Student services comprises several key teams that work together to provide individualized support and resources to prospective and enrolled Relay students and alumni: admissions, alumni affairs, AmeriCorps residency programs, prospective student advising, registration and enrollment, student financial services, and technology. Below is specific information about each student services team:
Admissions
The Admissions team manages the admissions process at Relay. The team’s responsibilities include reviewing incoming applications and transcripts, supporting applicants through their admissions process, and maintaining admissions student records.
Alumni Affairs
The Alumni Affairs team aims to support Relay’s alumni network professionally, grow intellectually, engage socially, and give back to Relay’s many communities. The team connects alumni worldwide with the Relay nation and provides alumni with various opportunities to share their input (e.g., Alumni and Student Advisory Council, Alumni Survey) and expertise (e.g., the Writing Center, Kappa Delta Pi) with the faculty/staff and currently enrolled students.
AmeriCorps Residency Programs
In order to provide a high-quality education at an affordable cost, Relay partners with AmeriCorps to help lower the out-of-pocket tuition costs for students enrolled in our Residency program. Relay’s AmeriCorps team oversees the administration of the AmeriCorps' state and national grant program. Additionally, the team supports program leaders in the implementation of grant requirements.
Prospective Student Advising
Prospective Student Advising (PSA) provides a standardized, structured, streamlined, seamless, and supportive experience to all prospective students prior to their program start. The PSA model is centered around prospective-student advising, and it is proactive, differentiated, and culturally responsive to our incoming student needs. As a result of this experience, prospective students are informed, excited, engaged, and prepared for their Relay program. PSA supports selection, placement, and admissions work.
Registrar’s Office
The Registrar’s Office oversees, maintains, and processes all aspects of student registration, changes to enrollment (e.g., withdrawals and leaves of absence), reenrollment, transfers, student benefits and reporting (e.g., veterans affairs benefits, loan deferment), Relay transcripts and enrollment letters, student academic progress (SAP), and program-completion operations (e.g., diplomas and degree audits). In addition, the Registrar’s Office manages academic records and enrollment and academic policies.
Student Financial Services
The Student Financial Services (SFS) team provides students with information, financing, and services needed to pay for their Relay education. SFS oversees student accounts, including the billing and collection of tuition and fees, and provides counseling regarding payment options. SFS is also responsible for issuing refunds from student accounts as needed and for disbursing and administering scholarship funds. Finally, SFS administers federal Title IV funds, including direct unsubsidized loans and TEACH grants, for eligible students who require federal financial aid to pay for their tuition and fees at Relay. Students may access their student accounts and pay their outstanding balances on Nelnet, Relay’s online, secure student-payment portal.
Technology
The Technology team is responsible for providing staff and student information systems, applications, and platforms that are integrated, secure, and easily accessible. They work to maximize industry-leading technology that furthers the needs and priorities of the institution through leadership and innovation in information technology planning, implementing efficient and scalable solutions, acquiring or developing and deploying information technology products, and delivering responsive information technology support services. For a list of hardware and software requirements, please see Support Center.
Access to all Relay technology resources is controlled via a secure login and password. Each student uses a unique username and password to access Okta, the institution’s single sign-on platform. Students are provisioned access to this system upon enrollment and can choose their own passwords (using a link sent to the email address they supplied upon admission). Once provisioned, students use the same credentials to access all online platforms (e.g., Canvas and Microsoft Office 365). When a student exits Relay (e.g., takes a leave of absence, withdraws), access to all applications is removed with the exception of email, Minerva, financial aid, and program admissions.
All Canvas-related support is handled by Canvas staff and not by Relay’s Technology team.
A Note on Communications via Email
Once students receive their Relay-issued email address and it is activated, Relay will use ONLY Relay-issued email addresses to communicate with students. This is the official channel for all Relay communications, including after students exit Relay. Students are responsible for checking their Relay-issued email address regularly.
If students prefer to use a different email address, they must forward emails from their Relay-issued email address to their preferred email address. Instructions on forwarding emails can be found in Relay Email Account Troubleshooting and FAQs.