George Mason University Saves Time and $500,000 Annually by Ending Appeals Process

George Mason University eliminated its tuition appeals process after implementing the GradGuard Tuition Insurance Program in Spring 2021, and the results have been significant.

“If you look at the entire lifecycle of an appeal, maybe five to eight hours total for each one, that’s significant. It could be someone’s entire day,” Bill Cunningham, Director of Student Fiscal Services, said.

The pandemic squeezed already tight staffing and budgets, so George Mason started evaluating how much the university was losing on medical withdrawals. Administrators needed a solution that protected students while reducing administrative burden and avoiding HIPAA complications.

Implementing the GradGuard Tuition Insurance Program freed up capacity that was previously spent on appeals. Now they’re able to be more efficient in other areas, Cunningham said. Even when George Mason granted appeals for students who medically withdrew, they didn’t receive a full housing refund. GradGuard Tuition Insurance can provide up to 100% reimbursement for tuition, housing, and fees in the event of a covered complete withdrawal.

GradGuard Tuition Insurance is an optional, affordable way for students to insure their tuition, room and board, and academic fees. The offer is integrated with the campus's billing provider, TouchNet, which enables students and families to easily protect their investment directly through their student account center. Even if students don’t opt in to the insurance, they must acknowledge they understand the school’s refund policy before proceeding with paying their tuition bill.

Terms, conditions, and exclusions (including for pre-existing conditions) apply. Plans only available to U.S. residents and may not be available in all jurisdictions. Insurance benefits are underwritten by Jefferson Insurance Company. Grad Guard, a service of Next Generation Insurance Group, LLC (NGI), is the licensed agent for all insurance programs. Plans include insurance benefits and assistance services. Non-insurance benefits/services, and claims administration, are provided by AGA Service Company.

BOTTOM LINE

• No longer offering appeals, George Mason saves upwards of $500,000 a year since working with GradGuard.

• “I think it’s a win-win for everybody involved. The staff time involved in appeals and getting all the documentation and having the committee review, and reaching back out to the student. It was a time drain,” Cunningham said.

GradGuard Tuition Insurance Program promotes financial literacy by helping schools disclose its refund policy and can protect families from a financial loss if their student is forced to withdraw due to a covered reason.