Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Hello MASFAA! I had the honor and privilege of representing MASFAA as the president-elect-in-training at the NASFAA Leadership Conference a couple weeks ago. As many of you may know, NASFAA coordinates an annual leadership conference every February with a variety of training tracks. My training track was Association Governance. Nearly all of the 9 MASFAA states had representation at this training track or one of the three other training tracks. I had a great time interacting with so many great MASFAA colleagues throughout the conference.

While I have been a state president in Indiana, this conference made me realize how long ago that really was (2001!). Let’s just say that I feel younger than I really am, but my hairline says something else. Here I am about 17 years later with three grown boys out of the house taking on a new role with MASFAA. I get to work with financial aid colleagues that don’t remember things like Y2K, FFELP, or a world before the financial aid application was FREE. That all said, interacting with new financial aid colleagues helps ignite my passion for our profession and my MASFAA colleagues. In DC I was able to visit with dear MASFAA friends and make some new friends that I hope will get involved in MASFAA efforts.  

I almost feel qualified to lead MASFAA—but I am so glad I’ve got some more time to plan. This conference made me realize I’ve got a lot of work to do between now and October when Nick Prewett will be passing me a gavel. By the way, I am predicting a great Minneapolis conference and a humorous, inspirational farewell speech from Nick. 

I was able to spend some quality time at the conference sitting next to Kathy Bialk, the newest Director of Financial Aid at the University of Iowa and our MASFAA treasurer-elect-in-training. Kathy and I took copious notes and often whispered at each other…”Is that in the P and P? Is that on the website? Who does our bonding? When is our audit?” Needless to say, we each have a lot of follow up planned.

On the final day of the conference I was able to visit three congressional offices with some of my Hoosier colleagues (Leo Hertling from Purdue and Alex DeLonis and Ben Burton from Ivy Tech). If you have never done a hill visit, I can tell you it never gets old—I think I’ve done about six separate hill visits now. Seeing Capitol Hill, Senate and House buildings, the Supreme Court—and then talking to our representatives is really a cool experience as we petition our government to invest in the students we serve.

Left to Right: Leo Hertling, Ben Burton, Alex DeLonis, Marvin Smith

In closing, I would like to sincerely thank MASFAA and the membership for sending me to Washington. It was a great time and I am thankful for the opportunity. I am inspired to serve the membership and hope I can ensure our organization continues to prosper.

Marvin Smith, Director of Student Financial Services, IUPUI and MASFAA President-Elect

NASFAA 2017 Recap

NASFAA 2017 – San Diego

San Diego – what a beautiful place to hold NASFAA 2017.  The conference was a huge success, drawing close to 2,400 of our closest financial aid colleagues to discuss all things related to providing access and affordability to higher education.  The conference was held at the San Diego Convention center (middle of the photo above, just above Coronado Island).  A few themes emerged from the conference, with the hot topic of Year Round Pell, Are you doing it? How? Can I see your drawings of how you worked out the technical issues?  Arguably the one topic that caused a few standing ovations and a few tears was retirement of Jeff Baker. 

Now, what better way to recognize the retirement of the Director of Policy, than with a cake, with a copy of the DCL that announced his hire (of course, an FAA saved that).  That’s how the NASFAA board chose to celebrate Jeff’s last board visit. 

A common theme of the NASFAA conference was #Fight4FinAid, complete with a ralley led by Megan Coval.  President Trump’s budget proposal calls for significant reductions in financial aid, with NASFAA developing a tool to determine the impact on your campus.  I’d encourage you to calculate your number and share it with your campus adminstrators.  As Megan noted “budget cuts sting like a bee” hence the catchy web address.  https://www.nasfaa.org/bee

For those of you that haven’t attended a national conference, it is reminiscent of your state and regional conference, but on a grand scale.  I’ve found it easy to know if I’m in the hot topic session based on who is there and how full the room might be.  Many sessions are standing room only and push some serious firecode limits.  Sessions were so packed with info that some presenters dominated the discussion and didn’t share with their panel, so work out those logistics before you hit the big stage.  For those number gurus, 20% of NASFAA attendees were first timers and 20% were also from California.  I met a number of people through the conference app, which encouraged you to scan other people’s badges.  It’s hard not to sound like a pick-up cliché when you say, “Hi, I’m Nick from Missouri, mind if I scan your badge?” 

At the conclusion of the conference is the passing of the gavel.  Dr. Lisa Blazer passed leadership to Billie Jo Hamilton of the University of South Florida.  Billie Jo got her start in financial aid at Pittsburg State University as a FWS student and has had stops at KU Med, Mizzou, and Missouri State, meaning she has deep ties to MASFAA and MASFAP.  I am sure you will also notice a familiar face on the board, as the Past MASFAA President Lori Vedder moves on to the board as National Chair Elect. 

