Student Leave: Why Offering Flexibility Matters - and How to Manage It
With awarding season here, many scholarship providers are finalizing decisions that will impact students' educational journeys. However, life can be unpredictable, and students may need to take a leave of absence for various reasons. Here's a guide to managing student leave while ensuring continued support for your deserving scholars.
This blog post explores the different types of student leave, from gap years to financial leave, and highlights the importance of a flexible approach. We'll also provide actionable steps to effectively manage student leave while ensuring continued support for your scholars.
Understanding Student Leave
Students may need to take a leave of absence for a variety of reasons, such as (but not limited to!):
Gap Semester or Year: Taking a break before or during college to pursue personal growth, volunteer experiences, or travel.
Health-Related Leave: Addressing personal health or mental health concerns, either voluntarily or as mandated by a healthcare professional.
Personal/Family Leave: Dealing with individual needs or responsibilities related to family care, personal travel, or other unexpected situations.
Academic Leave: Focusing on unique academic opportunities or addressing uncertainty about a major or field of study.
Financial Leave: Facing financial challenges that temporarily impact their ability to pay tuition or fees.
Why Flexibility Matters
We at Students First Consulting believe in flexibility with students for several key reasons:
Honoring Earned Awards: Students have already gone above and beyond to earn your scholarship. They've demonstrated qualities that make them deserving recipients. By offering flexibility, you acknowledge their hard work and commitment.
Investing in Success: Your organization and donors have invested in these students' futures. Taking away funding disrupts their educational plans and creates unnecessary stress. A flexible approach allows them to overcome temporary obstacles and return to their studies when they're ready.
Life's Unpredictability: Unforeseen events can happen to anyone. Offering flexibility demonstrates understanding and support during challenging times. It allows students to adjust, recover, or pursue opportunities that may benefit their educational path in the long run.
Empowering Persistence: By allowing time to navigate their circumstances, students can return to academics with renewed focus and a stronger resolve to complete their program. This flexibility fosters resilience and ultimately boosts your organization's investment in their success.
Effective Management Strategies
Here are practical steps you can take to manage student leave effectively:
#1: Create a Clear and Consistent Policy:
Define Leave Periods: Establish clear timeframes for deferrals and different leave types (for example, one year for deferrals, 1-2 semesters for other leaves).
Communication Expectations: Outline what kind of communication you expect from students on leave (email check-ins or form completion, for instance).
Reinstatement Procedures: Detail the process for students to return and regain their scholarship benefits.
Transparency for All: Include this policy in award communications to students and development materials for donors, demonstrating your commitment to flexibility and responsible stewardship of funds.
#2: Develop a Streamlined Tracking System:
Leverage Existing Tools: Use a system that works for your team, whether it's a CRM, scholarship software, project management tool, or a color-coded spreadsheet.
Track and Document: Create tasks with reminders to follow-up with students on leave. Collect and document relevant student information in a template.
Backup Plan: Ensure someone knows about and can manage student leave situations if a staff member is unavailable.
#3: Establish a Clear Communication Plan:
Automate Communication: Schedule automated emails reminding students of upcoming deadlines for re-enrollment using pre-created templates.
Increase Frequency as Needed: As deadlines approach, consider increasing communication frequency (for example, monthly or weekly) to encourage re-enrollment.
Multi-Channel Approach: Supplement emails with phone calls and mailed letters if students don't respond initially.
Transparency is Key
By following these steps and prioritizing clear communication, you can create a system that effectively manages student leave while remaining transparent with all stakeholders. This approach allows you to offer the support your scholars need throughout their educational journey, ultimately maximizing the impact of your scholarship program.
