Mental Health is Critical to Student Success!

The state of our mental health has a profound effect on our daily lives, influencing how we work, socialize, and take care of ourselves and the people in our communities. For those pursuing higher education, mental health challenges can cause serious disruptions to their studies, degree pursuit, and future success. According to a recent poll from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, more than 32% of college students have considered “stopping out,” or discontinuing their education for a period of time, citing emotional stress, COVID, and cost of attendance as the top factors.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S., and it’s no secret that COVID-19 has taken a toll on mental health – especially for students. Colleges and universities were already challenged by a growing crisis before the pandemic, and increased stress and isolation have exacerbated struggles among students over the past two years. These hurdles pose a significant risk to students’ ability to complete their degrees and pursue their education uninterrupted. The pandemic has underscored that a successful higher education experience is more than the learning that takes place in the classroom or online.?Every aspect of a student’s educational experience—from enrolling to retention and completion—depends on their well-being.

Higher Education leaders witnessing declining enrollment and completion rates must address the mental well-being of their students. In addition to traditional resources and support available for those seeking help, technology can help identify students who are struggling and connect them to the right services before they reach a breaking point. The right use of technology enables more meaningful interactions between students, faculty, and staff—making the difference between those who make it and those who do not.

Truly integrated data from across multiple systems provides administrators a 360-degree view of students, equipping them with insights that they need to reach every student where they are and help move them forward. Data patterns within student information and learning management systems can indicate trouble, such as unpaid tuition and fees, decreased use of campus facilities, class absences, or declining grades. As one example, Ellucian’s CRM Advise solution delivers an Experience card where students can self-report well-being concerns. Institutions can configure the appropriate follow-up and communications to ensure that students are connected with the right people and resources. With integrated technology like this, the flow of information between departments, faculty, and staff across campus is easier and can support students with timely resources to help them persist.

Eliminating the stress related to accessing financial aid is another important factor. Student financial friction is the number one barrier to higher education. While a student may otherwise be capable of pursuing a degree, the stress and worry about paying for that degree often leads to undue mental anguish that can cause them to drop out or pause their education. With our recent acquisition of CampusLogic , Ellucian is also striving to reduce the stress caused by financial aid among the students we serve. The technology solutions offered by CampusLogic streamline the financial aid process and make it easier for students to finance their education – alleviating unnecessary stress and improving mental wellbeing so that they can focus on what is most important – their education.

As a business leader, I’m also mindful of the well-being of employees. ?At Ellucian, we have a variety of services and resources readily available to our staff and their families to support all areas of their well-being. I think this is critically important and in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I encourage you to visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s (NAMI) website with a list of meaningful actions you can take to raise awareness, advocate for mental health policies and share your own story: https://nami.quorum.us/action_center/

And, if you or somebody close to you is struggling, this web page from NAMI offers a plethora of helpful resources and tools for navigating the mental health journey: https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey