Key Takeaways

• The 2021 NAIS Financial Aid Survey identified five core challenges for financial aid administrators, and Clarity was built to address each one.
• Clarity's InTuition tool tracks budget impact and net tuition revenue in real time, giving administrators full financial visibility for every award decision.
• Families can complete the mobile-friendly application in 20–30 minutes in English or Spanish, reducing delays and back-and-forth with parents.
• For complex situations, separated or divorced families can apply independently, and tax data pulls directly from the IRS, giving administrators confidence when families have complicated financial circumstances.
• Schools set their own aid methodology with support from a dedicated Client Success Manager, keeping decisions consistent, equitable, and aligned with school values.

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The 2021 National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Financial Aid Survey asked Financial Aid administrators to report the top five challenges they face in their financial aid work.

The results of that survey are the foundational reasons that Clarity exists and is attracting a lot of attention among independent schools!

Having sat in the seat of an enrollment and financial aid director, my first reaction to the Clarity platform can be summed up as “Wow, where have you been all my life?” If any of the challenges outlined in the 2021 NAIS Financial Aid Survey resonate with you, allow me to explain how Clarity addresses these pain points.

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1. Difficulty balancing limited dollars with the expanding demand (59%)

Clarity’s built-in InTuition tool displays the real-time impact on budget and net tuition revenue (NTR) for every award. Each year, administrators can use the InTuition module to set up the system to reflect their total financial aid budget and enrollment goals. They can then track progress toward those goals in real time as decisions are made.

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2. Getting parents to cooperate fully and in a timely manner (42%)

Clarity is a mobile-friendly app with conditional logic based questions, which means families can complete the app in 20-30 minutes in English or Spanish!

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3. Navigating difficult family situations (38%)

Separated or divorced families can apply for financial aid independently, taxes are pulled directly from the IRS by using the 4506c form, and verified numbers are pulled into the calculations automatically. Financial aid administrators have the confidence in the data and are able to request information as needed when families have complex financial or delicate personal circumstances.

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4. Applying fair and consistent priorities in deciding who gets aid (34%)

Schools work directly with their Client Success Manager to set and refine the financial aid methodologies within the Clarity software to ensure that families are assessed equitably. Having a clearly defined school financial aid policy helps to ensure the methodology settings for cost of living, housing, transportation, expenses, retirement, real estate, business assets and ownership, are aligned with school values, enrollment goals, and financial aid best practices.

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5. Balancing the tasks in the time they have in a week (30%)

Clarity’s direct import from the IRS followed by an internal verification process and the ability to request or require (through the conditional logic/rules feature of Clarity) specific documents for families means financial aid administrators can significantly reduce their time spent on file review. As one ‘early adopter’ of the Clarity platform recently shared, “Clarity cut my work in {probably} half…..I am grateful for Clarity.”

A few minutes of time to explore Clarity is an investment worth making for the future of your financial aid team and families.

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