Oracle Student Financial Aid Implementation
Oracle Student Financial Aid Project
As part of several efforts in progress across the University to modernize technology and enhance a data-focused community, UT Austin has chosen a new Software as a Service (SaaS) financial aid product, Oracle Student Financial Aid (SFA). Implementation of the financial aid management solution will include required integrations with UT Austin's systems and external systems to support the in-scope financial aid processes.
Oracle’s Student Financial Aid will become the primary system interface for Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) services. The new financial aid system features an all-new student portal. More information about the product can be found here and as a PDF.
Project Timeline
The University of Texas at Austin has engaged Sierra-Cedar as its implementation partner to assist with implementing Oracle Student Financial Aid (SFA). A phased implementation approach will be used over seven releases following the University’s academic calendar and student financial aid lifecycle. Sierra-Cedar’s Propel Methodology will be used as a blueprint throughout the project to ensure that the approach is student-centric, administratively efficient, and that the project remains within scope, follows well-defined processes, and results in quality deliverables.
See further details on the Project Timeline page.
Project Team
Executive Sponsors
- Sharon Wood - Executive Vice President and Provost
Executive Committee
- Cathy Stacy - Provost Chief of Staff
- Brian Dixon - Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
- Larry Singell - Senior Vice Provost for Resource Management
- Lori Peterson - Executive Director for Accounting and Financial Management
Business Owners Group
- Alexis George - Vice President for Student Affairs
- Adrianne Y Chacon-Posey - College of Natural Sciences
- Caitlin Mullaney - Sr. Associate Dean for Business Affairs & Chief Operating Officer, MBA
- Lauren Brown - Director of Scholarships: Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
- Diane Todd Sprague - Assistant Vice Provost: Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
- Fred Tally-Foos - Analytics Production Coordinator: IT Transformation
- Jennifer Love - Assistant Vice Provost: Texas One Stop for Enrollment Services
- Steven Martin - Director of Operational and Strategic Outcomes - Enrollment Management
- Lori Peterson - Executive Director for Accounting and Financial Management
Project Management Team
- Sierra-Cedar Representatives
- Brian Dixon - Business Owner
- Graham Chapman - Project Owner
- James Loague - Project Director
What are the benefits of joining the AIS SFA project team?
By joining the SFA project, team members will have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process, design, and deployment. The SFA project team will be critical in reviewing business processes and integrations for the administrative and student portal UI. The technical and functional knowledge gained working on this collaborative, cross-departmental effort will cultivate expertise and professional growth opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Oracle?
Information on Oracle can be found here.
What is Oracle Student Financial Aid (SFA)?
Information on what SFP is can be found here.
What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?
Information on what a SaaS is can be found here.
Who makes project related decisions?
The Business Owners Advisory will review any requests that the project team and stakeholders cannot agree on, or that are deemed out of scope.
How are you implementing the project?
Sierra-Cedar’s Propel Methodology utilizing a five-phase approach for each go-live release
- Phase I: Plan & Discover
- Phase II: Analyze & Design
- Phase III: Configure & Develop
- Phase IV: Test & Train
- Phase V: Deploy & Optimize
When will students start using the new system?
In the current implementation timeline, students will begin to use the system in Spring 2024. The implementation timeline is subject to change.
How are we preparing the Community for this transition?
Students and specific administrative teams will be provided with relevant communications, training, and resources to support their transition to the new system. As the launch date approaches, more details will become available here.
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