Request for Proposal for Student Loan Default Prevention Services RFP Proposal Due Date-November 29, 2017 4525 Education Park Drive Schnecksville, PA 18078 610-799-2121 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Cover Page 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Timeline 3 Contact Information 3 General Instructions for Proposal 3 Submission of Proposal 4 General Information 4 Appendix A-Scope of Work 5 Appendix B-IT Requirements 6 Appendix C-Vendor Proposal Form 7 Appendix D-Noncollusion Affidavit 8 2
Introduction Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) is initiating a process for the selection of a vendor to provide the College with Student Loan Default Prevention Services. The College is requesting written responses to this proposal. The proposals are due by 2:00 PM on November 29, 2017. No proposals will be accepted after the proposal date. The Request for Proposal (RFP) is part of a competitive process which will be undertaken in order to serve the College s best interests and provide vendors with a fair opportunity for their professional services to be considered. Representatives from the College will evaluate the proposals based upon a number of factors including, but not limited to fees, services, and qualifications. The final determination will be based on the proposal which, in the opinion of the selection committee and the College, best serves the interest of the College. The College reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or select a single item from any proposal. Timeline Date of Issue: November 6, 2017 Clarifying Questions Deadline November 15, 2017 Proposal Due Date November 29, 2017 Effective Date of Implementation January 8, 2018 Contact Information Questions concerning the RFP should be directed to: Susan Lindenmuth, Purchasing & Contracts Manager slindenmuth@lccc.edu Phone: 610-799-1151 Fax: 610-799-1566 General Instructions for Proposal a) Proposal Content-A completed proposal must contain the following: Appendix A-Requirements of Proposal (responses required) Appendix B-IT Requirements (responses required) Appendix C-Proposal Form-completed by an individual authorized to bind the vendor. All proposals submitted without proposal form may be deemed inadequate. Appendix D-Non collusion Affidavit 3
b) Term & Renewal-The term of the Contract shall be for three (3) years. The College reserves the right to extend the contract on a year-by-year basis if mutually agreed to by vendor. Submission of Proposal Written proposals are to be received no later than 2 PM on November 29, 2017 at the office of the Purchasing & Contracts Manager, Lehigh Carbon Community College, 4525 Education Park Dr., Schnecksville, PA 18078, (Attention: Ms. Susan Lindenmuth). Three (3) copies of the proposals must be in a sealed envelope marked Student Loan Default Services Proposal. Electronic files will not be accepted. General Information Lehigh Carbon Community College is a community college with the main campus in Schnecksville, Pa., and sites in Jim Thorpe, Tamaqua and Allentown, Pa. Classes in the aviation program are offered at the Lehigh Valley International Airport. The college was founded in 1966 and offers associate's degrees and certificates, as well as workforce training and community education. Whether students are taking their first two years of their bachelor's degree, preparing for immediate employment or just exploring a new interest, LCCC offers programs for everyone, including more than 90 degrees, certificates and specialized programs. Current student population for 2016-17 was 17,000 credit and noncredit students with alumni from the past 52 years providing higher education opportunities to the community. 4
Appendix A Scope of Work Requirements for Proposal Lehigh Carbon Community College s loan default rate has gradually increased over the years where it has now exceeded the maximum threshold of 16% in 2016/17 (see Cohort Default Rate History Table below). As a result, this has impacted the number of disbursements of federal aid to currently enrolled students, as well as, students that wish to return to LCCC after being out of college for a number of years. To meet LCCC s mission in facilitating and promoting accessibility and affordability, the college is seeking a third-party vendor that will address the following areas of services in order to reduce its current loan default rate and to help allow borrowers be eligible for federal aid and continue their education. Please explain your procedures for the following: Contacting borrowers who are within their student loan grace period. Contacting borrowers who are more than ninety (90) days delinquent. Discuss your various methods of contact to reach delinquent borrowers, including telephone outreach, strategic written communication, email, interactive web-based tools and resources, social media, multi-tiered skip tracing, and text messaging. Also include methods used but not stated. Monthly and quarterly performance reports. Use of the National Student Loan Data System. Assisting the institution