MSFAA Visits OASFAA

Submitted by Ryan Rafko – Current MSFAA President and Michigan’s Representative on MASFAA Executive Council

I recently had the opportunity to travel to the Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (OASFAA) Spring Conference which was held at the Sheraton Columbus Hotel at Capitol Square in Columbus from April 25^th to 27^th. The reason for my travel was due to my involvement on the MASFAA Executive Council and its State Exchange Program. This program allows each state president or representative the opportunity to visit another state association conference to see how they execute a conference and conduct business but also to network with all of the wonderful Financial Aid Professionals from across the state!

One of the highlights was the opportunity to present on a panel with I believe the longest title on the agenda: Protecting Student Data: Discussing Institutional Responsibility for Cybersecurity, Data Protection, and Security Risk Management. This presentation covered a lot of information within a short time frame and led to plenty of questions and discussion. My biggest takeaway from this presentation and discussion was the impact that this has had at schools of all shapes and sizes. We had representation from schools in a variety of sectors not only on the panel but also in the audience. Hearing what other schools have done and utilizing this information to create and develop our own "best practices" is why the Financial Aid profession is such a welcoming and collaborative group. I’m glad to say I was a part of this team effort and will be adapting it for use at my Summer Conference in June!

From the updates on MASFAA by President Elect Marvin Smith, to the NASFAA Federal Update by Karen McCarty, the offering of a NASFAA credentialing opportunity, and of course the Federal Updates provided by US Department of Education Trainer Zack Goodwin this conference was packed with valuable information and professional development opportunities.

I would like to thank everyone from the OASFAA Board and all of the registrants who welcomed me with open arms even though I am from that state up north. It was truly a rewarding experience that allowed me the chance to increase my Financial Aid network while providing me with access to a quality program and knowledgeable speakers and presenters throughout my attendance.