Building awareness of the financial aid profession and its critical role in student success can take many forms. Awareness campaigns can range from cross-campus initiatives involving multiple departments to simple yet effective strategies, such as distributing one-pagers, offering training, or highlighting the office's impact through key data points.

Whether your campaign focuses on a specific topic or aims to raise the general understanding of the financial aid office's role, thoughtful planning is essential. The following framework can help guide the development of your awareness strategy.

Awareness Campaign Framework 

Audience

• Who are you trying to reach?
• Are you communicating with internal stakeholders (such as leadership, faculty, or staff), external partners, students, or the broader community? Tailor your tone, content, and format accordingly.

Purpose

• Why are you sharing this information?
• Clarify your goals: Are you advocating for increased resources, promoting collaboration, educating on policies, or simply raising visibility? Define the core message you want to convey.

Level of Detail

• How familiar is your audience with financial aid?
• Consider how much background knowledge they have. Avoid jargon where possible and focus on what they need to know to understand your message and its relevance to their role.

Action Items

• What should your audience do with this information?
• Identify the next steps, such as scheduling a meeting, attending training, sharing information, or revisiting a process. Reinforce takeaways and calls to action.

Delivery System

• What's the best way to reach your audience?
• Consider what platforms and tools are available to you — email campaigns, department meetings, training sessions, newsletters, websites, social media, or in-person events. Select a format that suits the message and your audience.

Sample Awareness Campaign 

In the spring of 2024, Western Governors University (WGU) launched an internal communications campaign to raise awareness about FAFSA simplification. They included information on how FAFSA simplification was affecting the work their office performed, its potential impacts across campus, and its effects on students. They also emphasized the importance of federal student aid on the overall campus mission. WGU's FAFSA Simplification Project is an excellent example of information sharing that raises awareness of the financial aid profession and the direct impact their work has on the campus. Review the sample financial aid awareness campaign from Western Governors University.

Have you launched a similar campaign?

We're looking to highlight additional examples of awareness efforts across campuses. If your institution has conducted an initiative to raise understanding of the financial aid office's role, please share your story with Margot Manning so we can continue showcasing innovative strategies that support the profession.

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