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Budgets are tight and time is short – it's not an uncommon situation for most financial aid offices.

Yet, the financial aid office plays a critical role in so many strategic objectives for a higher education institution – increasing enrollment, retaining students through graduation, and developing supportive alumni for the institution.

Those are some very important goals and although the burden isn't entirely on the financial aid office – there's no doubt that financial aid is a factor. For example, enrollment may be the primary function of admissions but, as financial aid professionals well know, many students couldn't enroll without financial aid.

If your office needs additional staff or budget, demonstrate how the functions of your office support the strategic objectives of the institution. For example, an expenditure on default prevention can help with some of those university objectives of enrollment, retention, and alumni development. A key to be successful in this effort is to demonstrate cost-effectiveness and results from your office's work.