Episode One: From FAFSA to Enrollment: Rethinking Financial Aid and Access

In this first episode, the Vice President for Enrollment Development & College Futures sits down with Michelle Rhodes, Grand Valley’s Associate Vice President for Financial Aid, to unpack the rapidly shifting financial aid landscape and what it means for students, families, and institutions.

Their conversation explores the real impact of recent FAFSA changes, how federal policy is shaping enrollment strategy, and why financial aid is no longer just a back-end process but a central part of how colleges communicate value and affordability. 

From reframing college as a long-term investment to offering actionable advice on scholarships, budgeting, and reducing debt, this episode highlights what it takes to build trust, improve access, and support students in making informed choices about their future.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

There's data that suggests that going to college and graduating, it enhances your earning potential, yet we still find ourselves answering the question around the value of a college degree.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

A common question is like, should I take loans? I don't want to take loans. I don't want to use them at all. But you have to focus away from that sticker price and towards the longer-term outcomes, reminding them that college is one of the few investments that impacts not just earnings, but career flexibility, lifetime opportunities, civic engagement, economic mobility. Really hard to have that conversation sometimes with 17 and 18-year-olds.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Welcome to the Pathways Project Podcast. I am B. Dante Trust, Vice President for Enrollment Development and College Futures. I am excited to see the launch of this podcast. This podcast will entail us sharing stories, challenging systems, talking a bit about how higher education is moving forward with a major focus on ensuring that we get out information that's gonna help move the needle in higher ed, but also help our learners, prospective learners, to enhance their abilities to move through the educational journey. Today I am with AVP Michelle Rhodes. She leads our financial aid office at Grand Valley State University, and I must say, by far the best financial aid person, professional in the country. Welcome, Michelle.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Thank you so much for having me, Dr. Truss.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

I am glad to have you. So today we're going to start with just the thought around what's the biggest challenge, what's the biggest issue or concern that we're dealing with with financial aid as it relates to the country right now?

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Yeah, as I thought about this question, one of the biggest changes we're navigating right now is the transformation of the financial aid system, particularly the FAFSA redesign. So the FAFSA, the free application for federal student aid, has gone over quite a few changes the last few years and the ripple effects it's created across enrollment, affordability, and most importantly how families understand paying for college. And for institutions, it's not just about adjusting to new formulas, new processes, new regulations, but it's about rebuilding trust and clarity for families during a time when the system has been disrupted and has felt very unpredictable. Financial aid is no longer a back-end administrative function like it used to be. It is central to how students decide when they enroll, where they can enroll, and if they can enroll. We are also seeing students and families asking more sophisticated questions, which is great. They ask questions about value, return on investment, long-term financial outcomes, and they're making decisions based on those things. This shift is pushing institutions to think more holistically about affordability, student success, workforce readiness, and not as separate goals, but as connected strategies.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Thank you, Michelle. Um you shared so much there, and and I appreciate that. I'm gonna try to pull a couple of things out that I think are really, really important. When we think about the federal landscape and how financial aid has been impacted by some of the changes that were made last year and the year before, uh, positive changes, changes that were designed to enhance how one actually completes the document and reduce the amount of time that it takes. Um but talk a little bit about how that transformation impacts overall affordability, thinking about the federal landscape, but also the state landscape here in Michigan as we have new financial opportunities here in Michigan.

SPEAKER_00 4:00

One of the things you mentioned was the change in the FAFSA application itself. And you know, you are correct that it absolutely has become easier for families, a lot of very positive things. But bigger picture when we think about federal financial aid that influences um enrollment and affordability, they're forcing institutions to become very intentional now about how we define affordability. We can't assume families will automatically understand aid offers or be able to navigate complex systems. Now the FAFSA form is easier to complete, so now we have to focus on different things like what the aid offer itself looks like, making sure we're clear across the country, because different schools do different things, and we're we're trying to really focus on how to make sure that our aid offers are similar to others so it's less confusing for families. Financial aid has really become a frontline enrollment strategy more than ever before. And institutions are investing more in transparency. We are investing in earlier communication and clearer net pricing from the beginning and much earlier on, so students can make confident decisions much sooner than they ever have before. And I also wanted to add it's encouraging colleges to think beyond awarding aid, and we also have started to shift a focus on student financial wellness as a whole. Things like predictable pricing, limiting excessive borrowing, all of these things we get asked about a lot. And we need to make sure that we are ahead of the game and looking at our data, making sure students and families understand those things ahead of time. Supporting student employment is something we've also talked a lot about at our institution and nationwide of making sure students understand where they can work, how they can work, how it can be a supplement to financial wellness, and how it actually can lead to positive academic success if they're working. We need to make sure we design aid programs in general that reduce financial surprises throughout a student's college journey. So, very specifically, that means making sure we award renewable scholarships instead of awarding a one-year scholarship. So those are shifts that I've seen, and I think things that big picture we need to continue to focus on for students.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

