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Plug & Play: FSA’s Easy-To-Use Resources to Effectively Engage Students and Families

Discover effective strategies for engaging students and families using FSA's resources. Learn how to utilize FSA content creatively to inspire and inform your audience.

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Plug & Play: FSA’s Easy-To-Use Resources to Effectively Engage Students and Families

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  1. Session 35 Plug & Play: FSA’s Easy-To-Use Resources to Effectively Engage Students and Families Nicole Callahan, Cindy Forbes Cameron, Sarah Musgrave | Dec. 2014 U.S. Department of Education 2014 FSA Training Conference for Financial Aid Professionals

  2. What You CAN’T Do With FSA Content • Sell it • Edits okay but need to “further goals of the Department” • Use ED logo/branding on your own materials Special case: photos, inc. stock photography

  3. AUDIT YOUR WEBSITE Things to consider: • StudentAid.gov: We no longer use “Student Aid on the Web” • Retired sites: • College.gov • www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov • Ombudsman.ed.gov • Students.gov • PIN.ed.gov (Spring 2015) • Stafford Loans • Start thinking about PIN content TIP: Promote #AskFAFSA Office Hours

  4. FinancialAidToolkit.ed.gov • Site structure: four main content areas • Learn About Financial Aid • Conduct Outreach • Get Training • Search Tools and Resources

  5. Finding Resources on the Toolkit • “Search Tools & Resources” section • Use filter search • Browse all • Subscribe to RSS feed

  6. Publication Updates • Funding Your Education is now six pages • Your Federal Student Loans series of short pubs

  7. Ordering Publications • Fact sheet on Toolkit: “How to Order Federal Student Aid Publications” • Know Your OPEID • Visit FSAPubs.gov

  8. Ideas for Articles and E-mails • “Conduct Outreach” section of Toolkit • Subpage: “Articles and E-mails” • Find ideas for topics • “Steal” our wording

  9. Sample Tweets and Facebook Posts

  10. Tips on Using FSA Content

  11. Tip 1: Use our YouTube Videos TIP: Add videos to relevant FAQ sections of your site

  12. Tip 1: Use our YouTube Videos Ideas • Embed them on your website • Include them in your “Financial Aid Night” Presentations • Get them displayed on campus monitors • Request that your school’s main social media accounts post them during peak seasons • Include in relevant e-mail communications with students • Screenshot video frames to use as photos • Run shorter videos on campus T.V.

  13. Tip 2: Use our Infographics

  14. Tip 2: Use our Infographics Ideas • Print them: Hang them up in your office, include in admissions and award letter mailings, etc. • Embed them on your website • Include them in your “Financial Aid Night” Presentations • Get them displayed on campus monitors • Request that your school’s main social media accounts post them during peak seasons • Include in relevant e-mail communications with students

  15. Tip 3: Share our Social Media Content TIP: Share content that we’ve posted TIP: Reuse content we’ve shared TIP: Share our blog posts

  16. Tip 3: Share our Social Media Content TIP: Promote #AskFAFSA Office Hours TIP: Use (and customize!) our images TIP: Don’t have your own social media accounts? Encourage your school’s main account to share

  17. Tip 3: Share our Social Media Content Ideas • Retweet our tweets, share our Facebook posts and YouTube videos • Steal our content. (We’re giving you permission!) • Share our blog posts, infographics, & videos • Promote #AskFAFSA Office Hours • Use and customize our images

  18. Tip 4: Utilize Toolkit Resources

  19. Tip 4: Utilize Toolkit Resources Ideas • Use our content to develop your social media calendar • Financial aid office doesn’t have social media? Send to admissions & school social media managers! • Run a social media campaign using our resources • Use our images, infographics, and videos to beef up your social media content

  20. Tip 5: Get Excited for the FSA Blog! • Will launch early 2015 • Plan to post about twice per week • Content will come from FSA staff, students, school counselors, and YOU! The Federal Student Aid Blog! TIP: Promote #AskFAFSA Office Hours

  21. Case Study: Using FSA Content

  22. About Marshall University • Students: 13,000+ • 77% of undergrad students are receiving aid • FAFSAs: 20,000 • Financial aid office staff size: 17

  23. Where We Use FSA Resources • SFA website • Facebook (primary) • Handouts/fliers • Digital signage and slide shows

  24. Using FSA Resources: Example 1 • Links to site • FAFSA and PIN • Loan counseling and MPN • TEACH counseling and ATS • Links to videos • FSA YouTube • FAFSA: What Happens Next

  25. Using FSA Resources: Example 2 • Using FSA links • Share posts and personalize them • Save pictures and infographics • FSA Facebook • Financial Aid Toolkit • Share YouTube videos • Anything that can be shared, will be shared

  26. Using FSA Resources: Example 2

  27. Using FSA Resources: Example 3 Original New • Personalize images • Great way to communicate personal messages • How: Pieced image together twice, drew text boxes • Microsoft Publisher • Used on Facebook, university website, digital signage, student portal

  28. Using FSA Resources: Example 3 • Slide show in student portal seen upon student log in

  29. Using FSA Resources: Example 4 • Replace image with text box • How: White text box over “$” • Adobe Photoshop Original New

  30. Using FSA Resources: Example 5 • Create promotional materials with single image • New • Original

  31. Using FSA Resources: Example 5 • Fliers • Handed out to students • Sent in e-mail • Posted on Facebook • Digital slide shows • Digital signage • University website • Student portal

  32. Finding Pictures and Infographics • FSA Facebook page • Financial Aid Toolkit • StudentAid.gov • FSA YouTube

  33. Organizing Pictures and Infographics • Right click then save picture as • Save in an images folder • Make file name associated with image’s subject • Organize by subject • Ex: Award Letter, FAFSA, Loans, FWS

  34. Managing Facebook Day-to-Day • It’s not as time consuming as it seems! • Log into FB daily • When pull up e-mail in morning • Before shut down and leave • Look at notifications • Wall posts • Comments • Messages • Multiple administrators

  35. Managing Facebook Posts • Create a standard list of posts • Where to get post ideas • Office deadlines • Scholarships, state grants, SAP, etc. • Institutional deadlines • Registration, complete withdrawal, graduation application, etc. • Financial Aid Toolkit • FAFSA Completion Campaign Facebook Posts • Loan Repayment Campaign Facebook Posts • StudentAid.gov • Browse topics and content

  36. Managing Facebook Posts cont. • Use Outlook Tasks • Five tasks with daily themes • Monday = Awards (scholarship searches, FWS, TEACH, etc.) • Tuesday = Potluck (SAP, deadlines, general reminders, etc.) • Wednesday = Loans • Thursday = FAFSA • Friday = random

  37. Managing Facebook Posts cont. • Use Outlook Tasks cont. • Reminder on Task • Keep a list of posts in task body • List name of saved picture • Type in date when use posts • Change start date to next week

  38. In Summary • Use FSA links and videos • Website, Facebook • Personalize FSA pictures • Facebook, handouts/fliers, digital signage, and slide shows • Manage Facebook • Check page daily • Stock pile photos/infographics from FSA sites • Create standard list of posts • Look at FSA Facebook page and share posts

  39. QUESTIONS?

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