The 5TRIVE office prototype includes: - Cubicles for financial advisors to meet with students one-on-one. - Comfortable lounge areas with couches and chairs for students to relax in between meetings. - A reception desk near the entrance to check students in for their appointments. - Vending machines and a water fountain to provide refreshments for students. - An open layout and use of the color green to create a welcoming environment that promotes balance and growth.

1. CUNY Financial Aid – 5trive
Ita-Cicchelli, Grace, et al.

2. Statement of Opportunity
Across CUNY financial aid system, students experience services that
are not user-friendly. The inconsistencies in service quality among
different CUNY financial aid representatives have resulted to a
decline in the number of students who graduate annually.
Our aim is to develop better training resources for the CUNY
financial aid advisors; find and implement ways to break down and
streamline the financial aid process for all students.

4. Service Delivery
System
Operating Strategy Service Concept Target Market
Segment
• Option to chat with a live
representative online to
assist
• Send text or email to
clients when application
has been received by
the CUNY colleges and
the awarded amount. If
there is no award,
explain and provide next
course of action.
• Hire employees who
have experience with
CUNYfirst and speak
more than one
language.
• One-on-one personal
assistant (PA)
• Assigned PA based on
personal profile to build
rapport between both
• Client uses same PA
(except otherwise
requested by client)
every filing period to
promote consistency
and confidentiality
• Use of PA decreases
error in application and
decreases apprehension
for student new to the
system or students with
disabilities
• Convenience and time
effectiveness to renew
application for clients’
with already existing
database
• On-the-go updates
about financial aid status
through text/email keeps
clients informed
• CUNY undergraduates
• Students new to the
financial aid system
• Students whose primary
language is not English
• Students with reading
and visual disabilities
Service Vision

5. How does 5TRIVE make money?
5TRIVE uses a non-
profit hybrid model.
That means we are
funded by individuals
and companies who
want to help CUNY
students have a
smooth financial aid
experience without
interference in their
education. We also use
the funds collected
from students who
don’t qualify for aid to
sustain our business
practices.
Does the student qualify for aid?
Yes No
5TRIVE charges the student a
$50 fee which is taken directly
from their aid
5TRIVE uses its capital from
investors to cover the student's
application fee

6. Charlie Hendrick
Age 19
Occupation Student
Status Single
Location Brooklyn, NY
Family income $45,000
• Doesn’t understand all of the tax
questions on the FAFSA
• Mom is the main source of income
in the home, she supports him and
2 sisters
• Was granted less than half of tuition
fees
• Is taking out loans at extremely high
rates
He is a full-time student at Baruch College. This is his
second year at the institution and he is pursuing a
bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management. He
lives with his mother and two sisters. He works a part-
time job at Foot Locker on the weekends to help make
ends meet.
Frustrations
• Wants accurate answers to his
questions
• Would like to receive the
maximum amount of funds to
help pay for tuition and fees.
• Wants the option of paying the
least amount of loan rates.
• Wants to obtain his degree with
no outstanding balance.
Goals
Biography

8. Flow Chart

9. Student
Student’s/family
income
GOVERNMENT
All CUNY colleges
Personnel/Other
employees
IT Services
Financial Aid
Offices
Social Media
COMPETITORS
ELECTED SCHOOL
OFFICIALS (Board
of Trustees)
COMMUNITY
TECHNOLOGYSUPPLIERS
Stakeholder’s Map

10. Storyboard
Charlie arrives at his school’s financial
aid office only to be met with a line
outside of the door.
Upon arriving to the desk, this is the
conversation he has with the rep.
Charlie leaves the office frustrated.
After word of mouth, Charlie
visits us at 5trive and meets our
front office rep.
He sits down to fill out the
personal profile form.
He meets his personal assistant,
Harry, a recent CUNY college graduate.
He gets the answers he needs
and leaves happy spreading the
goodnews to his friends.
My FASFA states I’m
eligible for a lot of aid,
but I don’t see it applied
Really! I don’t see anything, it
may be a glitch in the system.
Check back in 2 weeks

