Consulting Services • Published 12/05/2016 Improving the Student Experience: New Ways to Foster Alumni Giving

When it comes to higher education, administrators not only want to provide their students with a quality education, but a quality experience. Colleges and Universities across the country know: students who enjoy their time at college are more likely to become contributing alumni.

While the overall goal of the school is to provide education, [administrators] are responsible for ensuring that the education process runs smoothly and that the student has a positive experience in his/her years on the campus.

U.S. News, the publisher of nationwide College and University rankings, identifies alumni contributions as a contributing factor in determining a school’s ranking.

But how can administrators ensure that their students will become alumni who want to give back?

What Encourages Alumni Giving?

Wendy Hutchins, P&N’s Consulting Manager, explains “while the overall goal of the school is to provide education, [administrators] are responsible for ensuring that the education process runs smoothly and that the student has a positive experience in his/her years on the campus.”

Wendy Hutchins goes on to explain that one of the reasons students ultimately become faithful alumni is because their memories of their time in school are pleasing, encouraging, and memorable. There is an aspect to this that is not academic, but rather about ensuring that the student has affirmative experiences when it comes to administrative tasks, such as registering for class, receiving financial aid, and paying their student account.

The Burden of Administration

When getting ready to attend college, students deal with a number of administrative processes like determining their living situations, registering for classes, and applying for financial aid. Administrators, too, can be overwhelmed by the influx of procedural documentation and with meeting governmental regulatory expectations that change regularly. One way to make the student experience more gratifying is to cut down on the student’s necessary administrative efforts.

How Schools can Streamline

Proficient in government regulation, our team frequently works with schools to establish and streamline processes within financial aid for both the students and administrators while meeting federal requirements and guidelines.

P&N has helped colleges and universities limit their financial liability while complying with regulations and strengthening relationships with governmental entities like the Department of Education. Our firm has worked on a number of projects for institutes of higher learning that ensure their students can navigate the course of administrative procedures, specifically that of the annual financial aid process.

With P&N, schools can help lessen the burden on students of processes like financial aid and funding to create an academic environment that fosters not only education, but lifelong gratitude.