1. The POLICies AND PROCEDUREs MANUAL for the financial aid office
2018 ILASFAA Annual Conference: Celebrating the superhero in all of us!

2. Manual Introduction

3. Manual Introduction
Purpose & scope of the Manual – Reference resources for in-depth clarity
Philosophy of the Financial Aid Office
Who’s responsible for development?
What are your methods for updating information and documentation?

4. Administrative organization & office management

5. Administrative organization & Office management
Organizational Chart
Financial Aid Office location and layout
Responsibilities and relationships with other campus offices ensuring
compliance for Title IV programs with designated contacts for each
Financial Aid Office structure (mini-org chart) and responsibilities (job descriptions) for each position
Personnel policies:
Reference your Employee Handbook as much as possible:
Code of ethics, conflict of interest, anti-discrimination, drug-free workplace,
performance evaluations, etc.

6. Administrative organization & Office management cont.
Routine office hours
Accommodations for disabilities
Appointments
Correspondence
Telephone
Student records
FERPA
Records management and retention
Safeguarding electronic records
Authentication policy for releasing information

7. Financial aid programs

8. Institutional eligibility requirements
Documentation of institutional eligibility includes:
Program Participation Agreement (PPA), Eligibility and Certification Approval Report (ECAR), Acrediting Agency Letters, State Authorization and Licensure Documents (APPENDIX)
Program Eligibility (your definition)
List degree, certificate and diploma programs
Ineligible programs
Separation of duties

9. Institutional eligibility requirements cont.
Validity of high school completion
Discrepencies in information
Program reviews/audits (APPENDIX)
Cohort Default Rates (APPENDIX)
Financial Responsibility Ratios
Reporting and reconciliations
FISAP (APPENDIX)
NSLDS
Copyright infringement and peer-to-peer file sharing
HIPAA

10. Institutional eligibility requirements cont.
Student eligibility requirements
List each federal aid program in which you participate
For each aid program, include a brief description and the eligibility requirements, (example: FWS would include job descriptions, general employment conditions and limitations, federal share limitations, fiscal procedures and record keeping, job locations and development, community service opportunities, etc.)
List each state aid program in which you participate - give a brief description of each, the eligibility requirements, procedures and recordkeeping
Other aid programs such as Workforce Development, Veteran’s Programs, DORS, etc.

11. Private educational loans
Preferred lender lists
Preferred Lender Arrangement Disclosures
Preferred Lender Arrangement Annual Report
Marketing of Private Educational Loans
Preferred Lender Arrangement Code of Conduct
Private Education Loan Applicant Self-Certification Form

12. disbursements Disbursement method for each program
Disbursement schedule for each program
Payment for prior/current year charges
Credit balances
Refunds

13. Student consumer information requirements

14. Student consumer information requirements
Notice to enrolled students
Financial aid information
Institutional information
Completion or graduation rates
Annual Security Report
Student-athlete completion or graduation rate
Athletic Program Participation and Financial Support Report
Annual Fire Safety Report
Gainful Employment Program Disclosures
Drug and alcohol abuse prevention information
Voter registration information
Peer-to-Peer file sharing

15. Student consumer information requirements
State-related consumer information
Accrediting agency consumer information
Title IV Loan Counseling – Entrance and Exit Counseling

16. Applications and forms

17. Applications and forms
What is your application process?
Forms (APPENDIX)
Deadlines
Document Tracking
Appeals

18. File review

19. File review Verification Database Matches, Reject Codes & C-Codes
Subsequent ISIR transactions
Additional review requirements

20. Student budgets

21. Student budgets How did you build your student budgets?
How often is it updated?
Are additional costs taken into consideration?
How does a student appeal?

22. Awarding and packaging

23. Awarding & Packaging How you package aid Campus-based programs
Award amounts
Other resources
Employer assistance
Award notifications
Over awards & overpayments

24. Professional judgment

25. Professional judgment
Individual or committee?
Special circumstances considered
Request process
Required forms and documentation (APPENDIX)
Written statement of PJ determination

26. Satisfactory academic progress

27. Satisfactory academic progress
Same as or stricter than?
Qualitative and Quantitative Measures
Warning/probation periods
Notices
Appeals
Regaining eligibility

28. Return of title IV funds

29. Return of Title IV Funds
Overview
Determining a withdrawal date
Post-withdrawal disbursements
Returning unearned funds
LOA

30. Questions and discussion