development programs, professional certifications, adult education, seminars, workshops or even high school courses, an SIS for continuing education is the right choice for your school.

The Problems Solved By Continuing Education SIS

Here are a few of the administrative issues that continuing education management software can resolve.

1. Inefficient Administration

Building a continuing education module unit on the back of an SIS designed for traditional higher education can create significant headaches for staff. A SIS specifically for higher education programs will eliminate the inefficiencies that slow workflows, and automate redundant processes so your staff can focus their efforts on tasks that matter most.

2. Poor Student Experience

Modern learners expect a seamless registration and enrollment experience that allows them to take control of  their education. They want to manage their own engagement through tasks like registration, payment and course dropping, online and at their own pace. Remove the tedious process of on-campus administration with a seamless, self-directed, digital environment.

3. Inability to Innovate

When an education program runs on systems designed for a main campus, it can be difficult to innovate. Antiquated systems take up the valuable time and resources of your staff, while administrators repeat work or re-enter information multiple times. An SIS made for continuing education automates tedious tasks and allows for new, innovative processes.

EMPOWER SIS For Continuing Education Programs

EMPOWER SIS offers a responsive design and functionality that suits the needs of education programs. Our modules are completely customizable to each school. Manage every aspect of your non-traditional learner’s experience with efficiency, and make life easier for your staff. Contact us to learn how we can support your educational institution.

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Phoenix Innovate invests in ComSpec International, Inc. to increase capability, add value for education clients

Phoenix Innovate has made an investment in ComSpec International, Inc. of Bingham Farms, Michigan. The leadership and staff of ComSpec will remain on and are thrilled to integrate the strengths of both companies with a focus toward creating a new standard for effective student marketing and information solutions.

“We added significant strength, experience and resources to our team today! Our combined focus will utilize these assets to provide unique solutions to meet our clients’ needs and evolve our educational software solutions to meet the needs of future students, faculty and alumni of the educational institutions we serve,” said Robert Brender, President of ComSpec. “The addition of strategic marketing, application development and data analytics expertise Phoenix Innovate provides will help our clients achieve a new level of integration, automation and success in achieving their enrollment and fundraising goals.”

Phoenix Innovate, a leader in research driven, data lead custom marketing solutions and software applications for clients in the education, health care, non-profit and OEM industries recognized an opportunity to add ComSpec’s data-centered software to benefit its current and future clientele.

“We are excited to couple the strengths of both organizations to create data-driven, tailored recruiting, marketing, student information and fundraising solutions in the education market,” said Kirk Vercnocke, CEO of Phoenix Innovate. “We’ve had tremendous success in reversing the declining enrollment trends of our education clients through optimizing marketing tactics, data-lead communications and the channels they use. We are excited to combine our innovation focused cultures and talented team members to help clients reap the benefits of our combined service offerings.”

Phoenix Innovate’s commitment to excellence is demonstrated by ISO 9001 and USPS Seamless Acceptance certifications as well as anticipated HITRUST certification in Q1 2022.