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ISU Financial Aid Project

Project Summary

To showcase my product ownership and UX design skills, I revisited a college project and reimagined it using Agile and Scrum methodologies. This initiative began as an academic assignment and evolved into a comprehensive product and UX case study focused on improving the user experience of Iowa State University's financial aid website.

 

The goal was to streamline the process of discovering and applying for scholarships while demonstrating a complete understanding of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), user-centered design, and product management best practices. Through roadmaps, user personas, wireframes, and user stories, this project reflects my ability to apply both strategic product thinking and hands-on design execution.

 

Note: This project was completed prior to Iowa State University implementing the OneApp Scholarship system.

Problem Statement:

The existing financial aid website at Iowa State University lacked clarity, usability, and helpful resources, which deterred students from applying for scholarships. According to research, many scholarships go unclaimed annually due to students either not knowing they qualify, not understanding how to apply, or finding the process too time-consuming. The fragmented structure of the site and the absence of actionable resources such as essay-writing tips or application tracking tools made the system inefficient and overwhelming.

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Product Strategy:

The strategy for this project focused on building a more accessible, efficient, and user-friendly financial aid system that aligns user needs with institutional goals. The system was designed to reduce friction in the scholarship discovery and application process, increase engagement through personalized features, and improve overall financial aid outcomes.

Key strategic pillars included:

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  • User-Centered Design: Ground the solution in direct feedback and behavior patterns of students, advisors, and donors through personas, interviews, and journey mapping.

  • Modular Feature Development: Prioritize core functionality such as advanced search filters, eligibility-based recommendations, and a scholarship “cart” to be delivered in early sprints.

  • Data Integration: Leverage existing student data from the AccessPlus system to dynamically match students with scholarships, improving relevance and reducing manual input.

  • Scalable Engagement: Incorporate tutorials, reminders, and orientation onboarding to support both initial adoption and long-term use.

  • Stakeholder Collaboration: Align the design with internal departments like Financial Aid, IT, and Communications to ensure implementation feasibility and cross-functional buy-in.

  • Outcome-Driven Roadmap: Define KPIs tied to student engagement, scholarship usage, and donor participation to measure impact and drive future iteration.

Design Process:

1. Empathize:

 

I began by researching the key users of the financial aid website: students, financial aid advisors, and donor representatives.

 

To better understand their needs and pain points, I created three detailed user personas:

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  • Alice: is a 19-year-old sophomore who is pursuing her dream of being an interior designer. Last year, she was unable to get any scholarships to help fund her education to achieve her dreams and had to rely on a private student loan. Alice wishes she could better tailor her search for scholarships so she doesn't have to rely on student loans to pay for school.

  • Nick: is 47-year-old financial aid advisor who has been working in the ISU financial aid department for 13 years. Each year he sees hundreds of scholarships go unclaimed and many students drop out due to lack of financial aid. Nick wishes he could better connect these students to applicable scholarships but doesn't know how.

  • Becky: is a 43-year-old assistant for a large donor foundation and is in charge to loading the available scholarships and their requirements into ISU's financial aid system.

2. Define:

 

Based on user research and personas, I defined key problems:

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  • Students couldn’t easily filter scholarships by eligibility.

  • Advisors lacked tools to guide students through the process.

  • Donors found it difficult to enter comprehensive scholarship criteria.

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I then developed specific user stories to capture and prioritize user needs:

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  1. As a student, I want to search scholarships by specific criteria so I don’t waste time on ones I’m not eligible for.

  2. As a financial aid advisor, I want to provide students with accessible writing tools and resources.

  3. As a donor assistant, I want to easily upload and manage scholarship data, including eligibility requirements.​

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3. Ideate:

 

With the core problems and user stories defined, I began brainstorming and sketching initial concepts. I focused on creating an intuitive, searchable interface with multiple filters (e.g., GPA, major, demographics, study abroad interest). I also outlined supporting features such as profile-based eligibility matching and automated deadline reminders. To ensure feasibility and alignment with stakeholder goals, I drafted a product roadmap and collaborated with hypothetical stakeholders.

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4. Prototype:

 

Using Figma, I created wireframes for key user flows, including:

 

  • Scholarship search and filtering

  • Student profile creation and personalization

  • Scholarship upload interface for donors

  • Resource hub for essay tips, FAQ, and advisor scheduling

 

These wireframes were iterated based on user feedback and aligned with accessibility best practices​.

Previous Wireframes

New Wireframes

​​5. Test:

 

In a real-world implementation, I would conduct usability testing sessions with students, advisors, and donors. For this project, I simulated testing through feedback from peers and incorporated suggested changes, such as refining filter categories and simplifying the upload interface.

 

Implementation Strategy:

 

The redesigned system would integrate with Iowa State's existing student portal (AccessPlus) to pull in GPA, major, and other profile data for more accurate scholarship matching. Orientation sessions and learning communities would be used to onboard students. Financial aid advisors would be trained to guide students through the new system. A supporting series of tutorial videos was also proposed to help students write essays, find references, and apply effectively.

 

Expected Outcomes:

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  • Students are more likely to find relevant scholarships quickly.

  • Advisors can spend more time guiding and less time navigating systems.

  • Donors can manage listings more efficiently, reducing unclaimed funds.

 

Reflection:

 

This project helped me strengthen my skills in Agile workflows, UX research, persona development, wireframing, and stakeholder communication. It also reinforced my ability to think strategically about product goals, translate user needs into features, and deliver solutions that create real value.By leading this project end-to-end, I showcased my ability to wear both the product owner and UX designer hats—balancing technical feasibility, business objectives, and user satisfaction.

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