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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
Enrollment 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.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions about the financial confidence journey.
WHY SQUARE ONE
Meet Your Consultant
Laura Rudolph, M.S.
Founder, Square One Consulting
I've spent years helping families make sense of financial aid.
In my previous admissions leadership roles, I served as the go-to resource for financial aid education, leading presentations for prospective and admitted students and their families and walking them through financial aid packages.
From cost of attendance and scholarships to loan types, interest and work-study, I helped families understand not just what financial aid they received, but what college would actually cost them.
That firsthand experience, combined with nearly 20 years in enrollment marketing and communications, is the foundation of the Financial Confidence Journey.
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.