Absolutely. Yeah. You know, I was reading an article on yesterday, and the article shared, and it's something that we kind of know, but it really highlighted it for me, that the relationship that a student builds with the financial aid office starts before the student ever enrolls and continues well after the student graduates. So that relationship is one that's going to be very consistent. Talk a little bit about how you have worked with your team members to make sure they understand the power of presence and the power of building a powerful or impactful relationship.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

Yeah, that's a lot of pressure, right? We have to we work with them from the time they are enrolled or even before, before they're even admitted. And then we have to focus on them through their journey. And then again, we're getting questions, you know, when they leave about my loan debt. How do I repay? What am I doing? And I think over the last few years, specifically, um, just reminding all of our faculty staff, specifically the ones that are on the front lines, like you, you don't know who's going to be on the end of a phone. You're right. We have cycles, but you could be answering a question from a student who wants to know their balance. You could be answering a student that wants to come to Grand Valley in two years. You could be answering a question about, I graduated four years ago and I'm still struggling, and now what do I do? Or I think um coming back to school. So planning and being purposeful about um, you know, how we staff and when we staff and who we put in what places. All of those things have, I would say, changed in the last few years, but are super important um to how we train our staff and make sure they're ready.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

That's awesome. That's awesome. You know, I hear stories often from learners that have started here at Grand Valley, but all over the country in different places that I've worked, where there are first generation students who are showing up on our campuses, um, and they've completed the FASP, but they got a lot of questions, um, they got a lot of concerns, and they know that moving forward, they're kind of gonna be the persons leading that journey without maybe community members, family members, whoever helped them that time. You know, how do you believe we can best serve those learners who are really puzzled by the journey forward, need a little guidance, but with the right guidance can go on and do amazing things?

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Yeah, so with those types of conversations, right, a lot of times the cost is the thing that's right front and center. So we tend to not focus on sticker price or, you know, your bill is gonna be this much. But you, you know, a common question is like, should I take loans? I don't want to take loans. I don't want to use them at all, but you have to focus away from that sticker price and towards the longer-term outcomes, um, reminding them that college is one of the few investments that impacts not just earnings, but career flexibility, lifetime opportunities, civic engagement, economic mobility. Really hard to have that conversation sometimes with 17 and 18-year-olds. You know, they're more concerned with where's my friend gonna go next year and what's my dorm gonna look like? How's the food here? And you're trying to talk to them about don't worry about the cost, but think about your career mobility in the future. And it has to be the right investment for each student. We encourage families to look at net costs, look at graduation rates, look at career placement, look at support systems. Um, and you know, that those conversations come up when students are looking at multiple colleges. Um, you know, should I go to a community college? Should I go to a four-year institution? Um, should I go to public, private? Choice is important. We want students to have choice, but we also then, um, you know, working at Grand Valley, let them know what Grand Valley values are, let them know the services we have and why you maybe would want to choose Grand Valley. Um, and also not afraid to have the conversation if they think that something else sounds better or we don't have the program here. All of that's okay, right? So I think we absolutely want every single student we can at Grand Valley, but we also know we need to holistically have a conversation so that student makes the best choice for them. The other piece of it is like making sure they do that in an appropriate time frame because when they graduate on time, uh they have manageable debt, stronger career preparation, and the long-term return on investment is incredibly powerful. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

So talk a little bit about how scholarships, early access programs, and clear pricing impact students' thoughts around affordability.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Affordability is just as much about perception as it is and trust as it is about the actual numbers. They need to trust that those things are true and actually happening and going to be impactful. Um, when students see clear, predictable pricing and scholarships that reduce uncertainty, college begins to feel achievable rather than risky. So, an example, and I highlighted a little earlier, but making sure they know at the time they're getting that financial aid offer, are these things that continue year after year? Is this one time? Where do I know what I need to do to renew it? And being very transparent and clear and upfront. Um, that's something specifically at Grand Valley, we value a lot. We always know we want the very best financial aid offer to go to the student the very first time because we want to be absolutely transparent. Um, early access programs also can play a major role by helping students and families understanding college expectations, financial planning, and available resources long before enrollment decisions are made. So we think about that as well. Um, so you know, transparency is something that is a value of GVSU, but it is certainly something that we value in financial aid. Um, you know, we've had a lot of conversations of, you know, we we want to really make sure students know what they're gonna pay, what scholarships are gonna get, and you know, our scholarship structure and our aid structure. And, you know, we we truly, truly try to make that our number one priority. Um, when institutions clearly communicate costs, expectations, and what support systems we have in place, students are far more likely to enroll, persist, and graduate. And those are all things that we pay very close attention to.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

