Virtual financial aid office

• US 8,660,918 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weber & Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Weber & Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, Harry V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dass, Harish T
• Application Number:
  US10/054,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,487 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38, 705/7, 705/35, 379/201, 434/362
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A virtual system and method is disclosed for administering, evaluating, and processing financial aid for post-secondary students. The subject virtual system is preferably hosted in a web-based environment and is accessible by and/or interactive with various entities such as students, educational institutions, student financial aid processing centers, government agencies related to educational funding, and loan guarantors. Particular features and methodology are preferably provided in accordance with the virtual system such that a student can conveniently obtain educational funding within a completely automated and integrated online process. The virtual system preferably provides features such as direct links to applications for federal funding, an electronic messenger service to communicate among networked system entities, and a financial aid estimator to predict amounts of aid for which a student is eligible. A user of the virtual system can apply for a personal identification number (PIN) and complete a student interview process to initiate a financial aid processing. Such information is then preferably combined into a personalized user file with information electronically obtained and verified from outside sources. This file then undergoes a review process, including compliance checks, quality control, and loan certification. Once a file is sufficiently reviewed, aid can then be routed to a student'"'"'s specified institution for use towards his or her educational expenses. Review and reporting services are preferably available throughout this automated process such that a user can conveniently track certain information, including progress of the financial aid process steps.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system featuring integrated and automated on-line financial aid features specific to a given educational institution to a user, wherein said web-based application comprises:

a first information collection service for obtaining requested personal and financial information about a given student;

a financial aid estimation service for evaluating the information obtained via said first information collection service and generating a predicted amount of monetary aid that may be available for the student to use for education-related expenses at a given educational institution;

a federal link service for receiving an electronic copy of an Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR) document for the given student;

a service for comparing information obtained via said first information collection service and the given student'"'"'s ISIR document;

a service for determining an authorized amount of financial aid the given student is eligible for at the given educational institution; and

a service for providing an award notice to the given student based on the determination of authorized financial aid eligibility.

2. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 1, wherein said web-based application further comprises a registration service for applying for and receiving a user identification element, and whereby said user identification element is utilized for obtaining future access to said web-based application, including various features and services thereof.

3. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 2, further comprising a second information collection service, for obtaining additionally requested information related to personal demographics, financial matters, and educational endeavors of a given student.

4. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 1, further comprising a federal link service for electronically relaying federal aid eligibility information between the web-based application and processing systems of selected government agencies, wherein one of said selected government agencies corresponds to the United States Department of Education.

5. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 4, wherein selected information obtained via said student file establishment service comprises information obtained via said first information collection service and said second information collection service, federal aid eligibility information obtained via said federal link service, and enrollment information about a given student obtained from an educational institution.

6. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 5, further comprising a file processing service for reviewing information collected about a given student via said file establishment service and for determining eligibility for various types of financial aid that are potentially available for a student.

7. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 6, further comprising a loan application service for electronically relaying master promissory note (MPN) documentation between a system user and a loan guarantor, wherein said loan guarantor is characterized as one who provides monetary assistance to a student for education-related expenses.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 4, wherein said federal Did link service provides links at the web-based application for directly connecting a user to a FAFSA on-line web-based location and to an IRS on-line web-based location.

9. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 6, further comprising an integrated feature that automatically updates the web-based application, particularly updating information related to received documents and progress of financial aid processing.

10. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 8, further comprising a reporting system service available to a user of the web-based application, for obtaining updated information about the financial aid system and progress involved with said file processing service thereof.

11. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 6, further comprising a communications service for automatically generating and sending an electronic communication from a student or educational institution to a student financial aid processor.

12. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 2, wherein the user identification element received via said registration service is utilized as an electronic signature for affirming various statements presented in accordance with the multi-level financial aid system.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 1, further comprising a service for obtaining enrollment verification information for the given student from one or more specified educational institutions.

14. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application for providing a multi-level financial aid system as in claim 1, wherein selected portions of the information obtained from said first information collection service, said service for obtaining a copy of an !SIR document and said service for obtaining enrollment verification information are reviewed by a financial aid processing center.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application as in claim 1, further comprising a service for determining whether the given student'"'"'s corresponding information complies with federal regulatory standards for financial aid eligibility.

16. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application, for providing a multi-level financial aid system featuring integrated and automated on-line financial aid features specific to a given educational institution, wherein said web-based application comprises:

an information collection service for obtaining requested personal and financial information about one or more students;

a financial aid estimation service for evaluating the information obtained via said first information collection service and generating a predicted amount of monetary aid that may be available for each student to use for education-related expenses at a given educational institution;

a service for determining an authorized amount of financial aid each student is eligible for at the given educational institution;

a service for providing an award notice to each student based on the determination of authorized financial aid eligibility;

a reporting service, available to the given educational institution, for generating reports of selected students and their respective financial aid packages;

a federal link service for receiving an electronic copy of an Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR) document for the given student; and

a service for comparing information obtained via said first information collection service and the given student'"'"'s ISIR document.

17. The computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application of claim 16, further comprising a registration service for applying for and receiving a user identification element for gaining subsequent access to said web-based application, including various features and services thereof.

18. The computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application of claim 16, wherein said federal link service provides links at the web-based application for directly connecting a user to a FAFSA on-line web-based location and to an IRS on-line web-based location.

19. The computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application of claim 16, further comprising a service for obtaining enrollment verification information for the given student from one or more specified educational institutions.

20. The computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application of claim 16, further comprising a service for determining whether the given student'"'"'s corresponding information complies with federal regulatory standards for financial aid eligibility.

21. The computer-readable medium comprising instructions for executing a web-based application of claim 16, further comprising a loan application service for electronically relaying master promissory note (MPN) documentation between a system user and a loan guarantor, wherein said loan guarantor is characterized as one who provides monetary assistance to a student for education-related expenses.