We don’t always think of it as such, but most of our interactions with students or their parents are in fact a negotiation, whether it be an appeal for more financial aid, the waiver of a late payment fee or re-grading of an exam. One party is asking the other to do something they are not naturally inclined to do – thus a negotiation must ensue. As employees of the institution, we do have the upper hand since we never have to do what is being asked, but what is the cost of that? A complaint to the president’s office? The same student returning to your office over and over trying to get a different answer? Loss of the student to another institution all together? Wouldn’t it be better if you could be partners working to solve a shared problem rather than adversaries with only one winner?

Imagine what it would be like to suddenly get a bill for hundreds of dollars – and not just one time, but every month for the next ten years! This would be a challenge for anyone, even those of us with superior budgeting skills. But this is what millions of student loan borrowers will face in the very near future as the federal student loan payment pause is scheduled to expire on August 31. Industry experts expect another extension until the end of the year, but as of today, the Department of Education is standing firm with a September 1, 2022 repayment start date.