11. Journey Map

12. Pivot
Competitor with 50+ years of experience. 5 times
more capital. Established. Has all of the information
that we do.
Strategy: Implement hands on work methods for employees and
customers
● Refer-A-Friend Program
○ If the friend signs up, the student receives a book money voucher
● Automatic Renewal Express
○ Student updates tax information, 5TRIVE takes care of the rest
● Holiday emails, reminders, birthday emails
● ScreenSharing to assist students who are unable to come into the office
● Build relationships with school officials, students, and parents through promotion at high school fairs
● Hire recent college graduates and professors
● Provide course advisement for current students at no extra fee

13. Now, in order to be eligible for
financial aid, students and their
parents must submit an
income tax transcript. You are
able to get your FAFSA tax
information swiftly with the
handy IRS Data Retrieval Tool
on your own. Less paperwork.
Time
Horizon
3-5 years
Things we don’t know:
Are there government
restrictions to student
information; Will we find
investors?; Will students be
willing and able to pay for our
service?; Will we have the best
tech to fulfill our mission?
Students handle their own
financial aid (filing forms,
use the IRS Data Retrieval
Tool, etc.)
Technological advances
emerges where data can
be entered online using
handy software.
Students would wait in
long lines, fill out
numerous forms, and
bring in a lot of
documents.
More rules and
regulations on how to be
eligible for financial aid,
more government aid
options, and more loan
options.
Less
students need
help with
financial aid
More
students need
help with
financial aid
Financial aid advisors are poorly trained
Financial aid advisors are better equipped to
help students
Changes:

14. Fall
Semester ‘16
Spring
Semester ‘17
Winter
Semester ‘16
Summer
Semester ‘17
Fall
Semester ‘17
Product
Development
Consult with
CRM designer,
website
designer, and
app designer
to build a
system that is
updated in real
time.
Test the
systems with
employees,
prospective
clients
(students),
and any
affiliates or
third parties.
Continue
testing the
system with
students and
work out any
kinks with IRS
and FAFSA.
Start and
complete
construction
of the 5trive
HQ/Office.
Launch our
services online
and in our
5trive office.
Begin working
on any updates
or revamps
simultaneously
.
Prepare for a
lot of happy
students and
make sure
everyone is
satisfied with
our services
and their paid
tuition/books.
Continue to
monitor any
inconsistencie
s and fixing
any issues.
Benefits Beta Testing
Smooth out
any bumps
Perfect any
imperfections
Allows us to
see the good
and the bad
Prototyping
Product Roadmap 5TRIVE

15. 5-SD Principles Applied to Model
User-centered Design: This design for our service focuses on the students’ frustrations in regards to their financial needs.
The students (customers) have total control on whether or not they want to stay with the service or leave. Students want
the maximum amount of money to cover tuition and fees and getting the option to pay lower rates on loans.
Co-Creative Design: We used contextual interviews to create a persona for potential customers and designed our service
to serve college students with financial needs who really want financial guidance and administrative support. We mix these
students with educated, experienced, and friendly newly hired financial advisors to achieve the best quality of service for
the customer’s experience.
Sequencing: The eligibility of a student's’ financial aid and grants and whether or not it’s the students first time at 5trive
influences that rhythm of the service, the service can be quick, moderate, slow, or what happens next. When it is a
student’s first time at 5trive, students must fill out financial aid forms so the receptionist can make a profile for the student
and put them into the system as opposed to if a student already is in the system, they can go ahead and meet the financial
advisor. The latter would save students about 25 minutes of time.
Evidencing: Making the intangible tangible. An intangible component of our service is processing data within the system
which consists details and data about the student’s account. We use a ScreenSharing software to help students with
anything that they need via computer. Students can be involved in seeing and even editing data within the system. If a
student typed in the wrong social security number, they can screen share with a representative of 5trive to help them fix
the problem.
Holistic: 5trive office is designed to attract the customers’ eye while also creating a comfortable environment. We use the
color green as one of the main colors for office because the color is known for balance and growth. We have cubicles but
also comfy couches and lounge chairs for students to relax. We have vending machines and water fountains in the office
and the office is spacious and bright.

