How to Broaden Student Financial Support Across Campus

In today’s fast-paced academic environment, students are juggling more than just their coursework; they are also managing the complexities of tuition, fees, and financial aid. According to the 2025 Student Financial Experience Report, 55% of U.S. students are juggling three or more funding sources to cover tuition expenses. 

The traditional model of keeping financial issues with the business office and academic issues with faculty is no longer enough. To truly support student success, campuses need to rethink how they offer financial guidance and support, expanding services beyond the confines of the finance office to ensure a more holistic approach.

One of the most effective ways to do this is by empowering staff across campus - academic advisors, student support personnel, financial aid officers, and others - to work together by providing access to student account information needed to give timely, accurate, and personalized guidance to students. By broadening the scope of student information availability, universities can ensure students feel supported at every stage of their higher education journey.

Here are some best practices for extending student financial support across campus:

1. Break Down the Silos

Oftentimes, departments such as financial aid, academic advising, and student services and support operate in silos. This can leave students feeling like they’re being passed around between offices without receiving clear, unified support. To provide the best student experience possible, it’s crucial for those who advise students to have visibility to the full picture of a student’s engagement on campus. By giving advisors, registrars, and student services personnel access to real-time student account data, institutions ensure that staff members across campus are equipped to offer consistent, informed advice to students and their families.

With software tools like Student Account Advisor, staff can easily access comprehensive student data, including billing, payment history, account balances, academic and financial aid status. This enables advisors to provide more meaningful support, whether it's helping a student navigate a past-due bill, advising on payment plans, or answering questions about tuition refunds or scholarships.

2. Make Financial Data Accessible to Key Stakeholders

The ability to view a student’s financial and engagement footprint should not be limited to just the business office. By allowing key staff and faculty protected access to real-time financial information, schools can better coordinate efforts to guide students and prevent them from falling through the cracks.

For instance, academic advisors can intervene early when a student’s account is in jeopardy - such as an enrollment hold because of an unpaid balance at the library. With Student Account Advisor, campus staff can pull up a student’s account details quickly, enabling them to address concerns proactively and guide the student through the next steps.

3. Empower Financial Literacy Across Campus

Financial literacy is a key component of student success, yet it is often overlooked. Financial stress is one of the leading causes of student dropout, but it doesn’t have to be. To extend financial support, campuses can offer financial counseling and education that goes beyond just responding to those who contact the finance office. This could include group workshops, one-on-one counseling sessions, or online resources.

Institutions can boost financial literacy support for students even further by cross-training various department staff to understand the common hurdles students may face. While someone in the career center may not be able to resolve a financial-related problem for a student, if they understand the issue they can point them in the right direction.

4. Empower Staff to Serve as Financial Advisors

Staff members in student-facing roles can be empowered to answer almost any student question—even if they are not in the finance office. For instance, academic advisors who have access to a student’s account profile can proactively identify potential or current issues and help students navigate difficult situations.

With Student Account Advisor, staff can have informed conversations, reduce the number of offices students have to visit, and ensure that they receive comprehensive, holistic support. All of which can play a significant role in student retention and success.

A Holistic Approach to Student Success

The experience of managing a student account should feel seamless and integrated, not fragmented. Students don’t want to feel like they’re dealing with different offices that don’t talk to each other. By connecting academic and administrative services with a student’s financial and engagement footprint, campuses can create a unified experience that promotes student success.

Expanding the reach of the business office and offering financial guidance across campus not only improves financial literacy but also helps prevent barriers to academic success. By providing staff with the tools to offer comprehensive support and by creating a unified experience for students, institutions can drive better outcomes for both students and the university as a whole.

With Student Account Advisor from TouchNet, campuses have the ability to break down silos, empower staff, and deliver timely, personalized support that helps students thrive. By making financial guidance more accessible, universities can ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed—both academically and financially.

Want to learn more about how Student Account Advisor can help? Watch our recent webinar, Empowering Staff To Drive Student Success With Holistic Dashboards, on demand to hear how institutions are using it.