Sample Assessment Meeting Checklist
KeyobjectivesfortheAssessmentmeetings:
• Assesshowthestudentisfeelingabouthercollegeplans.
• Takenoteofanypotentialbarrierstothestudent’scollegeenrollment.
• Reviewthelateststatusofthestudents’financialaid,highlightingpossibleappealsoradditionalloansthestudentwill
needtoconsider.
• Discussadditionalcoststhestudentmayface,ormaybeabletowaive(e.g.thecollege’shealthinsurance).
• Reviewkeysummertasksdeadlinesforthestudent’sintendedinstitution.
Todobeforethemeeting:
• Reviewinformationfromthecaseloadspreadsheetandhighschoolexitsurveyaboutstudent’s
postsecondaryplansandschoolyearperformance____
• Reviewimportantsummertasksatstudent’sintendedinstitution.____
o Pullupbriefingdocumentifstudentisattendinga“popular”institution,orgenericguidelines
forstudentsattendingotherinstitutions
• CheckwhetherstudenthascompletedtheFAFSA____
Assesshowthestudentisfeelingabouthercollegeplans:
• Beginmeetingwithopenendedquestiontoassesshowstudentfeelsabouthercollegeplans ____
• Takenoteofanyissuesthestudentraises____
• Askadditionalprobingquestionstogetatotherissuesthestudentmayface____
***COMPLETETHEINTAKEFORMWITHTHESTUDENT***____
Guidelinesforthefinancialaidawardletterdiscussionwithstudent
o Helpfulresources:collegebriefingdocuments;FinancialAidAwardLettercalculator;Guidelines
tothefinancialaidappeal
• Logontostudent’smy.college.edupage,ifstudentbroughtlogininfo.Ifthestudentdidnotbringlogin
info,useguidelinesonbriefingdocumenttohelpstudentgetthelogininfoduringthemeeting ____
• HelpstudentcompleteFAFSA,orfixerrors,ifstudenthasnotalreadydoneso____
• Reviewstudent’slatestfinancialaidawardlettercomparedtothecostofattendance ____
o CostofAttendanceinformationisprovidedinthebriefingdocumentsforthepopularcolleges.
Ifthestudentisattendingadifferentinstitution,trygooglingthecollege’snameand
“costofattendance.”
o EnterthecostofattendanceandawardletterinformationintotheAwardLetterCalculator
o Discusswithstudentswhattheywillreceiveingrantaid,whattheyareexpectedtoborrow,and
whattheywillhavetocomeupwithoutofpocketorfromsupplementalloans
o Visithttp://www.direct.ed.gov/RepayCalc/dlentry1.htmltohelpstudentstoidentifywhatthey
canexpecttopayinmonthlypaymentsaftertheyleavecollegefortheloanstheyassume.Note
forstudentsthatthesearemonthlypaymentamountsforoneyearofcollege.
• Discusswithstudentwhethertoappealherfinancialaidawardletter.Seeguidelinesinthe“Guidelines ____
tothefinancialaidappeal”document
• Remindstudentsthatcollegemaydeductadditionalscholarshipmoneytheyreceivefromtheirexisting ____
grantaid.Theyshouldcalltheirfinancialaidofficetoasktheircollege’spolicyonthis.
• Ifthestudentappearstofaceagapbetweenherfinancialaid(includingfederal/stateloans)and ____
thetotalcostofattendance:
o Askwhetherthestudentandherfamilyhaveaplantoaddressthisgap
o Referstudenttowww.studentloans.govwherehecanexploreloanoptions,includingaDirect
PLUSloanherparentsmaybeabletotakeout.
o Studentswillneedtheirsocialsecurity#andFAFSApintoaccessthiswebsite.
o StudentswhoseparentsaredeniedforaPLUSloanmayqualifyforanadditional$4,000in
unsubsidizedStaffordloans.
o Note:Studentsmayaskabouttakingoutaprivateloanthemselves,ratherthanhavingtheirparentstake
outaloan.Thisusuallyrequiresfindingacosignor,andoftentheloanhasaveryhighinterestrate,
sothisisanavenuewe’dadvisestudentsnottotake.
Sample Assessment Meeting Checklist
Guidelinesforthetuitionbilldiscussionwithstudents
o Helpfulresources:collegebriefingdocuments
• Helpthestudentsinterpretthecharges(e.g.tuition,activityfee)andcredits(e.g.financialaidgrant) ____
• Confirmthatallofthefinancialaidthestudentisexpectingfromherawardletterisincludedonthebill
• Reviewhealthinsurancecosts,ifany,andwhetherthestudent’scollegewillaccepthercurrent ____
insurance.Ifappropriate,reviewstepsstudentneedstotaketowaiveschoolinsurance.
o Healthinsurancewaiverinformationisprovidedinthebriefingdocumentsforthepopular
colleges.Ifthestudentisattendingadifferentinstitutionandhealthinsuranceisrequired,try
googlingthecollege’snameand“healthinsurancewaiver”
• AskwhetherthestudenthassignedMasterPromissoryNotes(MPN)foranyfederalloanss/heistaking____
out.Ifnot,directthestudenttowww.studentloans.govwheres/hecancompletetheMPN(s)online
o Studentswillneedtheirsocialsecurity#andFAFSApintoaccessthiswebsite.
• Helpstudentsinterpretanoverall“credit”totheiraccount.Forinstance,iftheyhavea$1,000crediton ____
theiraccount,buthavealoanfor$4,000,theywouldbebetterofftakinga$3,000loan.
• Ifthestudentfacesagapbetweenfinancialaid(includingfederal/stateloans)andthetotalcost
ofattendance:____
o Askwhetherthestudentandherfamilyhaveaplantoaddressthisgap
o Referstudenttowww.studentloans.govwhereshecanexploreloanoptions,includingaDirect
PLUSloanherparentsmaybeabletotakeout.
o Studentwillneedhersocialsecurity#andFAFSApintoaccessthiswebsite.
o Discusstuitionpaymentplanoptionswithstudent(tuitionpaymentsaremadeonamonthly ____
basisratherthanupfront).
o Tuitionpaymentoptions,includingpaymentplans,areprovidedinthebriefing
documentsforthepopularcolleges.Ifthestudentisattendingadifferentinstitution,
trygooglingthecollege’snameand“tuitionpaymentplan”
o Note:Studentsmayaskabouttakingoutaprivateloanthemselves,ratherthanhavingtheirparentstake
outaloan.Thisusuallyrequiresfindingacosignor,andoftentheloanhasaveryhighinterestrate,
sothisisanavenuewe’dadvisestudentsnottotake.
Nextsteps:
• Copyintakeformforstudent,andreviewnextstepsfrommeeting____
• Scheduleafollowupmeetingwiththestudent,ifneeded____
• Remindstudenthowto/whenshecanreachyou____
Todoaftermeeting:
• LogthestudentmeetingontheStudentInteractionform____
• Ifyouwereabletoscheduleafollowupmeetingwiththestudent:Setupatextreminderforthestudent
forthedaybeforethescheduledmeeting____
• Ifyouwerenotabletoscheduleafollowupmeetingwiththestudent:Scheduleatimeforcallingthe
studentinaweekortwotocheckinonhowtheyaredoing____
70 RESOURCES Summer Melt Handbook STRATEGIC DATA PROJECT 71