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Navigating Higher Ed Benefits with A Chatbot Named Wyatt with Erika Blumenthal and Daniel O'Donnell

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Sinopsis

In the episode Mike Palmer hosts Erika Blumenthal, the Chief Operating Officer at Benefits Data Trust (BDT), and Daniel O'Donnell, the Associate Director of Higher Education at BDT. We discuss the organization's mission to help individuals access social safety net benefits in the U.S., with a focus on supporting college students and how they use a Chatbot named Wyatt to communicate benefits to higher ed students. Erika and Daniel share their professional backgrounds and how they ended up at BDT. We delve into the challenges students face, such as food insecurity and the complex process of applying for benefits like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The conversation centers around Wyatt, an AI chatbot developed by BDT to assist students in completing the FAFSA. Daniel explains how Wyatt leverages AI and text messaging to provide scalable support, addressing the need for accessible guidance amid recent FAFSA changes. We reference this Educ