McMaster University
Sep 2022
McMaster students weren't applying for available scholarships and bursaries, creating a significant gap between funding availability and student utilization across our 30,000+ student population.
I developed a comprehensive digital strategy to transform how students discovered and accessed financial aid. This involved reimagining the entire user experience, from initial awareness through successful application submission. My approach centred on mapping the student journey and identifying optimal intervention points where funding information would be most valuable.
I partnered closely with the Registrar's Office, Student Financial Aid advisors, Web Development team, and Communications. Regular collaboration with Academic Advisors helped ensure our messaging aligned with key moments in the student lifecycle, while IT stakeholders supported the technical implementation of our new discovery tools.
The initiative significantly increased student engagement with available funding opportunities, directly supporting McMaster's accessibility and student success objectives. The Funds Finder tool became a central resource that simplified the discovery process and reduced barriers to application.
The project was delivered within existing departmental budget constraints and gained recognition from senior university leadership for its impact on student outcomes and operational efficiency.
User research is essential, students needed solutions that fit their existing behaviours rather than requiring them to adopt new search habits.
Cross-functional collaboration early in the planning phase prevented technical constraints from limiting creative solutions and ensured stakeholder buy-in throughout implementation.
Leading with data rather than assumptions strengthened my case for resource allocation and helped secure ongoing support from senior administration for future optimization initiatives.
Building measurement frameworks from project launch proved crucial, tracking both engagement metrics and actual application conversions revealed which promotional tactics drove meaningful outcomes versus surface-level activity.
Managing competing priorities across departments taught me to establish clear communication protocols and shared success metrics upfront, preventing scope creep while maintaining project momentum.
