ICYMI: Financial Aid Communication Strategies That Save Time
By Tim Maggio, Community Manager
Students don’t read emails, or do they? Poorly framed messages lead to repeat phone calls, confusion, and potentially missed deadlines, but clear, targeted, and personalized messages can save staff time.
During a recent episode of Voices of NASFAA, three financial aid communication experts answered questions about improving financial aid communications for students and families.
“Clear communication makes your work more manageable,” said Karla Weber Wandel, communications manager at UW-Madison, who participated in this live Voices session. “If your financial aid website is easy to navigate, your emails drive one clear step, and your tone is supportive, everything else gets easier.”
Weber Wandel was joined by Vanessa Wiest, communications manager at the University of Iowa, and Christe LePeau, assistant director of communications and financial literacy at the University of Arizona. Together, they offered practical tips and tricks that any financial aid office can utilize at scale and in a way that works for them.
Why Email Still Matters
With social media, chatbots, and countless ways to reach students, email remains students’ preferred communication channel. But it only works if done intentionally.
Wiest explained that financial aid communicators should take a step back and critically assess whether messaging is better suited to a website than an email.
“If an email has no clear next step, why send it? Sometimes the message belongs on the website, where we can provide more context without overwhelming students,” she said.
Weber Wandel and LePeau agreed that emails should stay short, focused, and have a clear call to action. They encouraged audience members not to cram everything into an email but to complement their messages with an informative website.
They also urged offices to audit messaging for clarity, aim for an eighth-grade reading level, and avoid jargon.
Weber Wandel shared a cautionary example: “We once labeled financial aid as ‘Title IV aid.’ Staff knew what it meant, but students and families didn’t. We spent the whole day answering calls. That single phrase created hours of extra work.”
Segmentation and Personalization
For many, one-size-fits-all emails are the norm, but the panelists challenged the audience to segment and personalize messaging whenever possible.
“Gen Z doesn’t want to sift through details that don’t apply,” LePeau said. Segmenting by groups – first-year, returning, on-campus, off-campus, students with holds, and more can prevent information overload and save staff time.
“If you send a blanket message, they’ll call and ask, ‘Does this apply to me?’”
Weber Wandel added, “We’re much more protective of what we send to students. They should only hear from us when it’s important, timely, and actionable.”
Research backs this up: a McKinsey & Company survey found that 71% of consumers expect personalization, and 76% get frustrated when messaging is not personalized.
Collaborating Across Campus
Students don’t distinguish between departments; every message reflects the institution. Trust erodes if they receive six emails from six offices on the same day.
That’s why collaboration matters.
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Wiest partners with parent and family programming to deliver webinars.
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LePeau noted that past-due balance campaigns are more effective when housing, advising, and other partner offices know the timing and content of a message.
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Weber Wandel’s campus created a student-facing communications council where different departments meet every month.
“Meeting regularly prevents students from getting five different emails on the same day,” Weber Wandel said.
Ultimately, cross-campus aligned messaging saves students from information overload and saves staff time from frustrated phone calls.
Practical Tips
While some of these solutions may take more time than others, the panelists also shared some tips and tricks that you can start implementing in your office immediately:
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Use one clear action per email;
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Craft strong subject lines like “Action Required”;
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Make actions obvious – buttons outperform text links;
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Test your tone: “Does this sound like spam?”;
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Eliminate jargon like “Title IV”; and
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Use AI for readability checks, not writing content.
Good Communication Saves Time
The panelist’s message was consistent: better communication reduces noise, prevents repeat questions, and helps staff focus on higher-value work.
Even with a thousand competing priorities, investing time in communication saves your office time, reduces stress, and improves the student experience.
“When students know exactly what to do and staff aren’t fielding the same questions all day, everyone wins,” Weber Wandel said. “Good communication isn’t extra work – it’s the work that makes everything else easier.”
Publication Date: 10/1/2025
Brenda B | 10/1/2025 9:6:49 AM
Great information and thanks for sharing! Clear communication is key!
Holly R | 10/1/2025 8:27:17 AM
Great information! Concise and actionable is key. I think acronyms are tough for students, too. We know what we mean, but would anyone else know what we mean!
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