# Presentation: 657833

## Session 49

- How Direct Loan Servicing is Improving the Financial Aid Experience For You and Your Students
**Presenter: Cindy Battle**

## Agenda

**Direct Loan Update**
-  *Facts and Figures *
* **HERA Update*
* **Outreach Activities *
* **Customer Surveys*
**Borrower Web Site **
**School Web Site**
**Direct Loan Servicing Tomorrow**

## Direct Loan Borrower Portfolio

**Borrowers = Students + Alumni + Parents**
**As of August 2006**

**Total Direct Loan Borrowers**

**Direct Loan Borrower Portfolio**

## Call Center Stats

- In 2005, the Direct Loan Servicing Center Representatives received almost     6 million calls.
- In comparison, from January 2006 through end of August 2006, the Direct Loan Servicing Center Representatives received a little more than 4  million calls.

## HERA Update

**Teacher Loan Forgiveness **
**Military Deferment **
**False Certification (Identity Theft) **
**Rehabilitation of defaulted loans**

## Web Site Benefits

**Website Statistics (January – August 2006)**
**14,363,618** -  Web Visits
**7,563,027** – Unique Web Visits
**475,098** -  Average Visits Per Day
**49,870** - Pay Plan Changes
**33,388** – Pay Date Changes
**92,966** – General Forbearance Submitted
**17,210** – Unemployment Deferment Submitted
**315,222** – Entrance Counseling Sessions
**375,180** – Entrance Counseling Schools
**90,278** – Exit Counseling Sessions
**91,115** – Exit Counseling Schools

**Tangible Benefits**
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Online resource referrals
- Consistency of information
- Better educated & informed customer
- Reduction in turnaround times

**Web Site Benefits**

## Borrower Outreach - EDA

**Electronic Debit Account Campaign** (EDA)
- Executed an email campaign in Spring 2006 to all online borrowers with active e-mails.
- Campaign doubled our EDA enrollments in the month the campaign was executed.
- Future plans include an ongoing monthly “in-grace” campaign to those borrowers entering repayment.

## Electronic Services 

**Electronic Services **

- The Direct Loan Servicing program just celebrated over 2 billion dollars processed through the web site since online payments were made available, not including third party payments.

## Borrower Outreach - Loan Consolidation

**Loan Consolidation**
- Executed an email campaign in Spring 2006 to all online borrowers with active e-mails.
- Designed and mailed comprehensive school kit to all Direct Loan schools with materials on Loan Consolidation.
- Used “On-Line Advisor” scripts to customize messages to borrowers by status.
- Used Web banners and news articles to educate borrowers on the benefits of Loan Consolidation.

## Loan Consolidation Peak Update

**Loan Consolidation**
- LC Bookings have increased by more than 85% in the two-month period of June/July 2006 compared to the same period last year.
- The total June/July 2006 bookings of 298,532 exceeded the 2005 volume by over 137,000 for the same two-month period.

## Measuring Customer Satisfaction 

## Customer Satisfaction Surveys 

**survey is **customizable** to address key issues**
**allows **performance to be tracked** over time**
**allows **performance to be benchmarked** **
**helps **identify actions** necessary to correct performance issues – can **prioritize** improvement initiatives**

## What Are Our Customer’s Saying??

**“****I would like to have an electronic message sent to me if I forget my online password, because I don't really like to wait for it in the mail”**

**“****I am a little upset that I need to upgrade to a computer for it to be easier to deal with the loan repayment process.”**

## 2006 Borrower Satisfaction Results

**Confidence**

**Customer Satisfaction **

**Complaints**

**Statements**

**Website**

**Voice Response****Unit**

**Call Center****Representative**

**1.8**

**0.2**

**0.7**

**2.3**

**-0.8**

**3.7**

**Electronic Debit**

**0.0**

**Score**

**Impact**

## Satisfaction BenchmarksFederal Government

**DL Servicing among the best in the Federal Government!**

## 5 point scale
		5 = Extremely Satisfied
		4 = Very Satisfied
		3 = Satisfied
		2 = Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied
		1 = Dissatisfied 
		NA = Not Applicable

- School surveys were conducted this year to evaluate satisfaction through phone, email and web sites.

