About the Episode
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About the Episode:
Frostburg State University ran a game-changing billing and financial aid texting campaign that engaged 73% of admitted students and their parents—resulting in a 7% reduction in summer melt.
In this episode, Kristin Miller, Recruitment Communication Manager at Frostburg State, shares how her team leveraged texting to create personal, stress-reducing conversations with students and families. She walks us through the steps to run a texting campaign, the unexpected benefits, and how texting is shaping future engagement efforts across campus. If you're looking for a way to build one-on-one relationships with families while saving staff time, this episode is a must-listen!
Key Takeaways:
- Texting isn’t just convenient—it’s human. Frostburg State’s success stemmed from real, personalized interactions with students and parents, not automated responses.
- Buy-in is crucial. Getting financial aid, billing, and admissions teams involved early ensured the campaign was both effective and easy to execute.
- Timing matters. Scheduling texts when families are together and sending last-minute reminders maximized response rates.
- It’s not just about summer melt. The campaign built trust with students, encouraging them to reach out with questions beyond billing—leading to fewer frustrated calls later.
What problem was Frostburg State trying to solve with texting?
Kristin and her team were on a mission to tackle a common challenge in higher ed: summer melt. Frostburg serves a high number of first-generation college students, many of whom encounter confusing and unfamiliar processes after admission—especially related to billing and financial aid. Kristin recognized that humanizing these interactions and making them accessible via text could dramatically reduce confusion and improve follow-through.
They focused on what Frostburg does best: individualized support. By giving students a preview of that one-on-one care through texting—before they even arrived on campus—they turned a pain point into a value-add. A webinar featuring a dad navigating the enrollment process with his own child sparked Kristin’s idea to simplify and centralize communication with a tool everyone already uses: texting.
What tool did they use, and how did they set it up?
Frostburg leveraged Mongoose, a texting platform already used by their admissions team. Its ease of use made it a natural fit for expanding outreach beyond admissions staff. The real game-changer? Non-admissions teams like billing and financial aid could jump in with minimal training and begin texting with students using one centralized number.
Kristin focused on simplicity and ease—for both staff and students. She emphasized that students would always get responses from real humans, not bots. This authenticity helped maintain trust and increased engagement.
How did they structure the campaign?
The texting campaign was framed as a two-hour "event" in the evening to catch families when they were likely to be together. Key steps included:
- Campus-wide buy-in: Getting leadership from billing and financial aid on board and ensuring they had dedicated staff available.
- Training and prep: Quick screen shares and login help ensured all participants were confident using Mongoose.
- Multi-channel promotion: Email invitations led up to the event, with a final reminder text just as it started—crucial for boosting turnout.
This wasn't just about sending a mass message—it was about creating a seamless, real-time dialogue between staff and families.
What kinds of questions came in?
Surprisingly, most questions weren’t deeply personal or FERPA-protected. Instead, they were general, process-oriented inquiries like “How do I pay my bill?” or “How can my parent get access to my account?”
That said, the Frostburg team was prepared. When needed, they educated families on FERPA and guided them through providing proper permissions. The campaign also highlighted the need for clearer communication earlier in the funnel—something Kristin plans to bake into next year’s parent flow.
What results did they see?
- 73% response rate to initial texts
- 7% reduction in summer melt
- Fewer calls and emails to financial aid and billing post-campaign
- High parent satisfaction and gratitude for the personalized support
- Unexpected data insights that helped improve future messaging
The return on investment was clear—not just in numbers, but in sentiment. Parents expressed relief and appreciation. Staff saved time. And Kristin’s team gained confidence to scale the tactic into new areas like Residence Life and academic departments.
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