We are excited to bring you this line up of incredible speakers and valuable sessions. Click on the button below to register for the event and to view the agenda in your specific time zone.

Financial Aid Symposium
11:00 AM

The Enrollment Director and the CFO: An Alliance for Cultivating Cohesive Financial Aid Strategy and Execution

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Strong collaboration is vital to the strategic preparation, tactical processing, and effective reporting of financial aid awards and the alignment of enrollment and business teams within schools is critical in effectively leading any financial aid program. Participants attending this session will get a deep overview of the interwoven responsibilities of the admissions and business offices managing the financial aid process and learn best practices for decision-making. Knowledge and tools will be shared to empower participants to address the challenges that come with setting financial aid budgets, creating policies, and communicating awards.

Learning Objectives: Participants will understand how the admissions and business offices manage the financial aid process and learn best practices for decision-making and developing a strong and effective partnership.

Field of Study: Personal Development

Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Recommended CPE Credits: 1.0

  • Alisa Evans, Founder & CEO (she, her, hers), Mission Enrollment, LLC

12:00 PM

Navigating Complex Financial Aid Case Studies 

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This session will review specific examples of tough financial aid case studies. We will review different types of tax forms and interpret the most complex issues. 

Learning Objectives: Participants will learn how to assess financial aid situations to assist with the development of appropriate financial aid awards and budgeting.

Field of Study: Finance

Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Recommended CPE Credits: 1.0

  • John Hutchins, Director of Admission and Financial Aid, Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)

 

How Changing Demographic and Demand Trends Impact Competition for Students 

Explore how changing demographic trends in the U.S. and the educational landscape could affect independent school enrollment over the short and long term. Through an interactive panel, two independent schools with different demand profiles will discuss how they are planning for, and navigating the shifting population, demographic and market dynamics. Moderated by a rating agency analyst, the discussion will include key trends across our rated schools and how these factors are incorporated into our rating analysis. Live polling and an audience Q&A will be used during the presentation to inform the discussion.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be engaged in a discussion that meaningfully considers changing demographic trends and the educational and competitive landscape, and how to incorporate these trends in short- and long-term planning around enrollment, operations, and financial management.

Field of Study: Finance

Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Recommended CPE Credits: 1.0

  • Mel Brown, Associate Director, S&P Global
  • Carolyn Hapeman, Dean of Finance and Operations, Westtown School (PA)
  • Jeffrey Smith, CFO/COO, Millbrook School (NY)

 

1:00 PM

Featured Panel: Recession Ahead? Preparation is Key to Surviving! 
Download Slides - NAIS

Download Slides - Bernstein Financial Advisors

Resources and Links


In preparation for the anticipated recession, what can schools do to weather the impact on the overall health of their institution? In what ways will this recession be similar and what lessons can we learn from 2007 to 2009? In what ways will this recession be different? Hear from experts in capital markets and school leaders, who experience the recession from the front row. 

Learning Objective: Participants will learn options for managing the impact of a potential recession on their school’s financial health.

Field of Study: Economics

Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Recommended CPE Credits: 1.0

  • Moderator - Rohan Arjun, Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid, Friends Select (PA)
  • Panelist, Christina Dotchin, Vice-President, Member Relations, EMA 
  • Panelist, Jennifer Osland Hillen, CPA, CGMA, Chief Learning Officer, NBOA
  • Panelist, Mark Mitchell, Vice President, NAIS
  • Panelist, David Oxley, Financial Advisor, Bernstein  
  • Panelist, Ann Snyder, Senior Director, Communities Engagement, CASE

Featured Resources

2:00 PM

Structure Your Financial Aid Program to Align with Enrollment Goals and Strategic Priorities

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In this interactive session, hear from two Boston-area financial aid practitioners about the ways schools can achieve enrollment goals and fulfill institutional priorities will maintaining a balanced budget and responsibly allocating resources.  Attendees are encouraged to share examples from their own institutions and contribute to the conversation.

Learning Objective: Participants will learn how to use financial aid to achieve enrollment and financial goals.

Field of Study: Finance

Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Recommended CPE Credits: 1.0

  • Brian Beale, Director of Enrollment, Brimmer & May, (MA)
  • Nastaran Hakimi, Director of Enrollment Management and Institutional Advancement, Boston University Academy (MA)

Shifting from Status Quo Tuition Setting to Sustainable Affordability Strategy

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Setting tuition strategically, utilizing tuition discounting effectively, and assessing and articulating the value proposition is vital to every school’s success. Unfortunately, schools tend to underutilize data when setting tuition and settle for exploring short-term tuition possibilities without considering or even identifying their optimal long-term affordability strategy.
In this interactive session, Nishant Mehta and Nikki Butts will offer actionable frameworks and tools to maximize the collaboration between enrollment, finance, and governance and create a stronger pricing and tuition discounting strategy that enhances your school’s perceived value in the market and competitively positions you for both short-term success and long-term sustainability.

Learning Objective: Participants will learn to tackle complex business opportunities and challenges proactively and in partnership with the head of school, board, and leadership team; learn to leverage their unique perspectives of the broader market, mission, and assessment of key demand and affordability markers to create a research-based institutional synergy at their school; and share operational and governance frameworks, tools and resources.

Field of Study: Finance

Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Recommended CPE Credits: 1.0

  • Nishant Mehta, Founder, Mehta Cognition
  • Nikki Butts, Managing Director & Strategic Enrollment Management Practice Leader, Mehta Cognition

Five Steps to Prepare for Financial Aid Season

Participants will learn five steps to ensure an equitable and efficient financial aid program by reviewing messaging, resources, and processes prior to each enrollment season. These steps include:
 - Ensuring all stakeholders are mission-alignment
 - Evaluating internal expertise
 - Assessing the economic impact of external trends
 - Aligning a financial aid platform with school strategy
 - Updating websites to attract the target audience

Learning Objective: Participants will learn five steps to ensure an equitable and efficient financial aid program by reviewing messaging, resources, and processes prior to each enrollment season.

Field of Study: Management Services

Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Recommended CPE Credits: 1.0

  • Katie Turner, Senior Solutions Engineer, Blackbaud
3:00 PM

Keynote: Using Aid Strategically to Achieve Organizational Goals

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How does a school develop a financial assistance program designed to meet organizational objectives?  And, how does the same organization prioritize and make choices among competing interests?  Join Ian from Ian Symmonds & Associates for an overview of how to develop a strategic framework for your financial assistance program.  Ian will provide an overview of different typologies of assistance and school types, from tuition-driven to heavily resources schools, and a variety of prioritization strategies. 

Learning Objective: Participants will learn best practices in establishing a financial aid strategy and program that provides a full experience to students and hear examples of inclusive financial aid strategy.

Field of Study: Finance

Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Program Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Recommended CPE Credits: 1.0

  • Ian Symmonds, ISA Founder, Chief Strategist (CA)

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