The Enrollment Services Office announced the launch of three newly completed projects that will provide better tools for student access and success. After many weeks of planning, development, and training, AcademicWorks, Financial Aid TV (FATV), and BankMobile are up and running. The successful project development efforts from College of Marin's Information Technology and Fiscal Services Departments and the Enrollment Services Office will result in more options, better access, and more efficient disbursements and refunds from their financial aid and scholarship money.
The College’s new online scholarship management system, AcademicWorks, is a great tool for managing scholarships through a common platform for reporting and managing scholarships housed at COM. AcademicWorks provides ease in the application process, which greatly benefits students. They simply sign in to the platform using their MyCOM credentials, fill out a quick application, and are automatically matched to scholarship opportunities. Other scholarships are recommended to each student based on their profile that they can apply for if they seem to fit. Another benefit is that we pull information from Banner that adds more layers to their chances of being automatically matched to some scholarships.
Financial Aid TV is a portal on the COM website that provides 24/7 videos on: financial aid basics, applying for financial aid, first time FAFSA tutorial, eligibility, shopping sheet, Net Price Calculator, understanding components of the award, repeating coursework, renewal FAFSA, IRS data retrieval process, scholarships, Federal Work-Study jobs, grant programs and BOG Fee Waiver, California state programs, EOPS, foster youth, educational tax benefits and credits, student loans, California Dream Act, credit scoring, veterans benefits, saving and borrowing money, satisfactory academic progress (SAP), appeal process, and identity theft. Athletic eligibility will be added in the near future. Financial Aid TV will be offered to all of the local high schools for high school student access and support, as well as parent access.
The new disbursement agency, BankMobile, provides efficient results for students. BankMobile is compliant with all new cash management regulations, and is a Tier 1 service provider. A Tier 1 arrangement is between an institution and a third-party servicer that performs one or more of the functions associated with processing direct payments of Title IV funds on behalf of the institution, and that offers one or more financial accounts to students and parents. All students can open a BankMobile account with few requirements.
Each of these individual projects would have been a great improvement in students' ability to find and recieve money for college. Together, the resources and systems make navigating the complexities of scholarships and financial aid more accesible and efficient. The College hopes this will in turn enhance student success.
About the College—90 Years of Transforming Lives Through Education and Training
College of Marin is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 10 Commercial Blvd., Suite 204, Novato, CA 94949, (415) 506-0234, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Additional information about accreditation, including the filing of complaints against member institutions, can be found at: www.accjc.org
College of Marin is one of 113 public community colleges in California and approximately 13,000 credit, noncredit, and community education students enroll annually.