The Hope Chest Scholarship Foundation
Services
process review; custom website design and development; custom scholarship application system; strategy and implementation
Giving More Students a Chance at College
With a custom application submission system built by BCS Interactive, The Hope Chest Scholarship Foundation was able to review hundreds of scholarship applications faster than ever before - and fund more college educations.
Our Approach
As part of a comprehensive website redesign, we worked with the Hope Chest team to build a custom scholarship processing system to automate their entire scholarship application and assessment process. Here’s how we did it:
01.
Finding the Pain Points
A review of the Foundation’s existing application process revealed a stressful, time-consuming process ripe for improvement through web-based automation:
Scholarship Request
Students would request a scholarship application via email. Then, they were sent a PDF application form, which they then downloaded, completed and mailed back to the Foundation.
Application Review
The application committee would review each application; if the committee member had questions—or found incomplete information—they first had to contact the individual, and then send back the application for correction.
02.
Visualizing the Process
Once we learned how the Hope Chest process actually worked, we addressed each pain point, using technology to create a smoother, more efficient process. A crucial first step was to develop a detailed workflow, documenting how applicants could submit their applications online, and how the Hope Chest staff could monitor progress and communicate with each applicant along the way.
03.
Meeting Users' Needs at Every Point
Using a WordPress CMS as our foundation, we built an online application process that made both the submission and management of scholarship applications simple and accountable.
Efficient Pre-Screening
A pre-screening function saves the Foundation from sifting through hundreds of applications to determine if an applicant meets basic application qualifications.
Easy Response System
Templated responses allow the client to respond quickly to a potential Hope Chest scholar.
Account Creation
Qualified applicants can establish their own application account. The application itself – completed entirely online – allows the applicant to save their progress and return later.
Documented Activity
Activity for each application is documented within the system, allowing Hope Chest staff to quickly reference details for a given scholar.
Assigning a Status
Once a completed application is received, Hope Chest staff can then assign status to the application, either approving, or communicating progress to the applicant. Each option offers a templated email that can be sent with the click of button.
The Results
30%
YOY increase in processed applications with no increase in staff$1.8 Million
In grants distributed to date35%
increase in website traffic“The building of our scholarship application system was a necessary step to help support the increased volume of application requests we have to review for our state-wide scholarship program. BCS Interactive did a great job assessing and then building an efficient system that’s increased our productivity. ”
Darren Fleming // Chairperson
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350 Springfield Avenue #200
Summit, NJ 07901
info@bcsinteractive.com
973.377.1175
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