Top 10 Student Information System Providers - 2017

Heiberg Consulting, Inc.: Help for TRIO Grant Programs

David Heiberg, President

Founded in 1996, Heiberg Consulting, Inc. (HCI) is focused on determining the most effective and secure solutions for their clients—both in the educational and for-profit markets. In education, the company has created the StudentAccess software and services to assist Federal TRIO programs with their day-to-day information tracking and reporting needs. David Heiberg, President, elaborates, “We started in the community we lived in, where we went to school, where we worked in TRIO. One day we said to ourselves, ‘I think we can help here.’”

The inspiration for the StudentAccess software and services comes from the fact that many colleges and universities don’t have the resources needed to fully support federal grants. StudentAccess provides this support and offers additional resources to track specific information by allowing customization for tracking program-specific information. This gives TRIO grants the focused support they need, and helps them adapt to the changing needs of their institutions and federal requirements. StudentAccess automatically generates reports and indicates missing information to help universities and colleges prepare their required annual performance reports in a secure environment. “We have six different online and six different desktop versions of our software focused on the specific needs of those grant types,” remarks Heiberg. “We offer SaaS, self-hosting, perpetual licenses, and automatic update options.” The company also offers trainings via pre-recorded online videos as well as WebEx and on-campus training. “We’re flexible, and part of that approach is because we want to be where people need us.”

From the beginning, HCI set about implementing the strictest security policies and procedures. Because their products support online access to student information, the architecture was designed so that customers could be assured that student information would not be compromised.

We started in the community we lived in, where we went to school, where we worked in TRIO.

In the education environment, schools are faced with additional regulations and privacy concerns. HCI ensures that StudentAccess meets every security need and passes any security audit. They started with the TRIO requirements, and from there added their technical checklist of standard and advanced security features. HCI’s security goes beyond SSL, disk encryption, and incident response plans. “We understand why security best practices are important, and also why understanding context and threats are equally important. Modern security threats are out there and require ongoing training, discussion, and awareness. It’s just crucial,” explains Heiberg.

HCI still provides a full range of technology services to the SMB market in northern Colorado. Recent and ongoing projects include assistance with PCI compliance, implementation of responsive web design, and day-to-day IT services. Their clients include traditional and digital publishers, non-profit organizations, and businesses of all sizes. However, the company has focused more and more on education in recent years. In the educational community, HCI has worked with and tailored their software beyond TRIO to include advocacy offices, migrant programs, and state level grants for traditionally disadvantaged populations.

As HCI looks towards the future, their development is based on feedback from customers. Their priorities include the standard upgrades to their software and capabilities, but also maintaining a presence in the TRIO community. The foundation and driver for HCI’s business is based on their belief in people and education. They hold the perspective that vendors should become a part of the community and contribute wherever possible. Heiberg shares, “We provide scholarships, join professional and advocacy organizations, hire TRIO students, provide internships, and donate our time and money. We believe in TRIO, and we’ve seen the changes it makes in our lives and the lives of others. We believe in the community empowering students through education, and people with shared goals simply accomplish more.”