Case study
How a community college improved tuition communication with AI
A community college implemented Squirrels.ai to automate student outreach for tuition reminders, increase engagement rates, and improve accounts receivable efficiency. The AI agent helped the college reach students across multiple channels while respecting FERPA regulations.
Real-time visibility
dashboard tracks responses and payment status
Multi-channel outreach
email, calls, and text reminders
Automated engagement
nudges students until responses received
Overview
A non-profit post-secondary institution was experiencing challenges with student tuition communication. Despite sending multiple notifications, many students were unaware of outstanding balances or available payment plan options. This communication gap often led to delayed payments, increased manual follow-ups, and a heavier workload for the accounts receivable team.
Recognizing the need for a more consistent and efficient approach, the college partnered with Squirrels.ai to implement AI-powered student outreach. The platform provided a persistent, multi-channel communication system that could reach students via email, calls, and texts, automatically respond to inquiries, and track engagement in real-time.
The AI integration allowed staff to maintain FERPA compliance by filtering out guardian contacts while reaching students directly. This approach not only improved efficiency but also increased student awareness and engagement, creating a scalable process that could handle high student volumes without adding staff.
Client at a glance
Institution type
Community College, Non-Profit
Primary challenge
Students unaware of tuition balances, low response rates
Industry
Higher Education / Post-Secondary Education
AI solution implemented
AI solution implemented
The challenge
Communication gaps caused delays and missed payments
Many students did not regularly check emails, and some claimed they were unaware of outstanding balances. Manual follow-ups were labor-intensive and inconsistent, making it difficult for the accounts receivable team to ensure that students received timely information.
Multi-channel communication complexity
Students often ignored notifications across different channels, and opt-out restrictions sometimes blocked entire departmental communications. The college needed a compliant, multi-channel system capable of persistent outreach without violating student privacy or overwhelming recipients.
Payment plan awareness was low
Although payment plans had been available for nearly two years, students were frequently unaware of these options. Without proactive outreach, adoption rates for payment plans remained low, increasing the risk of late payments.
Privacy regulations limited outreach
FERPA regulations prevented the college from contacting parents or guardians directly. All communication needed to target students only, with strict safeguards to ensure compliance.
Lack of proactive mechanisms
The college had no system for students to self-serve inquiries or receive timely nudges before balances became overdue. Manual follow-up was reactive, leaving staff to spend significant time chasing responses.
The solution
Squirrels.ai implemented AI agents capable of handling persistent student outreach, answering questions, and tracking responses in real-time.
Multi-channel engagement
The AI agent communicated with students using email, phone calls, and SMS, following a structured sequence until a response was received. Once a student responded, additional messages were automatically paused to avoid over-communication.
Automated student inquiry handling
The AI provided real-time answers to questions about balances, payment deadlines, and available plans. It categorized responses such as “promise to pay,” “already paid,” or “no response,” enabling staff to focus on exceptional cases.
Dashboard insights for staff
Accounts receivable staff could monitor outreach activity, track responses, and download filtered lists to prioritize follow-ups. The dashboard allowed the team to see student engagement trends and take informed actions without manually sifting through communications.
Integration and compliance
The AI platform integrated with the college’s Jenzabar system, syncing student balances weekly and filtering out guardian contacts to maintain FERPA compliance. All messages originated from official college accounts to ensure credibility.
Pilot and progressive adoption
The college began with a 2–4 week pilot, testing AI engagement with a subset of students. Insights gained from the pilot guided the expansion of the AI system to the full student population, allowing a gradual and controlled adoption that demonstrated value before committing to full deployment.
Results and impact
The adoption of Squirrels.ai produced progressive improvements across student engagement, tuition payment awareness, and staff efficiency.
Increased student engagement
Students responded more consistently to tuition reminders across multiple channels. Automated follow-ups ensured no student was overlooked, even those who rarely checked email.
Improved awareness of payment plans
The AI informed students about available payment plans, increasing adoption and reducing overdue balances. Students could quickly understand options and select suitable plans without manual intervention.
Reduced administrative workload
Routine reminders and inquiries were handled autonomously by AI, freeing accounts receivable staff to focus on complex cases and strategic initiatives. Staff efficiency and productivity improved significantly.
Real-time visibility
Dashboards provided clear insights into response rates, pending balances, and confirmed payments. The team could prioritize outreach and make data-driven decisions on which students needed follow-up.
Scalable and compliant operations
With AI handling initial outreach and engagement, the college scaled its communication efforts without adding personnel, maintaining FERPA compliance while reaching a larger student population effectively.
TESTIMONIAL
Why companies choose Squirrels.ai
Squirrels.ai helps colleges automate student communications while maintaining compliance and visibility.
- Multi-channel outreach across email, calls, and texts
- Automated, human-like follow-ups until responses are received
- Dashboard for real-time tracking and prioritization
- Integration with campus systems for seamless data syncing
- FERPA-compliant outreach that filters guardian contacts
- Scalable solution without increasing staff workload
- Tiered escalation strategy to optimize engagement and cost
- Customizable workflows for institution-specific needs