The Time Is Now!

Submitted by the Awards Committee

It’s time to reward MASFAA colleagues who have done a great job – for students, for colleagues, for the financial aid profession – by nominating them for a MASFAA Award.

It’s time to highlight innovative ideas and outreach in financial literacy targeting K-12 or college students, whether from a state association, a school’s aid office, or an individual – by nominating them for the MASFAA Access Award.

It’s time to recognize retirees and colleagues celebrating milestone anniversaries in the profession – by nominating them for a MASFAA Recognition Certificate.

It’s time to celebrate an individual student who used financial aid to pursue and earn a credential from an institution of higher education -- by telling us about a Student Success Story from the state of Illinois.

The time is now!  The link is here!  Nominations will be accepted for the next two weeks.

Thank you for helping us laud, applaud, acknowledge and praise our MASFAA Colleagues!!!

Submit your nominations now at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MY5PLST.

But who was Allan W. Purdy?

Submitted by Val Meyers, Associate Director at Michigan State University and MASFAA Awards Committee member

On the MASFAA Awards web page, members can read about the various recognitions that MASFAA bestows each year.  The highest award that MASFAA can award an individual is the Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award.  The recipient of this award must have made outstanding contributions to the financial aid profession and to MASFAA, demonstrating service to students, fellow professionals, and others in the public sphere who may be stakeholders in financial aid in higher education. 

But that is all I knew about Allan Purdy before I started this blog entry, so I decided to do a little research and see if I could find out more about why he has been immortalized by an award (both at the MASFAA and NASFAA levels).  I was surprised to find that neither organization seems to have any information on their web sites about who Allan Purdy was.

So, let me tell you what I found in the archives and by the use of web searches regarding this celebrated colleague and leader in our profession.

Allan W. Purdy is best known to us for his position at the University of Missouri as the Director of Student Financial Aids. 

With a bachelor’s in horticulture from the University of Missouri (then MU College of Agriculture), and later a master’s degree, he returned to work at the University in 1946 in the state horticulture extension after serving in the Navy in WWII in the Mediterranean theatre. 

As an extension horticulturist, Purdy became an advocate for the agriculture school’s efforts to provide scholarships for more students.  When Sputnik inspired the creation of the National Student Defense Loans (later known as Perkins Loans) in 1957, the university needed an office to administer them. Allan Purdy was selected by the university president to create the Student Financial Aids office and became its first director.

From that position, Purdy is credited as a founding force in the formation of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in 1962.  He also helped to create the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) and the first regional financial aid association – MASFAA.  And he was celebrated for community involvement, and became known nationally as an advocate for university students. 

In 1970, the year of his retirement, both MASFAA and NASFAA established awards that bear his name.  The first recipient was, of course, Allan Purdy. 

In addition to being celebrated by both MASFAA and NASFAA with the creation of these awards, the MU Life Sciences Center was dedicated in 2004 with the Allan and Vivian Purdy Native Tree Collection area. 

One of the endowed scholarships at University of Missouri in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources was established upon his passing in 2010.  In the description, the scholarship notes that it serves to recognize those who exemplify the same concern and care for students as did Purdy, who dedicated his life to removing financial barriers to higher education (for students).

So when the MASFAA Awards Committee posts an invitation to nominate one or more of your peers for this award, please keep Allan W. Purdy’s life in mind.  Not all of us can help found a professional association, or have an award named after us, but we can (and do!) continue to advocate for students and help them remove financial barriers to college.  Please help the MASFAA Awards Committee identify colleagues to nominate for this singular honor.

Applause for your Colleagues!

Submitted by the MASFAA Awards Commiteee

The MASFAA Awards Committee selects recipients for the MASFAA awards. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  But the awards given out each year at the Annual Conference are the result of many hours of thoughtful nominations from you, the MASFAA membership, and then even more hours of discussion and deliberation of the members  of the committee, and finally of the ordering of plaques or certificates and the drafting of speeches for the actual presentations.

Why do we do this?  Sometimes the work we do is invisible or may be underappreciated, so we owe it to ourselves and our peers to step back and look at the incredible dedication we show every day to our students, their families, and our professional peers across our office, our state, and our region.  We want to take a breath and be mindful that we can use a bit of appreciation to empower and refresh us.

