Hawkeye Community College’sDefault Prevention Program

Gisella BakerDirector of Financial Aid

HISTORY

• Responsible Borrowing Initiative:One on One Loan Session

• One on One Unsubsidized counseling

• Full Withdrawal Counseling

• LIVE Suspension seminar:Yes You Can

CURRENT EFFORTS: Communication prior to Enrollment

• Speak at Experience Hawkeye Days (Visit Days) to prepare students for college

• Have specific Financial Aid Experience Hawkeye Day

• Speak at Mandatory Orientation Sessions prior to students registeringHave Q&A session for family members

CURRENT EFFORTS: Prevention

• Table at Student Health Fair, Wellness Fairs and during FA Awareness Month to give information on managing their debt to decrease stress

• Visit College 101 classes

• “Stall Street” News for anyone on campus

• “Hawkeye Happenings” for instructors to pass information along

• Parent Newsletter

• Constant Up to Date Information on website

• FA Advisor Tables in Cafeteria

CURRENT EFFORTS: Prevention Cont.

CURRENT EFFORTS: Early Intervention

• New and Improved Responsible Borrowing online

• New and Improved Suspension ProcessAcademic Compliance FormYes You Can Seminar online

CURRENT EFFORTS: Before they leave school

• Require In-Person Exit Counseling Sessions for GraduatesHold official transcriptsHold College Diploma

CURRENT EFFORTS: After they leave school

• Send forbearance and deferment forms to those incarcerated

• Send out postcards every other month to borrowers in delinquent status– Complete monthly– Tailored to Loan Servicer

• Keep Skip Tracing up to date

RECENT EFFORTS• Teamed up with Business Office– Enclose Repayment Information with 1098Ts

• Teamed up with Career Services Center– Refer to help with resumes– Keep up to date contact information

• Increased Financial Literacy Awareness

• Requiring Game Plan as more hands on preparation for borrowing-in inclusion to Entrance Loan Counseling

• Teamed up with other offices to incorporate different ideas to College Strategic Planning to help with keeping Default Rates down:

Early Intervention Program (Look at midterm grades and requiring mandatory meetings with advisors and completing a mandatory “FA Consequences of withdrawing from school and not meeting SAP standards session)

Make College 101 classes mandatory

RECENT EFFORTS

IN THE WORKS

• Utilize new methods of contacting students

• Create understandable registration statement comparing bill & financial aid on the school portal

• Outsourcing Default Prevention

• Hire full time default prevention person

IN THE WORKS• Work in conjunction with UNI-CUE and IHaveAPlanIowa.gov

• Start call system with telecounselors

• Hawkeye Alumni testimonies

• Send reminder in Graduation Survey

• Regular LIVE chat sessions promoting different financial literacy topics

Gisella Bakergisella.baker@hawkeyecollege.edu

(319)296-4465