K-12 Schools Manage Financial Aid Awards with New Community Brands Technology Tools

April 15, 2019—ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Community Brands, the leading provider of cloud-based software and payment solutions for schools, associations, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations, unveils new financial aid award management capabilities through its TADS solution. Known as TADS Award Management, the new capabilities consolidate the management of all monetary awards and tuition incentives for student families and school staff.

Tuition incentives like merit scholarships, grants and special-use funds help schools reach enrollment goals. TADS Award Management creates a comprehensive system for school business officers, allowing them to administer, evaluate, and communicate merit- and needs-based financial aid. The uniform view of the financial aid and incentives provides private and independent schools with greater insight and control over tuition dollars. Early-adopting schools have already been testing the new technology tools.

“This year we tried out the redesigned awards management functionality in TADS and it worked flawlessly,” shared Jerry Mullaney, CFO & Director of Operations at Head-Royce School. “I have used TADS at four different schools over the past decade and have always loved its flexible design and user-friendliness….”

Through TADS Award Management, financial aid budgets are updated in real time and allow a business officer to easily see how much has been allocated and how much is remaining in each award category. Schools can customize how the information is organized and reported. Staff members use new personalized communication tools to notify families of financial award amounts, with the award data being integrated into enrollment and tuition management systems. The capabilities can eliminate hours of manual entry, reduce the time required to notify families about their awards, and create greater visibility into a school’s long-term financial stability.

“TADS has a rich history of helping schools with financial aid and awarding strategies, and I have seen firsthand how the new TADS Award Management is helping schools improve the overall admissions process,” stated Bethany Little, EVP K-12 Solutions at Community Brands. “Managing tuition awards through this central tool is more insightful, and it saves schools and families valuable time.”

For student families, filing for financial aid can be tedious. TADS ensures that families do not have to provide financial details and complete lengthy applications just to be included in the school’s admissions systems or processes. This has often been the case for families who know in advance that they do not qualify for needs-based financial aid but who nonetheless must complete such applications because they are tied to the overall school admissions process. Schools and families can independently address needs- and merit-based awards, saving time and reducing frustration throughout the process.

TADS is a robust school administration solution for financial aid, admissions and enrollment, and billing management. The new award management feature set is immediately available.

Learn more about Community Brands and its Association Solutions, Nonprofit Solutions, K-12 Solutions and Faith-based Solutions.