So please review the awards that MASFAA regularly gives out at the annual conference, and start thinking now about who you know that deserves an award from MASFAA.  Sooner than you think, we will begin asking for nominations.  But it doesn’t hurt to begin planning now.

The MASFAA Awards Committee will thank you.

The MASFAA Awards Committee is chaired by Alicia Frey, West Virginia Northern Community College, and has committee members from across the region. Click here to learn more.

Thank you… and a challenge!

by Chad Olson, Iowa State University

I wanted to say “thank you” to those who nominated me for the MASFAA Meritorious Service Award.  Receiving this award is a very humbling honor, and I appreciate being recognized.  Financial aid is an industry built on the backs of hard working, determined individuals.  Being listed among the ranks of prior winners is something that I do not take lightly.

I also wanted to issue a challenge to the 101 newcomers at the 2017 MASFAA Conference.  If you haven’t already, get involved!  Whether it’s on your campus, within your state association, MASFAA, or NASFAA, join a committee, write a blog entry, or advocate for students.  Professional development activities can add more commitments to your already busy schedule, but what you receive back cannot be measured. 

If you’re a newer or less involved member, join a large committee to meet lots of people!  Offer to help your program or local arrangements committee, so you can influence the direction of your conference.   Attend the MASFAA Summer Institute or Leadership Symposium, where you’ll quickly bond with other association members, and gain valuable knowledge.  Apply to join a NASFAA Task Force.  Look for mentors both internally and externally from financial aid.  Take advantage of leadership development activities on your campus to build connections at your institution.

All of the professional experiences I’ve had within IASFAA, MASFAA, and NASFAA have helped me within my position at Iowa State University.  The network of friends and colleagues I’ve developed is an amazing secondary benefit.  As President Prewitt alluded to when he took the gavel recently, you build a network you can discuss financial aid concerns, office politics, and even personal interests with. 

Even if it involves you stepping outside of your comfort zone, just get involved!  You’ll be glad you did!  

Celebrate Your Peers - Nominate Them For an AWARD Today!

Move over, Oscar!  Take a seat, Grammy.  Emmy, you’ve got nothing on Allan W. Purdy!!  The MASFAA Awards celebration is on the horizon.  This is MASFAA’s annual opportunity to celebrate our colleagues for their hard work and dedication to financial aid.  The awards given out include: Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award, Meritorious Service Award, Outstanding New Professional Award, State Leadership Award, and Award of Appreciation.  For further descriptions of each award and to find a list of past winners, please visit:  http://www.masfaaweb.org/docs/associnfo/awards.html

                Awards will be given out at the 2017 MASFAA Conference in Dayton Ohio, October 8-11; however, the nomination form is available now!!  Please take the opportunity today to help us recognize one of your peers and their special contributions.  2017 MASFAA Online Nomination Form

Weirdly Passionate

Weirdly Passionate

By Thomas Ratliff, MASFAA President

There are some things people get very passionate about.  The Super Bowl or NCAA athletic tournaments spark a lot of excitement in many hearts.  Talk to a Whovian or Trekkie and you’ll see their passion flash like a Tardis or jump into warp drive.  Cooking, gardening, specialty coffee and exotic travel perk high interest for many.  And you better set some time aside if you dare ask a friend about their new grandchild!

Passion is a great thing to have.  It can drive one toward success in a venture, give a compelling reason to get up every morning and spark others into seeing new possibilities.  It can be very contagious and encouraging.  Yet passion doesn’t always show up when talking about work though.  For those who just have a job, passion hardly ever shines except perhaps in complaint mode.  But when someone finds a career, the conversation changes in a very positive way. 

Keri Gilbert, Financial Aid Advisor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, has developed a passion for Financial Aid.  Kari is MASFAA’s recipient of the 2017 NASFAA Regional Scholarship.  This new award was funded by donations made by past NASFAA National Chairs and Presidents in honor of NASFAA’s 50^th anniversary celebration last summer.  Awards were given to each of the six regional Financial Aid associations to help fund a working Financial Aid professional’s current educational pursuit.  The MASFAA Awards Committee solicited applications last month and from the several excellent submissions they received there was one that caught the attention of them all in a unique way.  Keri’s passion shined through.

