Pickens Post-Secondary Student Information System

The vendor required to provide secondary student information (SIS) and financial aid software system that meet all necessary federal compliance standards as well as internal markers of necessity.
- The system's primary goal is to modernize student data management, streamline administrative processes, and provide a seamless, integrated experience for students, faculty, and staff. 
- A core component of this project is a comprehensive financial aid module that integrates tightly with student records and external regulatory systems.
- Objectives
•    Streamline operations: automate key administrative processes, including admissions, registration, financial aid, and billing. 
•    Enhance user experience: provide a modern, mobile-friendly, and single-sign-on (SSO) experience for all users. 
•    Improve data integrity and access: ensure accurate data through validation, provide robust custom reporting, and offer clear data dashboards. 
•    Ensure compliance and reporting: automate regulatory reporting (NSLDS, 1098-t) and internal compliance tracking (e.g., sap). 
•    Integrate key systems: create a connected ecosystem by integrating the SIS with the LMS (canvas) and other critical third-party platforms (HubSpot, infinite campus, google workspace).
- Core system and technical requirements
•    Pre-production sandbox: a dedicated sandbox environment for testing, configuration, and training that mirrors the production instance.
•    Scheduled database backups: automated, regular database backups delivered securely via sftp.
•    Data validation tool: in-built tools to ensure data integrity and consistency upon entry and import.
•    Comprehensive audit logs: detailed, immutable logs tracking user activity, data changes, and system access for security and compliance.
- User access and security
•    Google SSO: seamless single sign-on integration using google workspace credentials for all user types. 
•    SSO from SIS to LMS: single sign-on functionality allowing users to navigate from the SIS directly into the learning management system (canvas) without re-authentication.
- Integrations
•    Learning management system: bi-directional integration with canvas.
•    K-12 data: integration with infinite campus.
•    CRM: integration with HubSpot.
•    Financial aid reporting: automated financial aid data feed to the NSLDS (national student loan data system).
- Admissions, registration and student records
•    Self-customizable applications and forms: ability for administrators to build and customize applications and other forms without vendor intervention.
•    Automated registration and enrollment: workflow automation for student registration and enrollment processes.
•    Automatic transcript creation: system-generated official and unofficial transcripts based on student academic records.
•    Graduation reports: on-demand and scheduled reporting to track student progress toward graduation and identify potential completers.
- Financial aid module
•    Core fa program: must provide either a deep, built-in financial aid program or a seamless, comprehensive integration with numerous post-secondary financial aid applications.
•    Sap calculation: automated calculation for satisfactory academic progress (sap) to ensure financial aid compliance.
•    Automated disbursement: an automated process for disbursing financial aid funds to student accounts.
- Student financials and billing
•    Tax reporting (1098-t): automated generation and delivery of 1098-t tax forms.
•    Itemized invoicing: student-facing invoices that are clearly itemized, with options for administrators to edit and adjust line items.
•    Online payment portal: a secure, mobile-friendly portal for students to view balances and make payments online.
•    Editable fees: ability to create, edit, and apply fees for on-demand invoice generation.
•    High school invoice customization: specialized invoicing capabilities to meet the billing requirements for dual-enrollment or other high school programs.
•    Student enrollment, financial aid, and demographic information will need to be automatically synced from the SIS to NSLDS.
•    For the 1098, we either need a custom report for us to create custom 1098s for students or we need the SIS to perform a more automated process in delivering 1098s to student
- Reporting and analytics
•    Custom report builder: a user-friendly tool allowing administrators to build, save, and run their own custom reports without requiring SQL or vendor support.
•    Data dashboards: visual, role-based dashboards displaying key performance indicators and operational data.
- Communication and engagement
•    SMS capabilities: integrated SMS and text messaging functionality for communication with students and prospects.
•    Alumni management: a module or feature set to manage alumni data, communication, and engagement.
- Student portal
•    Mobile-friendly interface: a fully responsive student portal that is accessible and functional on all mobile devices and tablets.

- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: February 2, 2026