GLOBAL Core Leads to 72% Increase in Completed Verification for a Mass. Community College

Middlesex Community College, with campuses in Lowell and Bedford, Massachusetts, needed a solution that would eliminate paper, increase verification rates, allow mobile document submission and provide a better user experience for students and parents.

In the years before Middlesex Community College enlisted Global's help, improving the verification process had been a challenge for the Financial Aid staff. Middlesex wanted to substantially decrease or eliminate paper forms, provide an online portal for document submission so students and parents had a better user experience, and create mobile and cell phone friendly online document submission. In addition, the college wanted to increase verification rates.

THE SOLUTION: GLOBAL Core + File Review
http://www.globalfas.com/solutions/verification

Global Financial Aid Services created a fully branded GLOBAL Core portal for Middlesex Community College to ensure a consistent student experience. Middlesex students, through the use of Single Sign-On (SSO) technology, were able to seamlessly transition from Middlesex's own website into the GLOBAL Core student portal. Students were guided through the verification and/or C-Flag resolution processes using a tailored set of smart forms that allowed students to upload supporting documentation. Documentation, such as tax transcripts or proof of citizenship, could then be uploaded from home, work, a campus scanner or even simply uploaded as a photo of the documents a student took using their smart phone. This eliminated all paper.

Once a student had submitted their documentation, Global conducted a full compliance file review. File status and additional actions for the student were communicated by email and custom messages in the Middlesex Community College student portal.

When compliance file review was completed, Global sent an electronic update back to the college's student information system and to the student, letting both parties know the file was complete.

THE RESULTS: A 72% Increase in Completed Verifications

Middlesex Community College launched the GLOBAL Core + File Review solution in March 2019. In less than six months of using the new solution, the college experienced a 72% increase in completed verification files over the previous year.

Since Middlesex Community College students began using this system, the college:

• Eliminated paper financial aid forms
• Exceeded student and parent service expectations with a mobile online solution
• Increased completed verifications by 72% in half the time
• Reduced verification processing from weeks to days.

The Middlesex Community College Financial Aid staff experienced more efficient Award Processing because the staff could focus on the needs of students and parents and not chase students for documents in order to complete verification.