Keri admits that she accepted a job in Financial Aid during a period of unemployment simply “as a way to get my foot in the door”.  She shared that she “was prepared to spend six months in financial aid.  Tops.”  But then, something happened.  “I was asked to attend the MASFAA Summer Institute in 2016. I can truly pinpoint that week as the turning point in my financial aid career. I had an absolute blast! I learned a ton and got to meet so many new people. That is the week I fell in love with my job.” 

Since then Keri has become actively engaged in her profession.  She joined a committee with her state association, MASFAP, and has stepped up to co-present a session at their conference.  She is contributing to their Legislative Committee and is helping plan MASFAP’s 50^th anniversary celebration.  Her professional involvement has quickly grown into contributions at the regional level with MASFAA as well.  “I have honestly found my passion, and I want to continue to progress through a career in financial aid.” 

“So this is my story: got a job, thought financial aid people were weirdly passionate, became a weirdly passionate financial aid person, found a career I love.” 

Weirdly passionate.  Many Financial Aid people are indeed weirdly passionate.  We have such unique opportunities to help make people’s educational dreams come true.  It’s something worth being excited about.  Let your passion shine in all you do.  Be contagious with your enthusiasm.  And if your spark needs a jump start, I encourage you to follow Keri’s path.  Take a trip to the MASFAA Summer Institute or Leadership Symposium this summer.  It’s your “Passport to Excellence” where a crew of weirdly passionate peers are eager to help spark your career as a Financial Aid professional.

NASFAA Regional Scholarship

Greetings MASFAA,

A unique scholarship opportunity has been developed by NASFAA this year for a financial aid professional who is currently working towards earning a degree.  The NASFAA Regional Scholarship was created in honor of NASFAA’s 50^th Anniversary during which NASFAA’s Past Presidents and National Chairs made individual donations to the Dallas Martin Endowment to award one scholarship per region to someone currently working in the financial aid profession who is pursuing a new degree.  This honor is a one-time award valued at $2,750.  There is a financial need component to the scholarship.

To apply we invite you to write an essay entitled “This is my story” describing your journey pursuing your professional and educational goals.  Within the essay please include reference to the state and regional association contributions you have made.  We also ask that you include a brief explanation concerning your financial need for this award.  Please limit your submission to no more than 2 typed pages.  Submit your essay by email sent to Gisella Baker, MASFAA Awards Committee Chair, at gisella.baker@hawkeyecollege.edu.  Within the email body please list the following information:

Your Name

Current Work Position

Your Work Institution

The name of the institution where you are pursuing your degree

and the degree you are pursuing

Applications are due by Thursday, March 23, 2017.  Applicants do not need to be current MASFAA members, but must be currently working in the financial aid profession and anticipate continuing to do so in the 2017-2018 academic year.  Completion of a 2017-2018 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is needed so the review committee can confirm through the finalists’ schools where they are pursuing their degrees that they have financial need for the award.

Thomas

Michigan All-Stars Win At NASFAA 2016

Michigan All-Stars Win at NASFAA 2016

Gold Star Award: Michigan State University

Regional Leadership Award (MASFAA):  Lori Vedder, University of Michigan Flint

Submitted by:

Krissy Bhaumik

MSFAA President

Michigan’s financial aid community could not be more proud of our colleagues who won national recognition at the 2016 NASFAA Conference for their outstanding and innovative work.  We enthusiastically congratulate them for these achievements and want to share this with our MASFAA friends and colleagues.

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) recognizes innovative ideas in the world of financial aid through their Gold Star Award each year.  This year, Michigan State University’s Office of Financial Aid was recognized with this award.  MSU’s Gold Star Award winning program, “Utilizing Learning Management Systems for Financial Aid Training,” is an online training program “that offers many benefits including reaching learners from various geographical locations, allowing self-paced learning, and the ability to review training materials at any time.”  Congratulations to MSU’s Office of Financial Aid staff for this great achievement!