- 5 point scale
- 		5 = Extremely Satisfied
- 		4 = Very Satisfied
- 		3 = Satisfied
- 		2 = Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied
- 		1 = Dissatisfied
- 		NA = Not Applicable

## School Survey Highlights

- 59.9% of Schools said they were “Extremely Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with the service they received
- 33.5% of Schools said they were “Satisfied” with the service they received
- Only 6.6% said they were “Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied” or “Dissatisfied” with the service they received
- More than 93% of the schools were satisfied, very satisfied or extremely satisfied with the service they received

## Questions with Highest Responses

- Website - 3.94
- How satisfied/dissatisfied were you with the availability of the Website?
- Phone - 3.86
- How satisfied/dissatisfied were you with the timeliness of responses to your call?
- Overall Experience - 3.80
- How satisfied/dissatisfied were you with the overall performance of the Direct Loan Servicing Center, School Services Group?
- Phone - 3.78
- How satisfied/dissatisfied were you with your overall experience calling the School’s Servicing Center?

## Questions with Lowest Responses

- Students Experience (Servicing Center) – 3.35
- How satisfied/dissatisfied were your students that the CSR handled the issue in one call?
- Students Experience (Servicing Center) – 3.36
- How satisfied/dissatisfied were your students with the knowledge of the CSR?
- Students Experience (Servicing Center) – 3.37
- How satisfied/dissatisfied were your students with the follow-up promised during their call?
- Website – 3.37
- How satisfied/dissatisfied were you with the “Help” function of the Website?

## Direct Loan Servicing Web Site

**For Borrowers  -  http://www.dl.ed.gov**
- Real Time Account Information
- Online Transaction Processing - Borrower Self-Service
- Online Counseling and Rules Based Messaging
- Interactive Pre-qualifier for Deferment and Forbearance Requests including online submission with eSignatures
- Online payments
- Electronic Mail Services
- EDA Enrollment
- Online Calculators
- Online Surveys
**For Schools  -  http://www.dl.ed.gov/schools**
- Student Account Lookup
- Online Reports – Portfolio, Delinquency and Counseling
- Complete Question Center

## Borrower Web SiteHomepage

**Key Features**
- Highly Secure
-  PIN protected
-  Data encryption
- Section 508 Compliant for borrowers with disabilities
- English/Spanish option for entire site
- Winner of multiple prestigious awards
- Online Tour – tutorial to aid borrowers in using site
- Search Feature & Site Map help borrowers find what they need quickly

**Borrower Web Site****Homepage**

## Borrower Web SitePersonalized Online Messages

**Key Features**
- Personalized messages are displayed to borrowers based on their account status and other information.
-  Messages include information about last and next payment, options for delinquent borrowers, and special information as the need arises.

## Borrower Web SiteReal Time Account Information- Account Summary

**Borrower Web Site****Real Time Account Information- Account Summary**

**Key Features**
- Account Balances - Borrowers can see their total student loan indebtedness in one place.
- Direct Loan Balances
- Total Indebtedness (FFEL and Perkins loans from NSLDS)
- Last Loan Payment – Borrowers can confirm the date and amount of their last payment on the Account Summary page.

## Borrower Web SiteReal Time Account Information – Payment History

- Payment History -Complete Record of all payments ever made by the borrower
- Payment Type – Online, Main, EDA, etc.
- Breakdown of Payment into Principal, Interest or Fees

**Borrower Web Site****Real Time Account Information – Payment History**

## Borrower Web SiteReal Time Account Information – Document Retrieval

- Electronic Promissory Note Retrieval
- Borrowers who use eSignatures for promissory notes can retrieve a copy of their promissory note online at any time.

**Borrower Web Site****Real Time Account Information – Document Retrieval**

## Borrower Web SiteCustomer Self Service – Change Repayment Plans 

**Key Features**
- Borrowers can change their Repayment Plans online as their circumstances change.
- Borrowers can view amortization plans for the different repayment plans before they make changes.

**Borrower Web Site****Customer Self Service – Change Repayment Plans **

## Borrower Web SiteCustomer Self Service – Change Payment Due Dates

- Borrowers can change their Payment Due Dates online as their circumstances change.
- This can help reduce delinquency by customizing payment options for the borrower.

**Borrower Web Site****Customer Self Service – Change Payment Due Dates**

## Borrower Web SiteOnline Form Submission

- Forms that a borrower may need are available for downloading from the DLS Web site.
- Borrowers can determine immediately if they qualify for deferment or forbearance of their payments through online interactive sessions.
- Borrowers can submit Unemployment Deferment and General Forbearance applications online using eSignatures.

