You wouldn't go without important checkups in personal life, so why would you forgo them with your institution?

Call on us to diagnose your institution's weaknesses and provide positive recommendations for improvement. At CHESS, we specialize in comprehensive program reviews, including examination of policies and procedures, student files, and institutional financial aid eligibility. And we interview faculty, staff, and students to get a real-world view of what's happening at your institution.

Tailored to meet your institution's needs, goals, and objectives, our program reviews cover a wide range of topics, which may include:

Review of:

• Institutional eligibility requirements
• Academic program eligibility requirements
• The 18 written policies and procedures most frequently examined by federal program reviewers
• Federal Reports (FISAP, PPA, ECAR, Recertification Application)
• Past audits and federal program review determinations
• Compliance with consumer information requirements

Support in:

• Completing the NASFAA Self-Evaluation Guide, if the institution is a NASFAA member

Interviews with:

• Students, staff, and administrators to obtain qualitative information about financial aid office services and operations

Use of an objective assessment tool to obtain:

• Empirical evidence of student satisfaction
• Information on leadership practices of student aid administrators

Review and analysis of:

• Staffing and salary patterns in comparison with national and regional benchmark data
• Technology systems, resulting in recommendations for improvements
• Process flow of documents and information to determine if reengineering processes could result in more efficient use of resources
• Samples of student files to determine compliance with federal student aid requirements
• The institution's financial aid packaging policies to determine if they are effectively meeting enrollment management goals

And if an institution has had past adverse findings, we strongly recommend those areas be targeted for review to ensure corrective actions have been effective.

Contact CHESS today to arrange for a comprehensive program review.