Moeller scores more wins by adding integrated
solutions for tuition and enrollment

Founded in the Catholic Marianist tradition, Archbishop Moeller High School
in Cincinnati advances its mission of “forming remarkable men” with a now
nationally recognized “house system” that brings together students from
different grades with mentor teachers to guide the students through their
four years at the all-boys school.

Moeller has also established itself as a leader in transformative school
technology, expanding its previous use of Blackbaud technology in 2014
as an early adopter of integrated education applications that sync with
solutions for administration, financial management, and advancement to
provide a connected school with a shared database.

Now cloud-based, Moeller’s setup allows staff to work smarter while
families enjoy a streamlined user experience. One of the school’s more recent chapters of success in this shift to a “total school solution” came as
Moeller adopted Blackbaud Enrollment Management and Blackbaud Tuition
Management, which includes a clear framework for using contracts.

“Trying to manage tuition had been a nightmare for us because we were
using a couple of products that weren’t integrated,” said Technology Director
Jeff Gaier. “The shift to Blackbaud solutions for enrollment and tuition
management and our new use of contracts made a huge difference for the
admissions and financial offices and has allowed us to better manage and
track tuition dollars.”

Saving Time By Using Contracts Effectively

For Staff Accountant Joyce Longwell, adding Blackbaud Enrollment
Management and Blackbaud Tuition Management has been a gamechanger
that allows her to set up tuition accounts for the next school year by April
rather than August. “My time touching those accounts went from maybe 5
minutes to 2 to 3 seconds, so my time really freed up,” she said. “I’ve picked
up a lot of other general ledger work and accounting work because of it.”
To better understand why the new setup works so well on the financial side,
step back to the beginning, when a family first considers sending a son to
Moeller. Once parents fill out the interest form provided through Blackbaud
Enrollment Management, their account is automatically generated and will
live on if they decide to choose Moeller.

“We really don’t have to collect too much more information in terms of
demographics after they fill out the initial interest form that creates the
account. That gives the family the username and password that they will use
from their first contact with us, when their son is still an eighth-grader, all the
way to graduation,” explained Director of Enrollment Matt Weisenborn.
Blackbaud Enrollment Management also helps in those initial stages by
allowing Weisenborn to easily see what opportunities prospective families
have pursued as they consider selecting Moeller. “We can track how many
events a particular family has signed up for—whether it’s a shadow day, an
open house, an information session, a tour,” Weisenborn said. “We can easily
find that, and I can run reports to see who hasn’t done what and follow up
with those families.”

Making Technology Work Holistically

Once a family officially enrolls their son, the school uses the information
collected with Blackbaud Enrollment Management to seamlessly generate
a contract with Blackbaud Tuition Management. “When parents log in for a
newly enrolled student, it’s all right there that they have a contract to sign,”
Longwell explained.

Contracts—which the school didn’t require in the past—add more accountability
to tuition payments. Plus, Blackbaud Tuition Management incorporates other
proactive features and services that help Moeller with tuition collection,
though Longwell also chooses to reach out in some cases to work personally
with families who are facing challenges. All of these factors—along with the
increasingly popular online payment option offered through Blackbaud Tuition
Management—have helped to reduce missed payments, she said.

As a parent with a son attending Moeller, Longwell appreciates how the family’s
account for enrollment and tuition also ties into Blackbaud solutions for
learning management, student information, and the school’s website. “I like it
because it’s a one-stop shop. Everything’s in there, and as a parent, I can go in,
I can see my kid’s grades, and I know what’s going on in the school.”

Gaier sees an even bigger picture as Moeller’s directory of technology. The
school’s use of integrated Blackbaud solutions and a shared database benefits
the entire school, he said, and after a quarter century as a Blackbaud customer,
it’s only getting better for Moeller. “One thing I think Blackbaud does very well
is they listen to the customers and look to improve,” he said. “That’s one of the
reasons we have stayed with Blackbaud for so long.”