Pima Community College (PCC), one of the nation’s largest multi-campus community colleges, today announced the rollout of a mobile platform designed to simplify the financial aid process for students eligible for federal aid. Using technology developed by student financial services leader CampusLogic, Pimastudents will now be able to upload documents securely from their mobile device and receive real-time updates via text throughout the financial aid process. Aid administrators and staff already report reduced time-to-verification since the platform was launched in early May.
“Legacy, paper-based systems for aid processing can lead to a maze of back-and-forth communications — bogging down both students and financial aid staff,” said Norma Navarro-Castellanos, PCC’s Director of Financial Aid. “We know that the aid process can deter students, particularly those who stand to benefit the most from aid, from attending college. CampusLogic has enabled us to rollout a simple, modern portal for students that provides them with easy-access to the information they need, when they need it — and empowers them to take control of the process.”
Research suggests that up to 40 percent of students accepted to college do not matriculate in the fall due, in part, to “verification melt,” or a failure to complete the verification process that derails a student’s receipt of Pell Grants. Just 56 percent of students selected for verification go on to receive a Pell Grant. This low percentage is attributed to the verification process itself, which is burdensome for students. A growing number of colleges and universities are turning to innovations in student financial services to simplify the process for students and aid offices, alike.
“Today’s college students are accustomed to having all the information they need right at their fingertips — but too often, the complexities of paying for college create barriers that can prevent students from completing their education,” said Gregg Scoresby, Founder and CEO of CampusLogic. “We’re excited to work with the team at Pima Community College to reduce friction in order to improve access–and help students to make better, more informed, decisions throughout the process.”
Pima Community College serves more than 43,000 students per year, offering transfer degrees and workforce training in programs such as aviation technology, health professions, and applied technology. This year, the institution was a semi-finalist for the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program honoring colleges that continue to focus on student success, student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.
In early May, Pima Community College launched CampusLogic’s StudentForms product, which improves financial aid office productivity, reducing time spent on verification, SAP Appeals, professional judgements, and C Code resolution by using automation to streamline processing and follow-up communications. Pima joins nearly 500 schools serving 3 million students who have partnered with CampusLogic to increase enrollment, streamline efficiencies, and improve retention by transforming student financial services.
