of 5— Create a Claude Account and Project

What you'll accomplish

You'll set up a Claude Project loaded with your institution's financial aid policy manual, procedure guides, and commonly used federal policy references. When you or a colleague has a policy question, you can ask it in plain English and get a clear, policy-consistent answer in seconds instead of flipping through hundreds of pages.

Think of it as a 24/7 policy colleague who has read every document in your office and never gets tired of questions.

What you'll need

A Claude account at claude.ai (Claude Pro is recommended for Projects — {{tool:Claude.price}}/month)
Your institution's financial aid policy manual (PDF or Word doc)
Any relevant procedure guides (verification procedures, SAP policy, professional judgment procedures)
Optional: relevant sections of the FSA Handbook (download from studentaid.gov)
Time needed: 45-60 min to set up; 2-5 min per query after
Cost: {{tool:Claude.price}}

How-To Guide: Build an Institutional Policy Research Assistant

Step 1: Create a Claude Account and Project

Go to {{tool:Claude.url}} and sign up for Claude Pro
In the left sidebar, click Projects → New Project
Name it: "Financial Aid Policy Assistant: [Institution Name]"

What you should see: A new Project with a chat interface and a "Project Knowledge" or "Project Instructions" panel

Tools:Claude