About The Peer Reviewers

The NASFAA SOE peer reviewers are your financial aid colleagues across the country. These are special individuals who “enjoy the opportunity to assist other schools” or “want to help their fellow administrators provide a more accessible and efficient delivery process to students and families.” Several reviewers explained their reason for participating as, “the gratification of being able to give something back to the financial aid profession.” Whatever the reason, the SOE peer reviewers are professional, experienced, and ready to assist you with your financial aid issues from the moment they walk through the door.

There are currently 58 peer reviewers in the SOE program. From this pool, the program coordinator hand-selects individuals with specific institutional experience and qualifications to be part of your institution’s peer review team.

Reviewer experience in a financial aid office ranges from 8 years to 35 years. Reviewers have served anywhere from 1,000 students to more than 50,000 with many serving both undergraduate and graduate students. Some reviewers have spent their entire career at one type of institution – making them an “institutional” expert, while others have worked at several types of institutions (including 4-year public, 4-year private, 2-year public, and 2-year private), offering a unique and respected perspective.

All of the SOE reviewers have received special training from NASFAA. And 44 of the current reviewers have received additional training to conduct reviews at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Reviewers who have successfully participated in many SOE reviews may eventually become an SOE team leader. These team leaders oversee the on-site review process at your institution.

When some of the peer reviewers were asked, “What advice do you offer institutions that are considering a review?” the following suggestions were offered:

• Prepare to be open, honest, and receptive to the possibility of change.

• As external, non-federal, reviewers we can provide things that your staff can't. For one, we always identify strengths and items to showcase for a school. Internally it is difficult to “toot your own horn,” so let us do it. We can also point out weaknesses and compliance concerns before a federal reviewer (with the ability to fine your school) will. We also bring with us the ability to review, and criticize if appropriate, offices external to the Financial Aid Office. We can be the catalyst to change – both changes you didn't realize you needed, and those you did (but could not implement because of unwillingness on another office’s behalf).

• It's a great tool to help improve your services to students and compliance.

• Go for it!

• The SOE review is one of the best “peer-study” evaluations an institution can invest in. Take the review seriously. It is comprehensive, non-threatening and confidential. This is a grand opportunity to discover your best practices as well as provide solid recommendations for improvements and compliance concerns that may need campus support to resolve.

• Relax and listen to the advice. Don’t be afraid to examine your processes.

• It’s a great and non-threatening way to have your administration of aid double-checked. Try to have your materials, such as policy manuals and consumer information materials, organized for quick access.

• This is a learning experience that is presented in a friendly environment that is supportive and non-threatening. Enjoy the opportunity to improve your work environment and celebrate that which you do well!

• The SOE review process is an excellent way for an institution to a get an accurate, comprehensive assessment of their financial aid office, and its operations and processes, with a minimal investment of time. Regardless of the reason(s) an institution may have – resolving known problems, looking for ways to improve basically sound processes and practices, a financial aid director vacancy, etc. – the resulting SOE report is invaluable in helping an institution to understand where they currently are, where they need to be, and how to get there.

• Develop an issue log of areas of issues that impact the financial stability of the program.

• Be sure your administration understands the purpose of the review and get support for addressing the problems and needs that will be identified in the report. Be sure the staff understands the purpose of the review so they can use the reviewers as a resource while they are there.

• This is a must do for every campus. You will find out a lot about your campus organization and communication. You will gain comfort for the validity of your financial aid processes and compliance. You will realize more benefits than you can possibly imagine in the form of observations and suggestions. If you are new to your campus, this is a quick way for you to have experts evaluate the effectiveness of the financial aid process; you’ll know the strengths and vulnerabilities of the process.

• If you are a seasoned person at your institution, the review will help you sort out issues that may have crept into your processes, revitalize the appreciation for the positive and provide the road map for redirecting resources to vulnerable areas.

• Use the information you receive from the review in your strategic planning.

• A review will allow you to address the issues to make sure you are serving your students to the best of your ability and if the recommendations are heeded, you will be able to sleep all night.

• Do it. Assign individual staff to work with the reviewers in specific areas (fund management, awarding procedures, etc.). Give the reviewers a tutorial on your computer system and arrange to have the IT Department or FAO technical staff available to assist reviewers in finding information on the system and navigating the system. Don’t underestimate the time commitment needed from the director and the rest of the staff and schedule the review during a “down” time for the office. Be candid about any political problems so that reviewers don’t inadvertently create more problems for you.

• Be open to suggestions. Do not be defensive or try to gloss over areas of concern. The review is only as useful as the information that is shared with the reviewers.

Next Step

If you are ready to take the next step, simply complete the no-obligation Cost Estimate Request Form, which is an online form, or download and print the Cost Estimate Request Form as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file and fax it to 202-785-1487.

Please direct all questions about SOE to Susan Luhman, program coordinator, at Excellence@NASFAA.org or (202) 785-6972.