Reimagining Financial Aid: Using Data-driven Design to Increase Impact

Friday, March 21, 2025

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM US EST

Location: Provincial North, 2nd floor

Session Leader(s)

Susan R. Thomas (she/her/hers)

Associate Director of Financial Aid
IES Abroad
Chicago, Illinois, United States

Slides

Presenter(s)

CR

Carrie Rackers Cunningham

Associate Vice President of Analytics and Chief Data Officer
IES Abroad, Illinois, United States
Jesse Gamble (he/him/his)

Project Lead
Enrollment Research Associates
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Matt L. Leet

Assistant Director for Academic Services
Penn State, United States
Lauren Kreibich (she/her/hers)

Lead Strategist for Financial Aid
IES Abroad

IES Abroad will share how they partnered with Enrollment Research Associates, a higher education consulting firm, to use a data-driven approach to overhaul their financial aid program. Penn State University will share how IES Abroad’s new financial aid program not only impacted our students as a member of their pilot study but also inspired a deeper dive into our own data and some radical changes to our scholarship awarding structure.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion, participant will be able to conceptualize how a data focused approach can eliminate financial barriers for students at their institution or organization or otherwise understand financial aid for study abroad.
Upon completion, participant will be able to identify areas where they have agency to make changes to internal funding policies or practices that could increase the accessibility of study abroad, and areas where additional collaboration or decision-making is required to make these changes.