On-line higher education financing system

• US 7,814,007 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Ireland, Leigh-Anne T, Goldberg, Michele, Strand, Marilyn, Winzer, Etienne
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisberger; Richard C
• Application Number:
  US11/622,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 45
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A method of providing a user with education financing information, includes the acts of: maintaining an electronic site on a computer network to which the user may connect; sending data to the user over the network for presenting at least one electronic screen which contains financial award information concerning a potential student of an educational institution, the financial award information including a monetary award which may be used for the student to attend the educational institution; and sending data to the user over the network when requested for presenting at least one electronic screen which contains cost projection information, the cost projection information being a function of the award and including an amount of money required for the student to attend the educational institution.

Claims

1. A computer system for student financial aid, the system comprising:

at least one server in communication with a computer network, the server comprising at least one processor;

at least one product access web site accessible over the computer network, the web site maintained by the at least one server including the at least one processor, the web site providing a user interface through which a first user selects from among a plurality of student financial aid products, the student financial aid products comprising at least an electronic financial aid award package product awarded to the first user;

a login module that interacts with the web site and is provided by the network server, wherein the login module is executed by the at least one processor and controls access to the student financial aid products and provides access to any of the plurality of student financial aid products after receiving valid login information and wherein the login module comprises at least one database storing data associated with the first user; and

an administrator module provided by the network server, wherein the administrator module is executed by the at least one processor and provides a user interface through which a second user creates, modifies, and updates the product access web site and through which the second user selects a desired financial aid product from among a plurality of preset financial aid products, wherein the user interface receives input for selecting the financial aid products.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the login module is configured to provide data associated with the first user to a web site containing a product accessed by the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the login module is configured to update the data associated with the first user and to store the updated data in the database.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the data comprises one or more of the following user information:

name, student ID or social security number, address, and telephone number.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface through which a first user selects from among the plurality of student financial aid products provides access for the first user to process applications for receiving a student financial aid package.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator module further provides a user interface through which a second user selectively activates or deactivates one or more web site features for access by the first user at the product access web site.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the administrator module further provides a user interface through which the second user selectively activates or deactivates one or more of the following administrator features:

upload student award batch, batch processing status, view user type rights, student search, and reporting.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator module is located on a system server in communication with the computer network.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface provided by the administrator module comprises input fields corresponding to at least one web site feature.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one web site feature comprises a student financial aid product selection, a logo change, a text modifier for messages sent to the first user, a student financial aid policies reporter, and a student financial aid eligibility reporter.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of preset financial aid products comprises at least one of a student financial aid application, a student loan eligibility product, a student loan application product, a student loan rules and policies product, an electronic financial aid award package product, and a student loan additional information product.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator module collects data related to the usage of the product access web site by the first user and provides a user interface through which the second user views the usage data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface through which the second user views the usage data comprises an input search function.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the usage data comprises one or more actions taken by the first user.

15. A computer-readable medium having a computer software program for student financial aid, the computer-readable medium comprising:

at least one application that runs on a processor of a server in communication with a computer network that provides a user interface through which a first user selects from among a plurality of student financial aid products, the plurality of student financial aid products including an electronic financial aid award package product awarded to the first user; and

a login application executed by the processor of the server that interacts with the web site and controls access to the financial aid products, wherein the login application provides access to any of the plurality of student financial aid products after receiving valid login information and wherein the login application communicates with at least one database storing data associated with the first user; and

an administrator application executed by the processor of the server, the administrator application providing an interface through which a second user creates, modifies, and updates the product access web site and through which the second user selects a desired financial aid product from among a plurality of preset financial aid products.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the administrator application enables a second user to create, modify, and update the web site for access by the first user.

17. A computer-implemented method of providing for educational financial aid service, the method comprising:

providing at least one server in communication with a computer network, the at least one server comprising at least one processor;

providing at least one student financial aid product access web site accessible over the computer network, the web site maintained by the at least one server including the at least one processor, the web site providing a user interface through which a first user selects from among a plurality of student financial aid products, the plurality of student financial aid products including an electronic financial aid award package product awarded to the first user;

providing a login module through the network server that interacts with the web site, wherein the login module is executed by the at least one processor and controls access to the student financial aid products and provides access to any of the plurality of student financial aid products after receiving valid login information and wherein the login module comprises at least one database storing data associated with the first user; and

providing an administrator module through the network server, wherein the administrator module is executed by the at least one processor for enabling a second user to create, modify, and update the web site for access by the first user and enabling the second user to select a desired financial aid product from among a plurality of preset financial aid.