Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2016 A Case Study for Georgia Southwestern State University: The Discrepancies' of Financial Aid Services that Impact Student Enrollment Angela V. Bryant Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.edu/dissertations Part of the Higher Education Administration Commons, Public Administration Commons, and the Public Policy Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact ScholarWorks@waldenu.
Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Angela Bryant has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Yvonne Thompson, Committee Chairperson, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Mi Young Lee, Committee Member, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr.
Mai Moua, University Reviewer, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph. Walden University 2016 Abstract A Case Study for Georgia Southwestern State University: The Discrepancies’ of Financial Aid Services that Impact Student Enrollment by Angela V. Bryant MPA, State University of West Georgia, 2003 BS, Tennessee State University, 1986 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy Walden University May 2016 Abstract At many traditional universities, the federal timelines for determining financial aid eligibility is based on releasing of the Free Application of Federal Student Aid each January, and the subsequent financial aid processing cycle July 1- June 30th. These federally established dates can conflict with traditional August class starts and creates a backlog and delayed processing of information that, in turn, hinders students from receiving timely information in order to make informed decisions based on financial aid awards.
The purpose of this case study of a traditional university in Georgia was to apply net price theory and rational choice theory to evaluate the impact of timeline conflicts and how students make decisions about which institution to attend. Data consisted of internal documents, including the results of a prior survey of 425 freshmen, and 13 alumni focus group participants. All data were inductively coded and analyzed using a constant comparative method to reveal key themes. Key findings indicated decision making by prospective students largely focused on accurate and timely communication and cost of attendance.
One discrepant area was the decision maker’s ability to differentiate between cost of attendance and net price which impacted some student decisions to enroll. The findings are consistent with net price and rational choice theory. Recommendations to university leaders include encouraging early communication to prospective students and retraining efforts for financial aid staff in order to meet regulatory demands and timelines, increase student enrollment, and reduce anxieties for potential students and families associated with the financial aid process. These outcomes enhance social change by potentially opening doors to higher education for new generations of students.
A Case Study for Georgia Southwestern State University: The Discrepancies’ of Financial Aid Services that Impact Student Enrollment by Angela V. Bryant MPA, State University of West Georgia, 2003 BS, Tennessee State University, 1986 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy Walden University May 2016 Acknowledgments I begin by thanking my Walden University committee members Dr. Yvonne Thompson and Dr. Mi Young Lee, for all your support and guidance.
It took a team including Dr. Mai Moua and Dr. Had it not been for all of you, Dr. Samuel Miller and the rest my Georgia Southwestern family my journey would not have reached completion.
You have positively impacted my decision to persevere. To my sister, mother, and MaDear. I was humbled and awed by you during this journey. It seemed as if all the little things we took for granted became big possibilities.
Obstacles disguised as depression, breast cancer, and even death could not change the knowledge you bestowed upon my life. When there was no possibility of me finishing your encouragement amplified. You listened when I complained and your patience and love provided the ‘PUSH’ I needed to ‘RE-FOCUS’ and finally “finish my lesson”. A special thanks goes out to Daddy Charles for always standing in the gap, and my BFFs.
This testimony belongs to all of us. Table of Contents List of Tables .v Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study.2 Statement of the Problem .8 Purpose of the Study .12 Net Price Theory .13 Nature of the Study .14 Definition of Terms.15 Assumption and Scope.20 Significance of the Study .21 Chapter 2: Literature Review .23 Theories and Financial Aid .26 Federal, State, and Institutional Factors .28 Groups at Risk.30 i The Statistics Show .31 In That Case .36 Chapter 3: Research Method.40 Justification for Case Study Research.41 Data Collection Procedures.46 Evidence of Trustworthiness.48 Reliability and Validity .53 ii Prior Assessment .62 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations .64 Interpretation of Findings. Conceptual model for Student Enrollment .82 Appendix B: Financial Aid Survey for Recent GSW Graduates .83 Appendix C: GSW Organization Chart .87 Appendix D: Prior Existing ‘IHEP’ Survey.88 Appendix E: Recent Assessment Survey Responses .89 Appendix F: Focus Group Script .93 Appendix G: Recent Assessment Focus Group Responses .94 Appendix H: Approval from GSW IRB .98 Appendix I: Approval from Walden IRB .99 Appendix J: Prior Assessment Survey .100 Appendix K: Stakeholder List .105 iii Appendix L: Letter of Approval for Dual Role .106 Appendix M: Financial Aid Action Plan .108 iv List of Tables Table 1.FAFSA Application Statistic…….Traditional Financial Aid Calendar……. Data Collection Flowchart.
Recent Grads Survey Coding Populated……. GSW FAFSA filers.61 v 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study “The education race doesn’t end with a high school diploma. To compete, higher education must be within the reach of every American. ” (President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, Jan.
President Obama’s words capture the widespread public agenda item of providing access to higher education. Many of his speeches on education are archived at http://www.gov/news/speeches/obama-record-eduction). Prior to the Obama era ‘Higher Education’ experienced a growth spurt, which coincided with the Higher Education Act of 1965 (Davis, Green-Derry, & Jones, 2013). This period established the federal financial aid system as the primary mechanism providing financial aid access to higher education in the United States (Baum, 2008).
