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How it works

Packaging. How it works. Learning Objectives. Today we will learn Definition of packaging Funds we typically package Estimated Financial Assistance & its affect Steps to package awards Packaging categories & sequence Packaging models Overawards Hands-on example

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How it works

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  1. Packaging How it works

  2. Learning Objectives Today we will learn • Definition of packaging • Funds we typically package • Estimated Financial Assistance & its affect • Steps to package awards • Packaging categories & sequence • Packaging models • Overawards • Hands-on example • Notifying students of their awards

  3. So what IS packaging? • Per the FSA Handbook • Packaging is the process of awarding aid without exceeding the student’s financial need • More simply: it’s how you decide what students are awarded (in what combination)

  4. Funds we typically package • Federal programs • Pell, SEOG, Perkins, Federal Workstudy, Direct Loans, PLUS Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, TEACH, Iraqi & Afghanistan Service Grant • State programs • TPEG, TEXAS Grant, TEG, BOT, CAL, Texas Workstudy, Set-Aside Funds • Institutional programs

  5. Estimated Financial Assistance • Estimated Financial Assistance (EFA) is taken into consideration when packaging • Examples include (but not limited to) • Pell (first source of aid) • Other federal, state, institutional grants • Subsidized & Perkins loans • Work study • Unsubsidized loans* • PLUS loans* • Private loans* * Indicates funds that can replace all or part of the EFC as long as the COA is not exceeded.

  6. Other Examples of EFA • ROTC living allowances • Scholarships (including athletic & ROTC) • Employer reimbursement of tuition & fees • Tuition and fee waivers • Fellowships and assistantships • Americorps funds • Exceptions to EFA: • Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant • Prepaid tuition plan • Federal veteran benefits

  7. Steps to Packaging

  8. Steps to Packaging • Determine the student’s Cost of Attendance (COA) budget & Expected Family Contribution (EFC) • Award Federal Pell Grant • Calculate the student’s financial need • Package campus-based, state, federal, and institutional funds • Package or refer students to other supplemental sources of assistance

  9. Packaging Steps: STEP 1 • Determine the COA & EFC A typical COAconsists of* • Tuition & Fees • Books & Supplies • Room & Board • Transportation • Personal Expenses EFC comes from…? * COA amounts are determined by the institution & could include PJ adjustments

  10. Packaging Steps: STEP 2 • Award PELL Grant • Pell Grant awarded based on EFC • Pro-rated based on enrollment status and EFC range

  11. Packaging Steps: STEP 3 • Calculating Student’s Remaining Need Cost of Attendance - Expected Family Contribution _____________________________ = Initial Need - PELL award (if any) - Estimated Financial Assistance (EFA) __________________________________ Remaining Need to package other funds

  12. Packaging Steps: STEP 3 • Calculating students’ non-need eligibility Cost of Attendance - PELL - EFA - Need-based aid awarded ________________________________ Room for non-need based aid

  13. Packaging Steps: STEP 4 • Package Campus-based, Federal, State, Institutional • Package other aid programs listed above according to your school’s packaging philosophy/policy • Keep in mind that each school is different!

  14. Packaging Categories & Sequence

  15. Goals of an Administrator • Provide as many students as possible with resources to meet their financial need • Distribute aid in an equitable manner • Provide assistance that will be the most beneficial to the student • Manage financial aid funds • Recruit and retain students • Meet areas of national need Sometimes these are competing goals!

  16. Packaging Guidelines • Responsibility for paying for college rests with the student and their family • Federal Pell Grant is the foundation of undergraduate student aid packages • Families can borrow from some aid programs to replace all or a portion of their EFC • Scholarships cannot be substituted for the EFC • Must take expected financial assistance (EFA) into account

  17. Packaging Categories • Schools can organize their packaging categories based • Enrollment status • Classification • Academic program or major field of study • Application date • Need Based vs. Non-Need Based • Residency Criteria • Packaging philosophy must be detailed in the school’s policy and procedures

  18. Packaging Sequence • What gets awarded 1st? 2nd? • Schools designate the order in which it awards funds from various programs • Again, this can vary from school to school • It can depend on the categories designated • This should be noted in the policy and procedure manual for your institution

