Student Success

Help Students Overcome Financial Barriers and Improve Retention

Arbol delivers personalized financial plans and guided checklists so students take the right next steps and teams prevent holds, reduce stop-out, and improve retention.
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Financial stress is one of the leading drivers of student dropout

%

of students experience financial challenges while enrolled

%

of students who stop out cite financial reasons as the top cause

%

of college students have considered dropping out due to financial stress

Arbol Is The Student Financial Success Platform Built for Retention

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Personalized Financial Plan

A Clear Financial Pathway That Helps Students Stay Enrolled

  • Builds a plan based on net balance, aid, and real student circumstances

  • Highlights gaps early so students can act before problems escalate

  • Updates automatically as aid, balances, or expenses change

  • Helps students understand what to do now vs. later

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Guided Action

Turn Financial Confusion Into Clear Choices and Action

  • Students always know their next best action based on their situation

  • Checklists update automatically when deadlines, holds, or balances change

  • Keeps students moving forward semester to semester with step-by-step guidance

  • Reduces missed steps that lead to holds and stop-out

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Seamless Support

Make Financial Support Easy to Find and Use

  • Scholarships, emergency funds, and campus resources in one place

  • Guidance on what to do and where to go based on student needs

  • Reduces referrals and office runaround

  • Helps students access support before a crisis

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Dashboard & Analytics

Insights and Reporting Your Team Can Act On

  •  Student engagement insights across plans, checklists, and next steps

  • Downloadable reports for leadership updates and campus reporting

  • Monthly data reviews with a dedicated customer success expert

  • Track progress and retention risk with engagement and completion trends

7

On-time Interventions

Scale Proactive Support With Trackable Interventions

  • Prioritize students who need support most using financial risk and engagement signals

  • Route students to the right intervention including emergency funds, appeals, and counseling

  • Capture coaching notes and outcomes to ensure continuity and accountability across teams

  • Track interventions over time to reduce holds, prevent stop-out, and improve retention

 

Institutions see immediate impact

%

of students complete a personalized financial plan

%

less financial stress for students who complete a plan

%

of students improve their financial confidence

X

more likely to persist term-to-term with a clear financial pathway

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Case Study

How SUNY Buffalo State Improved Retention Through Roar 2 Success

SUNY Buffalo State partnered with Arbol to support students in its Roar 2 Success program by guiding them through financial decisions, next steps, and ongoing changes throughout the term. With clear plans and real-time visibility, staff were able to identify risk earlier, reduce preventable holds, and keep students on track toward persistence and completion.

Read Full Case Study

Launch in just 2-4 weeks

A guided rollout led by dedicated customer success. No IT required for the base platform.
1. Goal Alignment

Align on retention goals, students to support, and success metrics.

2. Configure & Train

We configure your workflows and train staff with real advising scenarios.

3. Launch

Go live and start guiding students with plans, checklists, and risk signals.

4. Optimize

Review performance monthly and improve outcomes over time.

Implementation Playbooks

See How Arbol Fits Into the Student Success Programs You Already Run

Explore proven ways to integrate Arbol into the initiatives and routines already live on your campus to improve retention and prevent stop-out.

Orientation

Launch Financial Success On Day One

Give every new student a clear plan for net cost, aid, and next steps so they start the term confide...

View Playbook

Opportunity Programs

Scale High-Touch Support for High-Need Students

Support first-gen and low-income students with structured financial guidance and trackable actions, ...

View Playbook

First-Year Experience (FYE)

Leverage FYE Courses to Drive Financial Readiness

Pair Arbol with University 101 or Core 101 so students build a real plan, complete key actions, and ...

View Playbook

Financial Wellness Programs

Turn Financial Wellness Into Action, Follow-Through, and Measurable Outcomes

Arbol doesn’t replace your workshops or coaching. It adds the plan, action, and insight layer that h...

View Playbook

Emergency Aid

Streamline Emergency Funds and Financial Appeals

Trigger emergency aid, payment plans, and appeals faster with structured workflows that document nee...

View Playbook

Frequently Asked Questions

Have Question? We are here to help

How quickly can we launch?

Most institutions go live in 2–4 weeks. Arbol can launch quickly with minimal IT support by configuring your student experience, workflows, and content.

If you choose optional integrations (SIS, financial aid feeds, SSO), implementation may take longer and involve IT, but we provide full integration support.

How does Arbol fit into existing student success initiatives and programs?

Arbol plugs into the initiatives you already run, including orientation, advising, opportunity programs, FYE/student success courses, retention coaching, and proactive interventions, without requiring a new program to be created

 

Will this take a lot of our time?

We know campus teams are stretched thin. Arbol is designed to reduce manual follow-up, not add more work. We handle setup, workflows, and training so your team can focus on students who need support most.

  • 2–4 week launch with guided implementation

  • Monthly optimization reviews to improve outcomes without extra effort

  • Targeted outreach lists so you spend time where it matters

  • Staff enablement and templates included

Why do students engage with Arbol?

Arbol is built for guided decision-making, not passive information. Students engage because the experience is personalized, clear, and actionable.

  • Personalized net cost clarity

  • Step-by-step next steps tied to real deadlines

  • Resources and actions in one place

  • Nudges and reminders that support follow-through

Is Arbol a website or an app students download?

Arbol is a web-based experience students can access instantly on mobile or desktop.

No download required. Institutions typically link Arbol through their admissions portal, student portal, website, email communications, and SMS outreach.

How is pricing determined?

Annual pricing is based on two factors: institution size (typically undergraduate FTE) and the workflows you deploy. Most campuses start with one workflow and expand over time.

What is the process for updating workflows and content?

Arbol makes updates easy. Most workflow and content changes can be handled by your team using our configuration tools.

For more complex changes, our team supports updates and optimization as part of your partnership, including regular performance reviews.

Is Arbol secure and FERPA compliant?

Yes. Arbol supports institutional security requirements and is designed to align with FERPA and data governance standards. We provide documentation for procurement and compliance reviews.

Which campus teams use Arbol?

Arbol supports the teams responsible for enrollment and student success across the lifecycle, including Enrollment & Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Success & Advising, Student Accounts/Bursar, and Financial Wellness.

Institutions can start with one team and expand over time, using one platform to coordinate support and improve outcomes.

Which student populations does Arbol support?

Arbol is designed for the students most impacted by affordability uncertainty, including first-generation, low-income, Pell-eligible, adult learners, transfers, and returning students.

Institutions can configure pathways, resources, and messaging by population to ensure students receive the right guidance at the right time, from admission through graduation.

Ready to get started?

Discover how Arbol guides students to enroll with confidence.
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