Also being recognized for her achievements and leadership in the financial aid profession was Lori Vedder, Director of Financial Aid at University of Michigan – Flint.  Lori has long provided leadership and guidance for the Michigan association and is a former president of MSFAA.  She is a former MASFAA VP and, in 2013, brought her passion, dedication and witty sense of humor to MASFAA’s president position.  Lori has led strategic planning committees, been an active mentor to young professionals and is frequently sought for her expertise on compliance and advocacy.  While still being active at the state and regional leadership levels, Lori has also served NASFAA on their Board of Directors and as their treasurer.   She is a 2015 NASFAA MVP (Most Valuable Professional) and a long-time shining star in MSFAA and MASFAA.  Lori, you are deserving of the NASFAA Regional Leadership Award for the Midwest Region and MSFAA and MASFAA share in celebrating this recognition with you!  Cheers!

Access Committee recognizes University of Michigan: College Wallet Workshop Third Place Access Award Recipient – 2015

Written by Virginia Washington

The Access Committee would like to recognize one of the MASFAA 2015 Award winners in today’s blog. We are featuring the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and their program “College Wallet Workshop”!

Overview: The “College Wallet Workshop” was successful because the program allowed students to have the opportunity to connect the dots and see in black & white, on paper, a visual reviewing all the expenses they will incur as a college student. Adding to the experience of the event, students could view their college financial aid budget and pay for all their various required college expenses.

Target Group served:  The event targeted students who were admitted as freshman for the fall and came to campus to participate in a summer student support service initiative called “Bridge”. This program helps these students make the transition from high school to higher education.  More often than not, these students are the first in their families to attend college. Participating in the “College Wallet Workshop” provided them with the hands on experience to learn how to manage their finances.

Financial education content covered: The “College Wallet Workshop” taught students the basics of spending money wisely and to make good budgeting choice during their college career.  Students participated in real life college experiences like:

- Purchasing books                                - How to select housing

- Transportation                                     - Getting a job

- Paying Tuition                                     - Covering personal expenses

- Learning to balance your checking account

The event also included life’s “Temptations Station” for the lesson on “wants” vs. “needs” like:

- Starbucks                                - M-Den (apparel)

- Latest/greatest iPhone            - Cable TV –Internet

Interesting highlight:  Students gave some feedback saying the experience was “eye-opening” for them and it really helped.  Some also commented how they should not live the life of luxury now, but spend less and have money for other things that are important for the future. The idea of being frugal is not just to survive college, but it’s also being financially prepared for the road ahead. 

So as the saying goes:  What’s in your “College Wallet”?

Other Ideas:   While the students learned a lot from the event, so did the staff. Session leaders and experts came away with suggestions for working with the Comprehensive Studies program and plan to continue encouraging students to work with the financial aid staff to develop a college budget, talk through wise borrowing habits and persuade students to consider taking a one credit hour financial literacy course to further enhance their knowledge.  

Congratulations to the University of Michigan on winning the Third Place Access Award for 2015. U of Michigan won $250 to continue to grow and develop the College Wallet program.

To learn more about the College Wallet – Check the U of Michigan webpage at

www.finaid.umich.edu.

Interested in nominating your financial education program for the 2016 Access Award?

Check out the Access Award application at MASFAA website http://masfaaweb.org/docs/forms/pdf/2016MASFAAAccessAwardApplication.pdf and apply by September 9, 2016. Winners will for the 2016 Access Award will be announced at the MASFAA Conference in Kansas City, MO – October 2-5, 2016. 

If you have questions, contact Angela Johnson, Access Chair at angela.johnson@tri-c.edu or (216) 987-4213.

Access Committee recognizes Moberley Area Community College: UCAN2 as Second Place Access Award Recipient – 2015

Written by Donna Holubik

Moberly Area Community College’s (MACC) UCAN2 program is designed to encourage middle school students to prepare for high school and life after high school.  The programs strives to provide students with the belief that college is possible.

MACC partnered with the Moberly Public School District so ALL students in the district are provided equal opportunity to engage in the UCAN2 program.  MACC provides 100% of the funding for this program.

UCAN2 is composed of three levels:

• 6^th Grade:  Students receive an exclusive tour of the college campus and get a first impression of college and the importance of making positive choices while in school.
• 7^th Grade:  Students begin exercises in career exploration.  Several speakers are brought in to discuss their story and provide students with a “day in the life” of their career.
• 8^th Grade:  The third and final year of UCAN2 focuses on financial literacy and high school preparation.  