  19. Packaging Models

  20. Six Basic Packaging Models • First-Come, First-Served • Gift Aid First • Self-Help Concept • Special Targeted Groups • Equity Concept • Absolute Dollar Equity • Fixed Percentage Equity • Individualized Packaging

  21. First Come, First Served • Financial aid awards based on the order in which completed applications are received by the aid office until funds are exhausted • Benefits: • Rewards students who get their stuff done early • Drawbacks: • May not have funds available for students that need it most

  22. Gift Aid • Gift aid is awarded first and self help aid is awarded to meet any remaining need • Benefits: • Decreases likelihood of loan debt • Drawbacks: • Limited gift aid funding

  23. Self Help • Self-help assistance is awarded after the family contribution and before any consideration for gift aid • Benefits: • Places same burden on all students • Allows gift aid to those who do not have same access to self-help • Drawbacks: • Increases likelihood of higher loan debt

  24. Targeted Groups • Separate packaging criteria for specific groups of students in addition to specific criteria required by law or regulation • Benefits: • Easier to tie packaging philosophy to institutional goals • Drawbacks: • Tougher to defend – watch the “bait and switch”

  25. Equity Concept • Absolute Equity • All students are funded up to an institutional maximum fixed dollar amount with gift aid before their remaining need is met with self-help. • Fixed Percentage Equity • An institutional maximum percentage level of NEED or COST for all gift aid is used rather than a fixed dollar amount. • Benefits: • Provides for an equitable distribution • Drawbacks: • Difficulty in managing overawards and maintaining that equitable distribution

  26. Individualized • Packaging based on the FAA’s evaluation of a student’s individual costs, resources and needs • Benefits: • Each financial aid packaged is customized • Personal touch with each student • Drawback: • Time consuming • High subjectivity

  27. Which Should You Use • This depends on your institution • Most institutions do not use one specific model… • A variation of one or more of these models is used by institutions to fit in with that school’s objectives

  28. Overawards & Packaging

  29. Overawards • Overawards occur when: • Aid exceeds a student’s need or COA • How does this happen? • EFC changes (due to verification or updates) • COA changes (possibly due to enrollment) • Additional financial assistance comes in (late scholarship, exemption payment) • This is the student’s responsibility to report to us • When overawards happen, we make adjustments

  30. Hands-On Example

  31. Packaging Example: Self Help • Sally is attending Cowboy College (CC). She is a dependent senior. CC employs a self-help packaging model and awards work study prior to loans. COWBOY COLLEGE COA $20,280 EFC $500 Scholarship $2,500 PellGrant $5,280 AWARD MAXIMUMS Perkins $1,500 Work Study $3,000 Institutional Grant $3,000 Direct Loan $5,500

  32. Packaging Example: Self Help • 20,280 • (500) • 19,780 • (5,280) • (2,500) • 12,000 • (3,000) • (1,500) • (5,500) • 2,000 • (2,000) • 0 • Remaining unsub eligibility? • Cost of Attendance • EFC • Need • Pell • Scholarship (EFA) • Remaining Need • Work study • Perkins • Stafford Loan • Remaining need before grants • Institutional Grant • Unmet Need • Anything Else????

  33. Packaging Example: Self Help • What if you are informed that the student is receiving another $500 scholarship after you have packaged? • Does this fit in the COA as is? • Does it fit within the need? • If not what would you reduce?

  34. Notifying Students of Awards

  35. Notifying Students of Awards • Institutions are required to inform students: • Amount of award(s) • Terms and conditions of award • Manner and timing of payments • Institutions have the option of confirmation or notification • Confirmation – Student formally accepts awards • Notification – Student not required to accept award, but must notify school if they do not want aid

  36. Notifying Students of Awards • What if there aren’t enough funds? • Caveat may be included on award notification stating that the award is subject to the availability of funds and may be revised if funds not available or eligibility changes

  37. Wrapping Up Today we learned • Definition of packaging • Funds we typically package • Estimated Financial Assistance & its affect • Steps to package awards • Packaging categories and sequence • Packaging models • Overawards • Hands-on example • Notifying students of their awards

  38. Questions?

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