Brought to You by NACCAP
Financial Aid Optimization Event
NACCAP members joined us on June 23 for a free virtual event centered around Financial Aid strategies and topics. This event featured four informative sessions with the goal of providing insights and tangible takeaways that can inform approaches and strategies on your campuses. Session recordings are now available.
HomeThank you for joining NACCAP + Carnegie for the Financial Aid Optimization Event on June 23rd. Below you will find the recordings and slide decks for each of the four sessions presented. Should you have any follow-up questions, reach out to our team at any time.
Tuition Pricing and Financial Aid Strategies: The Last 25 Years
Presented by Mike Keane, Carnegie
How did we get here? The current environment in college and university enrollment, pricing, and aid is the result of several decades of shifting trends in student populations, pricing strategies, and financial aid philosophies. Understanding how models like “high tuition, high aid” developed will set the stage for conversations about where we go from here in building effective financial aid strategies.
Download the slide deck.
Financial Aid Optimization Overview
Presented by Nick Wagner, Carnegie
What is financial aid optimization? In this session we’ll work to demystify the predictive models that drive aid optimization, identify the data needed from institutions to build these models, and discuss special considerations for Christian institutions and smaller colleges and universities.
Download the slide deck.
Preparing for the New FAFSA
Presented by Mike Keane, Carnegie
Are you ready for the new FAFSA? The debut of the new, simplified FAFSA form for Fall ‘24 students and parents – which remains TBD but likely to come in December 2023 – brings a new round of uncertainty for institutions. In this session we’ll explore the changes coming, the likely impact to student populations and aid strategies, and how the delayed availability of the new FAFSA will impact admission and aid timelines for Fall ‘24 enrollment.
Download the slide deck.
Special Aid Topics for Christian Institutions
Presented by Mike Keane and Nick Wagner, Carnegie
Does your current grant and scholarship strategy include a portfolio of regular programs combined with various other opportunities linked to local congregations, specific ministerial programs, legacy populations, and other affinity groups? These programs help build and nurture relationships with key communities but add complexity – both for parents and students seeking to understand the aid process and for your own admission and aid teams communicating and executing those programs. This session will focus on an honest assessment of these “stackable” scholarship programs and finding a balance between community relationships, recruitment messaging, and enrollment and revenue goals.
Download the slide deck.
Meet Your Presenters
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Mike Keane SVP, Modeling + Client StrategyPersona The Influential and Resilient Energizer
Mike leads modeling projects for clients, provides financial aid policy and operations expertise, and advises on a range of topics within enrollment management. Previously, Mike served as the Assistant Vice Provost for Financial Aid at Loyola Marymount University, where he led a financial aid team of more than 20 staff members and oversaw an aid portfolio exceeding $240 million. Mike has 12+ years of experience in enrollment data collection, analysis, and reporting. Mike has a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. in History and Latin from Loyola Marymount University.
Mike leads modeling projects for clients, provides financial aid policy and operations expertise, and advises on a range of topics within enrollment management. Previously, Mike served as the Assistant Vice Provost for Financial Aid at Loyola Marymount University, where he led a financial aid team of more than 20 staff members and oversaw an aid portfolio exceeding $240 million. Mike has 12+ years of experience in enrollment data collection, analysis, and reporting. Mike has a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. in History and Latin from Loyola Marymount University. -
Nick Wagner VP, Research + Data SciencePersona The Competitive and Considerate Shepherd
Nick leads and assists with client data modeling as it relates to student retention, financial aid optimization, and enrollment. He brings over 15 years of experience in the field of higher education with a background in predictive modeling, data science, and survey research. Nick is relentless in trying to uncover patterns in data to help inform institutional effectiveness and decision-making. In his prior roles he has led offices of Institutional Research, Sponsored Programs, Academic Program Assessment, and the Registrar’s Office.
Nick leads and assists with client data modeling as it relates to student retention, financial aid optimization, and enrollment. He brings over 15 years of experience in the field of higher education with a background in predictive modeling, data science, and survey research. Nick is relentless in trying to uncover patterns in data to help inform institutional effectiveness and decision-making. In his prior roles he has led offices of Institutional Research, Sponsored Programs, Academic Program Assessment, and the Registrar’s Office. -
Ben Arendt AVP, Enrollment + Marketing SolutionsPersona The Expressive + Philosophical Detective
With more than 20 years of higher education experience, Ben Arendt knows how to transform clients' unique challenges into opportunities for success. Ben is an imaginative and enthusiastic problem solver, with expertise in everything from student affairs and teaching to visit programs and enrollment programs. He is motivated by understanding the people, goals, and priorities that make up the unique identity of each client community-- connecting them to the Carnegie strategies that drive results.
With more than 20 years of higher education experience, Ben Arendt knows how to transform clients' unique challenges into opportunities for success. Ben is an imaginative and enthusiastic problem solver, with expertise in everything from student affairs and teaching to visit programs and enrollment programs. He is motivated by understanding the people, goals, and priorities that make up the unique identity of each client community-- connecting them to the Carnegie strategies that drive results.
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