At the AISAP Annual Institute in July of 2022, we had about 100 schools signed up to use Clarity for financial aid. At last year’s Institute we’d already grown to over 400 schools, and this year we set up our table (now seasoned Institute veterans) proudly serving more than 900. It’s been truly amazing and humbling to witness the growth of Clarity over three Annual Institutes in just two short years from a relative unknown to a major service provider. Six of us attended the Annual Institute this year and we’ve got three major takeaways to share:

1. Developing New Professionals

Something that makes the AISAP Annual Institute (intentionally not called a conference) unique is its cohort model, in which enrollment professionals are placed in random peer-led groups and those groups gather regularly throughout the course of the Institute. They will also meet several times over the course of the school year until the next Annual Institute comes around. That structure, coupled with a variety of sessions that were specifically geared towards those who are new to financial aid, made this year’s Annual Institute an ideal learning opportunity. If you are an AISAP member I’d highly recommend checking out the resource board to grab the slide decks from sessions like Financial Aid 101, Lessons for New Directors, and Design Thinking for Admission Professionals.

2. The Business of Enrollment and Financial Aid 

For about 7 years, I have been presenting and blogging about Net Tuition Revenue as a key part of a larger enrollment and financial aid strategy. If there is one trend that has grown as fast as school tuition rates, it’s the need for sound practices that recognize the business side of enrollment management, with financial aid being a key element. Schools are increasingly relying on financial aid and general discounting in strategic ways to ensure that enrollment, fiscal, and class-building goals are met each year. Sessions such as Attacking the Bell Curve: Moving to an Indexed Tuition Model, Be the Financial Aid Committee, and Show Me the Money! Making Admissions Everyone’s Business would all be excellent resources to access if you want to learn more about the business side of enrollment management.

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3. Future Sustainability

Everyone is concerned about the future; it’s simply human nature. However, in our industry we are seeing trends across the board that are cause for concern. Issues such as inflation, the rising cost of tuition, the “wealthening” of the financial aid pool, the disappearance of the middle class, climate and natural disasters, and the desire to offer assistance not just for tuition but for the true cost of attendance all weigh heavily on the minds of enrollment professionals. Several sessions offered ways to think about and address these types of concerns, such as Digging Into Financial Aid Methodology; Navigating Risk: Case Studies and Strategies for Navigating Difficult Applications; Fires, Floods, & Blizzards Oh My: Weather-Proof and Future-Proof Your Financial Aid Policy; and The Price is Right: Fair Market Tuition and Full-Pay Enrollment. 

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 Bonus Takeaway: The Strategic Partnership Between Clarity and AISAP

It’s become a bit of a tradition at the AISAP Annual Institute for Clarity to put together a fantastic party. Indeed, we put a lot of thought and planning into trying to put on the very best event possible. This year, thanks to our CSMs Jennifer Sheppard and Kelly Small, our party at Gracie’s was a huge success! We were thrilled to be able to celebrate the fact that Clarity is now AISAP’s official partner for financial aid learning. At Clarity, we are more than a financial aid software provider: Thanks to a Client Success Team that brings over 200 years of experience to schools, we are able to serve as a professional resource for our schools. With this AISAP partnership, that reach is significantly extended. As I mentioned in my AISAP reflection blog last year, we take pride both in building the very best financial aid solution for schools and in connecting with all of our peers, colleagues, and friends in the industry with good food, an amazing atmosphere, and a much-needed opportunity to unwind. See you at the next one!

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