It's made it a lot easier to keep track of all the applications, awards and funding."
Georgia Military College (GMC) wanted to modernize financial aid operations and reduce reliance on manual, paper-based processes. The institution needed a more efficient and connected approach to support students, streamline workflows, and adapt more quickly to changing requirements.
GMC implemented Ellucian Student Aid capabilities to modernize and streamline financial aid operations, including:
- Student Aid Document Collection [Student Forms] to digitize and automate financial aid workflows
- Scholarship Management [Scholarship Universe] to improve scholarship matching and fund management
- AI Virtual Student Assistant [Virtual Advisor] to provide AI-powered support and student guidance
Together, these solutions helped GMC centralize processes, reduce manual effort, and create a more connected experience for staff and students.
- Streamlined financial aid processing and operational workflows
- Reduced reliance on manual and paper-based processes
- Improved visibility and coordination across teams
- Increased staff efficiency through automation and centralized workflows
- Enhanced student engagement and access to support resources
- Expanded self-service support with AI-enabled tools
Moving Beyond Manual Processes
Before modernizing its financial aid processes, routine work at Georgia Military College involved multiple handoffs and systems. Updates could take time to implement, and even small issues required manual fixes. Students would submit forms through different channels — sometimes physically — which required staff to manually collect, upload, and route documents.
According to Brett Bentley, Financial Aid Specialist at Georgia Military College, this made it difficult to track progress and added delays to already time-sensitive processes. "It started with the campus, the student printing out the loan request, going to the campus, getting it sent over to us, putting it into another platform," Bentley said. "There are just so many hands in the pot."
The lack of a centralized system also made it harder to identify bottlenecks or ensure consistency across teams.
Building a More Connected Financial Aid Ecosystem
To modernize operations, GMC implemented Ellucian Student Aid capabilities including student aid document collection [Student Forms], scholarship management [Scholarship Universe], and AI Virtual Student Assistant [Virtual Advisor].
By centralizing workflows and digitizing key processes, the institution created a more connected and efficient approach to managing financial aid operations.
"We actually just got the loan team over and it's just really helped us keep everything in one central place with the workflows and the queues," Bentley said.
With a centralized system in place, staff can more easily manage requests, and support students from a single system.
Using AI to Improve Efficiency and Student Support
Georgia Military College is also leveraging Ellucian AI capabilities to streamline financial aid operations and enhance student support. These include using the Ellucian Platform and student aid document collection for faster form creation, AI-powered chatbot capabilities within AI Virtual Student Assistant, and intelligent scholarship matching within scholarship management.
These AI capabilities have helped the team move faster when creating forms and improving student-facing tools.
"The AI feature has been very beneficial for us, especially with really creating a kind of template to go off of when we're needing to create our own tasks and documents," Bentley said.
GMC also expanded its use of AI Virtual Student Assistant to provide faster, more accessible support for students across a wider range of questions. These AI-enabled tools have helped reduce repetitive inquiries, improve responsiveness, and create a more scalable support experience for students.
Streamlining the Financial Aid Experience
With digital workflows and centralized tools in place, students can now complete financial aid tasks more easily and without navigating [FD5.1]multiple systems or relying on paper-based processes. The improved visibility also allows staff to better support students because they can view the same experience students see.
As a result, students experience a more transparent and streamlined financial aid process with fewer delays and clearer guidance.
By continuing to adopt tools that reduce manual work and improve visibility, GMC is creating a more flexible and sustainable approach to financial aid operations. With processes now centralized and easier to manage, the institution is better equipped to handle ongoing changes while maintaining a consistent experience for students and staff.
