Advisor-Financial Role Separation
When student mentors or case managers are directly responsible for approving or denying emergency financial aid requests, aid denials undermine client trust and damage the relational foundation required for ongoing personal coaching.
Picture this
Separating counseling from financial auditing is like having an attorney represent a client in court while a separate bank manager evaluates the client's loan application. Because the attorney does not decide on loan approvals, the client can openly share personal struggles with their lawyer without fearing financial penalty.
What the evidence says
82% of EFA requests submitted were approved with an average payout of $276, while navigators maintained client rapport by participating only in application assistance rather than approval decisions.
- Who
- N = 94 active Stay the Course program participants at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas.
- How
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) implementation protocol evaluation with designated Funds Coordinator role separation for 126 financial aid requests submitted over three years.
What to do
Separate financial aid approval authority from student mentoring staff by delegating emergency fund determinations to an independent financial coordinator.
From the source
"Navigators may assist clients in completing the financial assistance application, but they do not attend the student's meeting with the Funds Coordinator nor do they intercede with the Funds Coordinator on behalf of the student. This separation is designed to keep navigators from having to deny financial assistance from their own clients."
Increasing Community College Completion Rates among Low-Income Students: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of a Case Management Intervention