**Borrower Web Site****Online Form Submission**

## Borrower Web SiteOnline Payments

- Borrowers can schedule payments for up to six months in advance, schedule recurring payments, store multiple bank accounts, and receive email reminders.
- This saves time and money in postage for the borrower.

**Borrower Web Site****Online Payments**

## Borrower Web SiteElectronic Mail Services

- Borrowers can choose to receive their bills and correspondence online instead of in paper through the mail.
- Benefits for borrowers who receive their information electronically, include security, speed, and convenience.
- Electronic billing and correspondence help  the environment by reducing the volume of paper we mail out each year.

**Borrower Web Site****Electronic Mail Services**

## Borrower Web SiteInterest Capitalization Estimator

- The Interest Capitalization Estimator helps  borrowers understand the effects and consequences of capitalized interest on their loans as a result of deferred payment either during school or in repayment.
- After choosing the reason for deferring payment and the end date, borrowers are provided with the amount of interest that will accrue and the total increase in the amount they will repay over the life of loan.

**Borrower Web Site****Interest Capitalization Estimator**

## Borrower Web SiteOnline Entrance Counseling

- Borrowers are explained their rights and responsibilities as a Direct Loan borrower through online counseling.
- In order to successfully complete a session, borrowers must pass a quiz.
- Before their loans are disbursed students take  Entrance Counseling.

**Borrower Web Site****Online Entrance Counseling**

## Borrower Web SiteOnline Exit Counseling

- Borrowers are explained their rights and responsibilities as Direct Loan borrowers through online counseling.
- In order to successfully complete a session, borrowers must pass a quiz.
- Borrower can change their repayment plan, due date, enroll in EDA, and update address information.
- After borrowers separate from school, they take Exit Counseling online before they go into repayment.

**Borrower Web Site****Online Exit Counseling**

## School Services Support

**School Report Statistics**
**208** schools subscribe to Exit Counseling Reports
**313** schools subscribe to a Entrance Counseling Reports
**194** schools subscribe to a monthly Delinquency Summary Report
**School Services Call Center Statistics**
- Roughly 75% of all Direct Loan School Services calls are  request for student account information
- The remainder of calls are questions regarding web site information, school reports or general program questions.

## School Web SiteHomepage

**School Web Site****Homepage**

## School Web SiteReport Subscription

**Key Features**
- Direct Loan Schools may subscribe to have reports on their student activity sent to them regularly.
- Reports with personal borrower information are sent via secure connections to ensure privacy of borrower information.

**School Web Site****Report Subscription**

## School Web SiteStudent Account Lookup

- Direct Loan Schools may look up borrower information in the Direct Loan Servicing System.
- School financial aid officers can view repayment estimates for students.
- These tools provide schools with the ability to better counsel their students about their Direct Loans.

**School Web Site****Student Account Lookup**

## School Web SiteReporting

## School Web SiteEntrance and Exit Counseling 

***Real time access to results***
***Electronic Report Delivery with frequency determined by school –            daily, weekly or monthly***
***Ability to export data into format of school choice***

**School Web Site****Entrance and Exit Counseling**** **

## School Web SiteDelinquency Reports

- Online Delinquency Reports allow Direct Loan Schools to track their delinquency rates and identify borrowers who are delinquent in making payments.
- FSA is working with schools to utilize online delinquency reporting to lower their cohort default rates.

**School Web Site****Delinquency Reports**

## Students
Borrower Web Chat – Allows borrowers to securely chat with CSRs during normal business hours though the web site.

eMinders – Ability for a borrower to subscribe to email alerts when certain events happen on their account. Payment posted, forbearance or deferment form received.

**Borrower Web Chat** – Allows borrowers to securely chat with CSRs during normal business hours though the web site.
**eMinders** – Ability for a borrower to subscribe to email alerts when certain events happen on their account. Payment posted, forbearance or deferment form received.

**Direct Loan Servicing Tomorrow**

## Borrower Web SiteNew Look –n- Feel

## Questions... Contact Us...

***(202) 377-3261***
***Email: Cynthia.Battle@ed.gov***
***School Services***
***(888) 877-7658***
***Direct Loan Servicing Center***
***(800) 848-0979***

**Questions... Contact Us...**