Financial Aid Optimization Services

The Vendor is required to provide financial aid optimization study to refine institutional merit and need-based aid allocation strategies, maximize enrollment yield and retention goals, improve net tuition revenue, and maintain commitments to access, affordability, and compliance.
- Requirement:
• Historical analysis
• A recommended awarding model that utilizes predictive yield by student segment (first-year, transfer, re-admits, graduate, out-of-state, international)
• Optimal merit and need-based aid award ranges by enrollment propensity
• Discount rate targets aligned with enrollment and revenue goals
• Housing affordability aid strategies to support residential enrollment growth
• Graduate program aid calibration for priority growth programs
• Performance metrics
• Written optimization report
• A usable dashboard or query tool so the institution can continue using the model after the engagement ends.
• Segment-level predictive models.
• Scenario modeling outputs.
• Benchmarking analysis.
• Project manager, weekly or biweekly status calls, and a risk/issues log.
• Implementation roadmap for the 2028-2029 academic year and forward
• Must incorporate phase 1 price sensitivity findings into the final optimization model
• Must include a recommendation of technology solutions and human capital investment needed to operationalize a new model.
• Executive summary suitable for presentation to senior leadership and the executive enrollment management committee (EEMC)
• SWOT analysis outlining university strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to optimizing available financial aid
• Staff training materials for financial aid and enrollment staff on use of reports, dashboards, and model outputs
• Signed data use agreement prior to transfer of any student-level data, consistent with FERPA requirements
• Final presentation to the executive enrollment management committee (EEMC).