, Get the Latest Financial Aid News in HEAG's Summer Newsletter

News & Insights

Greetings!

The fall semester will once again present many unknowns as colleges and universities grapple with the challenges of COVID's Delta variant. Financial aid offices will need to be nimble and agile to handle whatever issues arise during the academic year. We anticipate schools will continue to innovate to ensure compliance with the numerous federal regulations surrounding financial aid while taking steps to make sure students receive a quality education that prepares them for the future.

If you run into any unexpected issues, we are available to answer your questions so please don’t hesitate to contact us.

-The HEAG Team

It's That Time of Year - Get Ready for FISAP

After all the changes over the last two academic years, if you’re a FISAP veteran, this year’s process will feel like an old friend as it is largely unchanged. However, you may find that changes at your institution and in the world at large will make your reporting quite different than in prior years. Keep reading for more information about who needs to file and how to do so under various circumstances, as well as changes related to the CARES Act that may make your reporting look much different from prior years.

Help Your Alumni Avoid Student Loan Scams

Scam artists of every ilk take advantage of the most vulnerable populations for financial gain and at this time in our history, student loan borrowers are particularly at risk. Student loan scammers have been around for ages, but with millions of borrowers about to enter repayment for the first time in 18 months, the market will be especially lucrative.

Borrowers need to know how to differentiate a scam from normal outreach from a valid agency involved in student loan collections, like a loan servicer or the Department of Education (scammers have been known to present themselves as both!). Share these four tips with your alumni to help them avoid being scammed.

Help Your Alumni Avoid Student Loan Scams

Consultant Spotlight

What do you enjoy most about your current role with HEAG?

My consulting jobs with HEAG have provided more breadth to my experience. In my current role as the interim financial aid director of a nursing school, I needed to become familiar with the school’s curriculum and how they have handled awards in the past so I can determine what can be improved and provide recommendations and guidance. I also served as a mentor to someone who had not previously been a financial aid director and that was a very rewarding experience.

What was your first job?

In high school, I worked in the kitchen and dining room at a nursing home. I served residents dinner and washed dishes.

What makes HEAG unique or special compared to your work experiences elsewhere?

Working as a consultant gives you a different perspective and a different ability to provide input and recommendations. You are not as enmeshed in the school as an employee so you can look at what a school is doing or not doing from an impartial standpoint and help them with best practices while examining policies and procedures and areas of compliance.

When you aren't consulting what other hobbies/interests do you have?

I love going to the beach; it’s my happy place and summer is my favorite season. I also enjoy live music, dining out and trying different types of food, and getting together with friends – whether it’s eating out, going to a concert or sitting on someone’s front porch.

Ellen McGuire

How long have you been with HEAG?

I joined HEAG in February 2021.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I had aspirations to attend law school and really enjoyed my law classes in college, but the environment was very competitive – some students actually hid the library books needed to complete assignments so that others could not get their work done. I knew I did not want to be in this type of environment so I accepted a job in the financial aid office at my alma mater Penn State after I graduated. I knew nothing about financial aid and my first job was strictly clerical, however, from that point forward I realized I wanted to learn as much as I could about financial aid and pursue it as a career path. I found it somewhat comparable to law – you have to be cognizant of all rules and regulations, continually remain current and do research to answer questions. I worked my way up, taking a job at another local college and then moving on to be the financial aid advisor at another school. I also worked as an assistant director and moved on to become an associate director and eventually worked as a financial aid director at two different colleges – a private, four-year undergraduate college and a brand new medical school in Scranton, PA. Working at the medical school was a totally different experience. It was a small school that needed to become accredited and a lot of work went into gaining accreditation from the Department of Education. All the administrative offices were housed on the same floor within close proximity (registrar, admissions, bursar, student affairs) and I gained a lot of exposure to other departments. I have also worked as a consultant for a small home healthcare agency that was looking into offering an LPN program. Currently, as an HEAG consultant, I am serving as the interim director of financial aid for a nursing school in New Hampshire.

What are some of the FA tasks you have performed and excelled at?

I’ve done everything from advising students and families, to financial aid processing, to purchasing and being the point person for new software. At one school where I was the associate director, the university decided to purchase a new software system; it had been using a homegrown system. The school purchased Banner and the financial aid director decided I would be the one to implement software. At the time, I had no experience in this area, but I really enjoyed it because it was very different from the work I had done throughout my career. Once the software was implemented, I was the Banner liaison for the rest of my tenure handling all training, testing of new releases and working with IT to develop customized reports. I enjoyed getting into the nuts and bolts and understanding how the software worked and how it interfaced with other offices (bursar, registrar, etc.).

What advice would you give to a school looking to bring in an FA consultant?

I would advise a school to first examine and define their needs so they can determine exactly what they are looking for when hiring a consultant. Next, they should look into various consulting companies and examine their track record – how long they have been in business and what experience their consultants have. It’s important do your homework before hiring anyone.

What is something few people know about you?

During college, I worked in a bottle shop stocking coolers and selling beer. I had to card everyone who wanted to purchase alcohol so I was not the most popular person.

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