Matt Sessa, Joyce DeMoss, and Kevin Suyo | Dec. 2015

U.S. Department of Education

2015 FSA Training Conference for Financial Aid Professionals

Federal Student Aid Complaint System

Session 45

Background• Fulfills the Administration Mandate in the Student Aid Bill of Rights to

“create a responsive student feedback system” (2/2015)

• The Enterprise Complaint System will:• Improve the customer experience for filing feedback• Simplify processes to respond to complaints• Improve analytical and reporting capabilities

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Who Can Submit?• Federal Aid Customers

• “An applicant, student, student aid recipient, parent/guardian, third-party representative or endorser of a student’s federal financial aid.”

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What Can Be Submitted?• Complaints

• A customer’s dissatisfaction with the federal financial aid experience associated with a Title IV policy, process, service (e.g., system, event, quality of education) or entity where an explanation or resolution is expected.

• Compliments

• Allegations of Suspicious Activity

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Relationship to Other Contact Centers

• Are you trying to answer a question?• Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC: 1-800-4-FED-AID)• “I don’t understand how to create an FSAID.”• “I don’t know whether I am a dependent or independent student.”

• Are you trying to complain about your Title IV experience?• Enterprise Complaint System• “Your website is terrible.”• “Your collection agency is harassing me.”

• Are you resolving a dispute?• FSA Ombudsman• “I don’t agree with your TPD assessment.”• “My servicer tells me I still owe money, but that’s not true.”

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Information We Collect• User information• Contact information (e-mail, phone, address)• Complainant information (if different from submitter)• Military status• Complaint category (sequential drop-downs)• Complaint description (free-form text box)• Desired resolution (free-form text box)

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Student Aid Life Cycle• Applying for Aid – FAFSA

• Receiving Aid

• Repaying Aid

• Borrowers in Default

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Phases• Phase I – Spring 2016

• Online Customer Portal Available for All Life Cycle Phases• Ability to Submit, Track and Manage Complaints, Compliments, Suspicious

Activity• FSA and Servicer Responses

• Phase II – July 1st, 2016• Phone Capability Available• Chat Capability Available• Data Connections to External Systems (e.g., for data analytics)

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Portal: Providing Feedback

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Portal: Providing Feedback

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Access on StudentAid.gov

Portal: Providing Feedback

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FSAID Log-in (optional)

Access on StudentAid.gov

Portal: Providing Feedback

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FSAID Log-in (optional)

Access on StudentAid.gov

English/Spanish Capable

Portal: Contact Info

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Portal: Contact Info

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Knowledge-base: quick linksto common questions

Portal: Contact Info

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Third-party capable

Knowledge-base: quick linksto common questions

Portal: Contact Info

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Third-party capable

Military info requested(Optional)

Knowledge-base: quick linksto common questions

Features: Categorization

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Features: Categorization

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Interactive Progress Bar

Features: Categorization

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Interactive Progress Bar

Simple Categorization

Features: Complaint Info

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Features: Complaint Info

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School DataSelected fromPEPS

Features: Complaint Info

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School DataSelected fromPEPS Customer can

describe desired resolution

Features: Case Management

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Features: Case Management

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Filterable Data

Features: Case Management

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Filterable DataSortable Tables

Features: Case Management

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Features: Case Management

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Status Easily Identified

Features: Case Management

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Status Easily Identified

Can Provide Updates or Supporting Documentation

QUESTIONS?

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