in reviewing its current Default Prevention and Management Plan, and providing recommendations based on best practices in loan default. Providing enrolled students with an electronic financial education curriculum, and assisting the institution in launching the product. Assisting the institution to develop a plan to have borrowers pay the college their past balance dues. Address any value added services not discussed above. Provide the college with three (3) references from institutions that received your services. Cohort Default Rate History for Lehigh Carbon Community College Cohort Year Students in Repayment Students Who Defaulted Cohort Default Rate FY2010 3 Year 1087 168 15.4% FY2011 3 Year 1332 213 15.9% FY2012 3 Year 1449 198 13.6% FY2013 3 Year 1416 214 15.1% FY2014 3 Year 1473 236 16.0% 5
Appendix B IT Requirements IT Requirements For Proposal 1. Provide post-production launch Service Level Agreement Metric and associated costs. This should detail options available for monitoring and management of the new software system. If a fully managed services offering is available, kindly detail that as an option within your response. 2. Provide options for Business continuity and Disaster Recovery and concomitant costs. 3. Detail options for securing the environment including but not limited to SSO integration to LCCC s existing Domain environments, Multi-Factor Authentication, etc and associated costs for implementing. 4. Detail ongoing costs for maintenance, support, (and operations as/if applicable) for years 1, 2, & 3 post production go live. 5. Detail implementation options of local hosting, PaaS, SaaS, etc. 6. Professional services options for vendor to implement at LCCC as a turn-key solution. 6
Appendix C Vendor Proposal Form TO: LEHIGH CARBON COMMUNITY COLLEGE We, the Undersigned, having examined the specifications and all other documents and, being familiar with the various conditions under which these services and/or supplies are to be used, agree to furnish, install, and warrant all labor, materials, equipment, and any other required services to fulfill the requirements of the Request for Proposal. COMPANY NAME: ADDRESS: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: PRINTED NAME: TITLE: FEDERAL I.D.#: Costs Related to proposal Total Annual Cost Cost per service and description of services including cost per account loaded (and resolved, if any) Cost of portal installation and maintenance (if any) Cost increases in year 2 & 3 (if any) If applicable verify receipt of: Addendum No. Date Received Addendum No. Date Received Checklist: Responses to Requirements of Proposal Responses to IT Requirements Vendor Proposal Form Non collusion Affidavit 7
Appendix D NON COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT State of : County of : s.s. I state that I am the (Title) of (Name of Firm) and that I am authorized to make this affidavit on behalf of my firm, and its owners, directors, and officers. I am the person responsible in my firm for the prices(s) and the amount of this proposal. I state that: 1. The price(s) and amount of this proposal have been arrived at independently and without consultation, communication or agreement with any other contractor, proposer or potential proposer. 2. Neither the price(s) nor the amount of this proposal, and neither the approximate price(s) nor approximate amount of this proposal, have been disclosed to any other firm or person who is a proposer or potential proposer, and they will not be disclosed before the proposal submission date. 3. No attempt has been made or will be made to induce any firm or person to refrain from proposing on this contract, or to submit a proposal higher than this proposal, or to submit any intentionally high or noncompetitive proposal or other form of complementary proposal. 4. The proposal of my firm is made in good faith and not pursuant to any agreement or discussion with, or inducement from, any firm or person to submit a complementary or other noncompetitive proposal. 5. (Name of Firm) its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, and employees are not currently under investigation by any governmental agency and have not in the last four years been convicted or found liable for any act prohibited by state or federal law in any jurisdiction, involving conspiracy or collusion with respect to proposing and/or bidding on any public contract, except as follows: I state that (Name of Firm) understands and acknowledges that the above representations are material and important, and will be relied upon by the Department of General Services in awarding the contract(s) for which this proposal is submitted. I understand and my firm understands that any misstatement in this affidavit is and shall be treated as fraudulent concealment from the Department of General Services of the true facts relating to the submission of this proposal. (Signature) (Signatory s Printed Name) SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED BEFORE ME THIS DAY OF, 20 Notary Public (Signatory s Title) My Commission Expires 8