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THE REAL EXPERIENCE
Financial aid
is not one message
The financial aid offer is not the end of the affordability conversation. For most students and families, it is the beginning.
Students and families experience financial aid across months: completing the FAFSA, responding to verification requests, comparing options, paying a deposit, preparing for the first bill and making the final move toward enrollment.
When those moments are handled by separate offices, systems and timelines, families are left to connect the dots themselves.
FROM FAFAS TO ENROLLMENT
One decision. Many moments that shape it.
The goal is not more communication. It is the right information, in context, when families need it most.
PREPARE
FAFSA guidance, deadlines and required information
UNDERSTAND
The financial aid offer, remaining cost and the aid mix
DECIDE
Questions, comparisons, special circumstances and deposit
PLAN
Estimated costs, actual charges, billing and payment options
ARRIVE
Summer communication, requirements, transition to campus
BUILD AROUND YOU
One connected experience.
Every institution starts in a different place. The engagement is shaped around your students and families, current communications, enrollment goals and Slate environment.
01.
A data-informed review of the current affordability communication journey
02.
Student, parent and supporter journey strategy, including clear explanations of costs, billing, payment timing and options
03.
Financial aid offer and supporting communications
04.
Email, SMS, website and FAQ content
05.
FAFSA, verification and missing-information communications
06.
Financial aid offer and supporting communications
07.
Counselor and staff talking points
08.
Slate strategy, campaign building, and testing
WAYS TO ENGAGE
One part or the whole.
01
Audit &
Road Map
A focused starting point for institutions that need a clear view of the current experience and what to address first.
02
Strategy &
Content
A connected student and family comms strategy, with custom content for the moments that matter most.
03
Full Journey
Build
Assessment, journey strategy, content development and Slate build and hand off directly in your instance.
THE BLOG
Financial Aid: Notes from the field
If you've ever sat in a meeting and thought "am I the only one who sees this?" — you're not. This is where I write about what's really happening in higher ed enrollment and marketing, for the people living it every day.
Most Recent Posts
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions about the financial confidence journey.
WHY SQUARE ONE
Meet Your Consultant
Laura Rudolph, M.S.
Founder & CEO, Square One Consulting
This is not new work. It just finally has a name.
I have spent nearly two decades working across admissions, enrollment marketing, family communication and Slate.
I understand how enrollment, financial aid, marketing and technology intersect — and how easily the student and family experience fractures when each part is treated as a separate transaction.
The result is a strategy your institution can use, content that speaks human and a system your team can sustain.
Families should not have to piece together what college will cost.
If your financial aid communication feels fragmented or disconnected from the rest of enrollment, let's talk about what a clearer journey could look like.