American University of Antigua College of Medicine (AUA) made a decision to bring their financial aid processing in-house, providing efficiencies and cost savings to them in these turbulent times. That decision required an immediate solution; a solution that couldn’t be put off for an additional financial aid processing cycle. Moving from a third-party provider of financial aid services to internal resources was a big lift for the institution and required both a solid software solution and an implementation partner with very strong expertise to support able in-house financial aid personnel.
With students returning to their virtual classrooms and clinical rotations immediately in July and August, AUA needed a quick, low-cost, Student Financial Planning (SFP) implementation to replace their current financial aid software, Regent Education – used by AUA’s third party provider – and make sure this academic year ran smoother than it ever has before. As the spread of COVID-19 and government regulations that come with it continues, AUA’s need for a short duration implementation with minimal disruption was vital. With Highstreet offering the “FastTrack” that they needed, the partnership was an easy choice.
“Thanks to Highstreet’s FastTrack implementation… we’re able to process financial aid with minimal disruption to students—and at minimal costs.”
– Prabhu Marudheri
COO & CFO, American University of Antigua
Highstreet’s FastTrack implementation offering allows Colleges and Universities to realize the benefits of their SFP System in record timing and at record low cost. The FastTrack implementation is an out-of-the-box implementation. The Highstreet team will guide the University through the implementation and testing, and support integrations through packaging and disbursement of student aid for the upcoming Spring and Fall terms, with significant reliance on AUA’s talented IT resources.
“In these challenging times, it’s extremely important that all colleges and universities keep a close eye on their budgets to ensure that they can continue to deliver a high-quality education to their students,” said Prabhu Marudheri, Chief Operating Officer and Chief
FastTrack to the Cloud
A rapid Oracle Student Financial Planning implementation service.
Financial Officer for AUA. “Thanks to Highstreet’s FastTrack implementation of Oracle Student Finance System, we’re able to process financial aid with minimal disruption to students—and at minimal costs. In the weeks to come, this will have a significant impact on student experience”
For more than 15 years, AUA has been proud to provide a learner-centric education of the highest quality, grant opportunities to underrepresented minorities, foster a diverse academic community, and ensure that its graduates develop the skills and attitudes of lifelong learning, compassion, and professionalism.
AUA, located on the island of Antigua in the Caribbean, offers a US-modeled medical school curriculum that leads to the Doctor of Medicine degree. Students spend two academic years on Antigua studying the Preclinical Sciences before traveling to the United States or United Kingdom for two academic years of core and elective clinical rotations. AUA graduates are in residency and practice throughout the United States and the world.
Now AUA will realize the benefits of their new SFP system. In just four short weeks, the University has been able to import ISIR records, assign document requirements, create student packages, make disbursements to students, and complete G5 drawdowns. AUA provided dedicated staff and time to ensure the system was configured properly, students were being awarded correctly, and direct knowledge transfer was prevalent in assuming responsibility for their financial aid operations. The University is also undergoing an implementation of a new student information system, and their emphasis to this project is commendable. With support from senior leadership and engagement from the top throughout the implementation, AUA has accomplished something quite extraordinary.
With the additional mission of providing a medical education to students who would otherwise be unable to pursue one, AUA is dedicated to providing high-quality medical education opportunities to all who desire them. And now their Oracle SFP system will help them further this goal using a state-of-the-art application to process applications, communicate outstanding requirements, package student aid, originate and disburse loans, and serve the administrative requirements of financial aid administration. Highstreet is excited to be partnering with an institution which so highly prioritizes inclusion and excellence and is proud to be supporting their mission with this FastTrack to the Cloud SFP implementation.
About American University of Antigua College of Medicine
American University of Antigua College of Medicine (AUA) is a fully accredited international medical school dedicated to providing an academic experience of the highest quality, with an emphasis on increasing minority representation and racial diversity in MD programs and the global physician workforce. Via a holistic admissions approach, AUA selects students with the potential for medical school success and provides them with the resources they need to obtain highly competitive residencies and move on to successful careers in medicine.
Founded in 2004, AUA awards the Doctor of Medicine degree after students complete a two-year preclinical sciences curriculum on the island of Antigua in the Caribbean, followed by clinical rotations in the United States, Canada, India, or the United Kingdom at affiliated teaching hospitals. AUA is accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP)
AUA is approved by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in federal student loan programs, which allows its qualified students to receive Title IV student loans. AUA is also approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED), licensed by the Florida Department of Education (DOE), and recognized by the Medical Board of California (MBC).
Visit https://www.auamed.org to learn more.