16. 5-SD Principles Applied to Model v.2
User-centered Design: 5TRIVE is user centered because the customer chooses what services they receive from us. They can
choose between detailed filing help or an overview of their financial aid package. The customer also has the power of determining
when they use our service. They can be seen as a walk in, or make an appointment online or by phone. 5TRIVE also allows the
customer to choose their personal assitant.
Co-Creative Design: We used contextual interviews to create a persona for potential customers and designed our service to serve
college students with financial needs who really want financial guidance and administrative support. We mix these students with
educated, experienced, and friendly newly hired financial advisors to achieve the best quality of service for the customer’s experience.
Sequencing: The eligibility of a student's’ financial aid and grants and whether or not it’s the students first time at 5TRIVE influences
that rhythm of the service.The service can be quick, moderate, or slow. When it is a student’s first time at 5TRIVE, students must fill
out financial aid forms so the receptionist can make a profile for the student and put them into the system, as opposed to if a student
already is in the system, they can go ahead and meet the financial advisor. The latter would save students about 25 minutes of time.
Each step leads the student closer to receiving and understanding their financial aid package.
Evidencing: An intangible component of our service is processing data within the system which consists of details and data about the
student’s account. We use a ScreenSharing software to help students with anything that they need via computer. Students can be
involved in seeing and even editing data within the system. If a student typed in the wrong social security number, they can screen
share with a representative of 5TRIVE to help them fix the problem. The tangible portion of our service exists when a student receives
their financial aid check.
Holistic: 5TRIVE periodically asks students at the ends of their sessions a series of a few short survey questions to get an
understanding of how we are doing at each stage of the process. Students are often asked upon entering the office how they are
feeling, and how their day is going. 5TRIVE also uses the color green as one of the main colors for office because the color is known
for balance and growth. We have cubicles but also comfy couches and lounge chairs for students to relax.

17. Key Partners
Key Activities
Key Resources
Value
Propositions
Customer
Relationships
Channels
Customer
Segments
Cost Structure Revenue Streams
• CUNY schools
• CUNY students
• CUNY officials
• Access to student
financial
information
• CUNY officials
coordinate with
5TRIVE to
process student
financial aid
• IRS and CUNY
serve as supplier
of information
• Help students file their
financial aid
• Help students
understand their aid
package
• Offer course guidance
• Value: the ease
of filing for
financial aid
• Value: helping
students and their
families
understand their
financial aid
• Services offered:
course guidance,
FAFSA filing
• Established
relationships: CUNY
students, CUNY faculty,
high school guidance
counselors
• Maintain by staying in
contact through email,
point system.
• CUNY students
and their families
• CUNY financial
aid employees
• Customer
archetype: CUNY
student, most
likely a freshman;
doesn’t have
much disposable
income, really
relies on
maximizing
financial aid
• Most important costs include: software installment to connect to
IRS and CUNY system, overhead, salaries
• These costs are expensive because we need reliable and efficient
system to function without error and set a high standard
• Our customers are willing to pay for the ease of filing the FAFSA
especially if English isn’t their first language or they are a first
time/generation college student
• Students pay to have the FAFSA filed for them
• 5TRIVE makes money from investors and the small fees
charged to students
• Pricing tactics: low-to-no cost for the student, benefit leadership
• Investments
• Access to CUNY
students financial
information
• Distribution channels:
high schools, CUNY
school fairs
• Email, phone, chat, social
media
• Other companies (their school)
reaches them through email,
phone, snail mail
• Email is preferred and cost
efficient
• Students check email and
social media on-the-go 24/7

18. 5TRIVE Office Prototype