Using a version of the “Reality Store”, students participate in the game of “REAL LIFE” by choosing an occupation and making decisions on real life activities.

At one point during REAL LIFE, students have the opportunity to have their picture taken in a cap and gown with the caption “I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN” on the frame. When students realize “I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN”, it validates the whole purpose of the program.

Congratulations to the Moberly Area Community College on winning the Second Place Access Award for 2015. Moberly Area Community College won $500 to continue to grow and expand the UCAN2 program.

To learn more about the UCAN2 program – Check the Moberly Area Community College webpage at www.macc.edu/financial-aid. 

Interested in nominating your financial education program for the 2016 Access Award? 

Check out the Access Award application at MASFAA website http://masfaaweb.org/docs/forms/pdf/2016MASFAAAccessAwardApplication.pdf and apply by September 9, 2016. Winners will for the 2016 Access Award will be announced at the MASFAA Conference in Kansas City, MO – October 2-5, 2016. 

If you have questions, contact Angela Johnson, Access Chair at angela.johnson@tri-c.edu or (216) 987-4213.

Access Committee recognizes MASFAP: Money Challenge First Place Access Award Recipient – 2015

Written by Shashanta James

The Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Professionals (MASFAP) Early Awareness Committee ventured into charted territory that most Financial Aid Administrators often try…”why re-create the wheel.” Well, the Early Awareness Committee saw an opportunity to re-invigorate the long-standing Reality Store, which is a hands-on interactive budgeting program hosted by many states in our region.  The outcome of this re-created activity is MASFAP’s Money Challenge which provides a budgeting experience, exposing students to the cost of college, coaching and counseling through complex decisions and providing take-aways for use in the future.

The Money Challenge has two versions which targets youth and college students. The youth version addresses how students can learn to create and maintain a budget.  The college version explores the decisions that impact most college students; cost and scholarships, community college vs. universities or roommates or not.  MASFAP first worked with 23 McNair Scholars and will continue visiting college campuses throughout the state.  The second piloted event was held for the Emerging Leaders Conference where 93 high school students participated.

The Early Awareness Committee has been very intentional in utilizing feedback from the students in order to further enhance the foundation of the Reality Store to the growth of the Money Challenge that has been developed in Missouri. MASFAP implemented exactly what we should be doing as a profession – taking a program that was successful and modifying it for use in the future.

Let’s join together and offer MASFAP our kudos for delivering Money Challenge.  This program will be highlighted during MASFAA’s Conference in Kansas City, MO and look forward to you volunteering to help make this another successful event!

Congratulations to MASFAP on winning the First Place Access Award for 2015. MASFAP won $750 to continue to grow and develop the Money Challenge program.

To learn more about the MASFAA Money Challenge – contact the Early Awareness Chair at earlyawareness@masfap.org.

Interested in nominating your financial education program for the 2016 Access Award?

Check out the Access Award application at MASFAA website http://masfaaweb.org/docs/forms/pdf/2016MASFAAAccessAwardApplication.pdf and apply by September 9, 2016. Winners will for the 2016 Access Award will be announced at the MASFAA Conference in Kansas City, MO – October 2-5, 2016.

If you have questions, contact Angela Johnson, Access Chair at angela.johnson@tri-c.edu or (216) 987-4213.

MASFAA Awards Committee Update

Submitted by Janice Barnes

Graduation festivities have come to a close and Memorial Day BBQ's are over but never fear, Kansas City BBQ is in your future at the 2016 MASFAA Conference October 2-5, at the Kansas City Marriott, in Kansas City MO.  The annual MASFAA conference also provides us the opportunity to celebrate our own with a variety of MASFAA awards.  While the 2016 MASFAA conference is still a few months away, you have the opportunity NOW to start thinking about the colleagues you would like to nominate so don't delay and visit the MASFAA website for award descriptions: http://www.masfaaweb.org/docs/associnfo/awards.html  

The nomination form is live and ready to take your nominations:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MASFAA-Awards-2016

MASFAA Missouri Members - Do not forget to submit your Student Success Story of the Year nominations to barnesjk@slu.edu by July 1, 2016.