Technology

When emergency aid is necessary to keep a student enrolled in school, systems to streamline the complete process are vital. These systems include collecting and reviewing student information, sharing that information securely across different departments, and delivering aid quickly and efficiently. In some cases, existing systems can be optimized to serve the more compressed timeline needed for successfully delivering emergency aid. At other times, institutions may need to adopt processes or systems to meet this need.

As the mechanisms for delivering emergency aid improve, institutions can begin to further their understanding of the types of aid that are most needed and the different events that might imperil a student's continued attendance. It's critical that colleges and universities capture this information — along with other key data for overall emergency aid evaluation — so that emergency aid programs can be fine-tuned to meet student needs. Institutions with emergency aid programs have a variety of ways to identify students facing an urgent need. Data collection and analysis, as well as cross-departmental coordination, can ensure that aid is matched up with students in need and delivered in a timely and appropriate fashion.

Colleges and universities should think strategically about the ways they identify students in need, review aid requests and deliver the correct support. Often, existing systems for information sharing can meet the needs of an emergency aid program. At times, a simple and straightforward information-sharing strategy is the best solution for identifying students and delivering emergency aid.

Community

Tools & Resources

The community of institutions interested in emergency aid continues to grow. We'll collect and catalog many of the developed resources and tools so they can be discovered, shared and improved upon by the evolving emergency aid community. Browse this library of tools and resources for implementing, evaluating and improving emergency aid at colleges and universities.

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Stat icon: Website

46% of campuses

use individual spreadsheets, student information stystems and financial aid systems to track students who receive aid

Source: NASPA

Stat icon: Calculator

23% of institutions

use data to proactively identify students who may benefit from emergency aid.

Source: NASPA

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