‘RELAX’ When Handling Difficult Situations in Financial Aid Office

Because employees in the financial aid office serve as a point of contact for customers of their institutions, they sometimes encounter difficult situations with students and parents. Difficult situations are stressful for those involved and also can leave students and parents with a negative impression of the financial aid office. If handled professionally, though, those difficult situations can be rewarding and illustrate how much the institution values its students and their families.

To help ensure that you and your student-employees maintain professionalism during your next difficult situation in the financial aid office, USA Funds^® University suggests employing the RELAX technique:

Remember
Remembering that you are in control of the discussion alleviates tension because you know that you are able to end the exchange if necessary. Also remember: Don't become defensive or argue, as it can escalate the exchange.
 
Establish Limits
If a situation becomes confrontational, it is appropriate to set limits for reasonable behavior. Without being defensive, calmly inform students and parents that if they cannot communicate in a reasonable manner, you will be unable to continue working to resolve their problems.   

Listen to the Problem
Once you have established limits and are able to continue in an acceptable manner, listen to the problem. If you already understand the issue, this step is optional. You should, however, offer students an opportunity to state, or clarify, their assessment of the situation. Do not rush or interrupt students' explanation, even if you have found that something they say is incorrect. You can clear up any misunderstandings after students have had a chance to state their concerns.
 
Ask Questions and Empathize
After allowing students to restate their issues, ask questions, if necessary, to fully comprehend. Empathize with students to show that you understand why they are upset. Express regret for the situation, but do not apologize if there was no fault on your or your office’s behalf. If an apology is appropriate, apologize without blaming particular people or departments of your institution.
 
Explain the Problem and Propose a Solution
If students’ perceptions of issues are inaccurate, clearly explain situations, identifying and correcting any misconceptions. You may feel more comfortable correcting students in a passive voice to avoid a perception of blame. Instead of saying, “You didn’t turn in your form on time,” for example, you might say, “The form wasn’t turned in on time.” Once students understand your explanations, propose solutions. Sometimes you will not able to solve the situation immediately. In such cases, propose a next action that moves positively toward a solution and give an approximate time line in which the issue can be resolved.

In its online course “Dealing With Difficult Situations,” USA Funds specifically targets student-workers in the financial aid office. The course is one of more than 60 offered to financial aid professionals of all levels and to lenders.