Yeah, yeah. Thank you, Michelle. You know, I think about higher ed um as a whole, and I sometimes think that the journey can be filled with barriers. I'd like to think at Grand Valley State University, we are working hard to make sure that we are opening doors, not closing doors, that we're removing barriers, not putting barriers in the way. From a financial aid perspective, how are you working hard to make sure that there are no barriers in the way that keeps our learners from getting into Grand Valley State University and being successful once they get here? From a financial aid perspective.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Yeah, from a financial aid perspective, when I think about barriers, um, a lot of it, you know, has to do with deadlines. It has to do with communication, um, and it has to do with making sure, you know, we are transparent and clear. So, you know, examples of barriers that we tend to talk about a lot is, you know, we have deadlines for certain things, but are we really making sure that those deadlines are equitable? And are we really focusing in on what students are behaving like, right? Not having a deadline just for the sake of a deadline, but then also be willing to adjust those deadlines. Other barriers, um, you know, financial aid is very, very regulatory, meaning there are lots of regulations that I wish I didn't have to follow, but we have to follow. Those are, you know, it's very black and white. And then where I like to dig in is where we can be a little bit more gray and where we can focus a little bit more on student success and where we can reduce those barriers, um, you know, without getting too much into specifics on how that works in our world, which I could, um, but you know, we really take the time to evaluate our policies and our practices and our procedures and how we do things of, you know, making sure we don't just simply send an email to students and not have them be able to reach back out. Or we want to make sure that, you know, they they feel like they can contact us at any time. Um, you know, sometimes we hear feedback of we can be scary, we can be intimidating. Um, so definitely bring that up with my, I bring that up with my team as we're leading through of a student might come in our office and they are not gonna know what question they actually have. They just know someone told them to come see us. We have to be ready and prepared for those conversations. Um, and then my last point I'll say around reducing barriers is making sure that we think ahead for the student for the questions that they don't know that they're gonna ask and they need to ask. You know, they might be asking us today about how am I gonna pay this bill, but it's important for us to answer the question with not only how are you gonna pay the bill, but then also it's important that you attend your class and complete your class because otherwise you might be at risk for not paying your bill the next semester. Or you can pay it right now, but let's talk about student employment and how you can get an on-campus job. What other things are you concerned about in the future? So we really try to reduce barriers in the future by having the relevant conversations when they do come see us.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Great, great. Final question. This is the Pathway Project podcast, right? So I can't have that as the topic and not, or the title and not ask a pathway question, right? Tell me what's your favorite pathway that we've created at Grand Valley State University and how you support it.

SPEAKER_00 15:53

Oh man, okay. There's a lot of them. Pick one. We have done a lot. I think probably the one that I love to work with the most is HBCU, um, HSI pathway pipeline. Um, I particularly love that one because we've found a way to let students know that they can be successful at a master's degree level. Um, so you know, we are taking students who maybe didn't even want to go to college in the first place, and we're letting them know, like, hey, maybe you've never heard of GVSU, but we are giving you this opportunity. We have some financial supports, we definitely have um strong mentors and advocates for those students. And, you know, not only making it about that, but making it about a career and really diving in. And, you know, sometimes they come and they think they want to do something as a master's degree and they shift. And that's been great to see as well. But I think probably most recently, that's been my favorite one to be involved in and work on.

SPEAKER_01 16:51

Awesome. Awesome. And just to add for the clarity, for those who don't know, our HBCU HSI consortium is a pathway to Grand Valley State University that starts at our 10 partner HBCUs and HSIs. Ultimately, the program is designed for students who are at HBCUs that may not have access to the full academic portfolio that Grand Valley State University has. They get an opportunity to transition into Grand Valley, complete a master's degree, and do so with some financial aid support and a ton of support that helps them to be successful while they're here. It is an exciting pathway, and we have graduated well over 30 students, learners, and they are still in the area, working, living in the Grand Rapids area. Michelle, thank you so much for joining me on the Pathways Project Podcast. You're my first. Thank you so much. You did an amazing job. You know, we've had a great opportunity to talk a bit about financial aid. Uh, talk about financial aid being the start of the relationship that will help a learner along the way through this journey from really prior to starting to well past graduation. Uh I am super excited to have you on the team leading that effort. You know, we've also talked about uh making sure that there are no barriers in the way for our learners and financial aid's role in making sure that there are no barriers. Uh, we've also clarified that it's about the bottom line. You know, we want our learners to make sure that they see on their award letter the scholarships that have come in, remain in balance, and know what it is that they're getting ready to embark upon and how that investment in themselves can ensure a lifelong educational journey, but also increased earnings along the way. Uh, I appreciate you tremendously. Um, I want to make sure that you are looking out for our next podcast. It'll be coming soon. Uh, we're here, we're not going anywhere, and we want to help you demystify this higher education process.