Traditionally, high school counselors were expected to guide high school seniors through graduation and college preparation. Many times it simply did not happen, and when prospective students arrived at college campuses, they were overwhelmed with the financial aid process and the cost of education. The students and their families often experienced overwhelming feelings of shock during counseling sessions with the college administrators. To begin to understand the problem, a basic understanding of the financial aid process and the timelines associated with awarding and delivering financial aid was required.
A visual can be found at: https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/fafsa-process. This qualitative study achieved and maintained a high standard of student financial aid with customer service in mind. It focused on student satisfaction with financial aid services at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW). The study examined the survey findings; 2 hereafter, referred to as a ‘prior assessment’.
The research problem evolved from the recommendations from that assessment. In an effort to widen the perspective from freshmen only, recently graduated students from the local county were also invited to participate in the study. The Vice President of Student Affairs designated staff to collect and share the results with me in my role as researcher and financial aid director. This electronic invite was to recent graduates and incorporated both a survey and a focus group perspective.
Both assessment results were used to formulate recommendation plans and strategies to reduce wait times and anxieties associated with funding an education at the post-secondary level. Finally, recommendations were made to evaluate the impact financial aid services has on enrollment decisions. Background The Higher Education Act of 1965, introduced a federal formula which over the years has changed according to changing trends and demands (Gladieux, 1995). Public demands attributed to untimely changes in 1980, 1981, 1986, 1990 and 1992 when financial aid was on the decrease, but the overall financial aid process has remained unchanged (Graca, 2006).
What previously was a pencil and calculator methodology is now a Free Application for Federal Student Aid ‘FAFSA’ which can be submitted on the federal site (www. The FAFSA component begins with a standardized application system initiated annually each January for the upcoming financial aid year. The student or their parent submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid ‘FAFSA’ to the Department of Education ‘DOE’. The DOE uses a federal methodology calculation to reveal an Estimated Family Contribution ‘EFC’ which is sent to the students’ electronically.
Seldom do students or parents comprehend these emails or the ‘EFC’. However, a 3 need analysis result of zero ‘EFC’ indicates to a financial aid administrator a full financial aid award. Often a gap will still exist between the cost and financial aid award. Currently, schools approved for federal financial aid are assigned a school code by the Department of Education (DOE) for identification purposes.
The FAFSA applicant may select up to ten schools to receive the results from the FAFSA submission. The Institution Student Inquiry Report ‘ISIR” is then downloaded into each school’s software system. This code allows financial aid administrators to share student specific information due to the challenging age of theft and financial aid abuse (Davis et al. Financial aid processing can then begin as chronicled on the financial aid professional website (www.org/educators/history.
The federal methodology is a snapshot of the information submitted on the FAFSA including income, assets, household size, and number in college (www. The following table borrowed from finaid.org reveals the cumulative number of FAFSAs received by the US Department of Education by the end of each quarter of the application season. 3% increase over the number of FAFSAs submitted in 2007-08 of more than 1. Cumulative Number of FAFSAs Submitted Year Q1-Q1 Q1-Q2 Q1-Q3 Q1-Q4 Q1-Q5 Q1-Q6 2012-13 9,258,079 2011-12 9,182,527 14,959,353 18,756,462 20,409,676 21,441,411 2010-11 8,070,850 13,860,360 17,835,690 19,489,802 20,598,986 21,111,766 2009-10 6,871,201 12,028,095 15,954,112 17,739,223 18,944,132 19,486,280 2008-09 5,449,774 9,880,525 13,251,850 14,681,650 15,819,554 16,399,838 2007-08 5,148,560 9,209,672 12,148,648 13,310,245 14,177,853 14,608,518 2006-07 5,137,719 9,093,009 11,823,060 12,877,823 13,654,663 14,034,467 2005-06 3,757,971 7,212,116 9,567,023 10,429,079 11,037,719 11,353,923 2004-05 3,973,381 9,858,495 10,796,094 11,440,282 11,793,499 4 When a student receives a financial aid award, he or she acknowledges it according to the specified institution’s internal processes and procedures.
The acknowledgement includes the regulatory cost of attending (COA) calculation incurred throughout the year like tuition and fees, housing and food allowance, transportation, fees, dependent care, and other personal and miscellaneous expenses as referenced at the federal student aid site (www. The COA minus the financial aid award equals the amount referred to as unmet need in the student aid glossary (www. The COA can be confusing to non-financial aid professionals, but is a federal regulatory reporting requirement of financial aid professionals when releasing information to students and parents. Many financial aid professionals choose to verbalize the ‘net price’ which is the direct cost minus the financial aid award or for simplification purposes ‘the balance due to the institution’ (United States Department of Education, n.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan revealed the Obama Administration invested more than four billion dollars in 2008–2012 in programs that better prepared elementary and secondary level children for the future. His speech is archived at: http://www. org/video/?308523-1/secretary-arne-duncan-education-reform. That future includes work, college, employment, or some combination of those three possibilities establishing the necessity for this study (Duncan, 2012).
Both prospective and current students whose common factor was not enough financial aid to meet the cost of education impacted the enrollment decision.