Ellucian PowerCampus Financial Aid vs Populi Financial Aid
Ellucian PowerCampus Financial Aid
ellucian.com
Populi Financial Aid
populiweb.comSide by side
| Figure | Ellucian PowerCampus Financial Aid | Populi Financial Aid |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $1,999/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Financial Aid Management Software | 7.6 (#7) | 7.9 (#2) |
| Spec score · Course Registration Software | 7.7 (#16) | 7.9 (#10) |
| Spec score · Higher Education Software | 7.6 (#9) | 7.8 (#6) |
| Founded | 1986 | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Reston, Virginia, United States | Moscow, Idaho, United States |
| Purpose | PowerCampus Financial Aid is a customizable system that automates financial aid processing and is designed to help institutions manage aid and meet federal requirements. | Populi combines college academics, admissions, financial aid, billing, donations, and reporting in one platform. |
| Security | Ellucian says its cloud services are ISO 27001:2022 certified and undergo annual SOC audits, with SOC reports available to customers. | Populi describes 256-bit SSL-encrypted connections, encrypted backups, firewalls, proactive monitoring, password requirements, user access privileges, timed logouts, and record change logs. |
| Support | Ellucian offers support through its Customer Center and by phone; access to support cases and downloads requires institution approval and an active maintenance agreement. | Customer support and training are included; phone support is available Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time. |
Plans
Ellucian PowerCampus Financial Aid
- Ellucian PowerCampus Financial AidPriced on request
In their own words
Ellucian PowerCampus Financial Aid
Ellucian PowerCampus Financial Aid automates financial aid processing for educational institutions and is designed to help them manage aid and meet federal requirements. The customizable system uses College Board PowerFAIDS and can track applications, maintain student records, calculate budgets, analyze need, and prepare individual or batch award packages. It can process and disburse funds, handle federal data, and generate financial aid emails, letters and customized reports. Compliance support includes processing ISIR and College Board CSSProfile data, FISAP reporting, FM Calculation, Pell Schedule updates and NSLDS transfer monitoring updates; Ellucian also lists PowerCampus support for 1098-T tuition statement reporting. Students can use the companion PowerFAIDS Net Partner portal to update profiles, accept or decline awards, and view application status, awards, messages and aid information. Ellucian describes web-enabled access on a Microsoft platform and lists cloud deployment. The product is aimed at small to mid-sized colleges and universities. Pricing is available on request.
Populi Financial Aid
Populi Financial Aid is the financial aid feature in Populi, a hosted platform that also combines college academics, admissions, billing, donations, and reporting. Its Aid tools support packaging, disbursing, and reporting without a third-party servicer. The platform connects directly to the Department of Education for SAIG mailbox documents, COD award syncing, and response resolution. FAFSA information feeds student profiles and aid applications, where staff can review error codes, aid counselings, and MPNs. Other tools include Satisfactory Academic Progress reporting, preset disbursement timetables, built-in Pell tables, and batch disbursements. A financial aid API can connect to servicers and bring disbursed awards into student accounts. Populi is hosted and browser-based, needs no local installation, and says it works on Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. Support and training are included, with phone support Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time. The monthly price includes 2,000 GB of file storage and 200 GB of data transfer; extra amounts are charged separately. The pricing note says from $199/mo, while the listed Populi plan is $1,999 a month.