One of the things that makes me proud is the continued presence of MASFAA on the NASFAA Board of Directors.  For the 2017-18 year MASFAA will be represented by: Lori Vedder, Angela Johnson, Jackie Kennedy-Fletcher, Kim Jenerette, Doug Levy, Thomas Ratliff, and myself.  If you have questions or concerns about NASFAA, feel free to reach out to our MASFAA members, and remember they are here to listen and pass along any concerns you may have. 

Up next for your MASFAA board is the President Elect retreat at the end of July.  If you have any concerns or causes you would like your MASFAA leaders to undertake for the next year, please let any board member know. 

This post submitted by Nick Prewett, MASFAA President-Elect.

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

Memo from Justin Draeger - Follow Up on IRS Confirmation of Nonfiling Letter

During the MASFAA conference, a member from a community college raised the concern that applicants and parents who did not file a 2015 tax return and who are selected for verification for 2017-2018 will be required to obtain a letter from the IRS confirming that they did not file.  In his presentation, Jeff Baker said that he did not know if the IRS is ready for the volume this will generate.  As a community college aid director, this member justifiably feels that this new requirement adds a barrier and delay for poor students trying to obtain the funding they need for 2017-2018. He asked if we had and if we will apply any pressure on the Department to work with the IRS on creating a process for obtaining proof of non-filing that is easy to use and provides a timely response.

I went back to DC and conferred with the NASFAA policy team and they reminded me that we did object to that requirement in the spring when they first announced it, but we were rebuffed by ED because the data they had for 2014-15 showed that nearly 15% of parents and 17% of students who reported that they did not file, actually did file. ED felt that that was a lot of apps and a lot of possible incorrect amounts. Of course the bigger question is whether any of those changes resulted in any changes in EFC (since most Pell students are zero EFC regardless). On Friday we sent another note over to ED on this and haven’t heard back just yet. We did get a commitment previously that they would re-look at this as the data came in. We also suggested that it would be best if the non-filing applicant could use the DRT at the time of application to certify that they didn’t file taxes, so then they wouldn’t have to go through the mostly manual IRS process to request a certification on non-filing later if they were selected for verification.

We’ll keep the pressure on and think schools should do the same.

Justin

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!

Patty and Sue Go to Washington

Each February, WAFSAA sends the President-elect and Treasurer-elect to NASFAA’s Leadership & Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. While NASFAA has held this event for a number of years, there are now three different tracks:  New & Aspiring Aid Directors, Association Management, and Enrollment Management.  To help prepare for the role that we are about to take on, Patty Taylor and I attended the Association Management track. 

Before our trip, we participated in a couple of webinars to simply prepare for our Hill visits.  These were held the last morning of the conference.  During those webinars, we realized we needed to schedule our visits!  Since we have the same congressman, we decided to try to visit the same legislators. We quickly secured a meeting with Congressman Glenn Grothman.  The meeting with Senator Tammy Baldwin was a bit trickier—but her office really worked hard on fitting us into her busy schedule with our limited availability.  Most attendees met with at least one legislative aid, so we felt pretty fortunate to meet with two of our elected representatives.  Michelle Curtis from UW-Madison (and WASFAA’s new Federal Issues chair) was able to join us in our meeting with Senator Baldwin. 

As we had heard from NASFAA leaders, both Baldwin and Grothman confirmed that Reauthorization was most likely not going to get done this year.  However, they both felt there might be agreement on a few simplification items.  These could include the application process (though not necessarily the two question post card) and the programs (one grant, one loan, one work).  We did share how important the campus based programs were.  We discussed administrative burden—and how it affects the amount of time available for counseling, etc.  And of course PPY and the need to have formulas earlier in the new cycle.  Both were pretty receptive to our suggestions.  Senator Baldwin is a big supporter of Higher Education and recently introduced the “In the Red Act,” to address college affordability and debt-free college.  Congressman Grothman is very worried about the nation’s debt, but does believe student loan borrowers should be able to refinance their debt. He is also a member of the House Education and Workforce Committee.

So, my ‘blog’ is getting a bit long—and I haven’t even shared what we did on the first two days!  Justin Dreger provided a federal update as well as sessions on Work-Life Balance and The Art of Explanation.  If you haven’t had a chance to hear Justin speak, he is pretty amazing.  And he’s on the agenda to attend our Fall 2016 Conference in Milwaukee!  We attended sessions on Board Governance, Running a Meeting, Fiscal Fitness, and Improving the Odds of Volunteerism.  There was so much information shared with us! 

And of course, we always try to find room for fun and networking.  One evening we joined our MASFAA colleagues for dinner after a reception was held for all three tracks at the hotel.  And, having only been to D.C. once before, I took the three hour tour the evening before the conference started.  We were also able to visit with Kevin McShane and Katie Grieger, both from Herzing, who were there attending the Enrollment Management track.

So, while our four days in D.C. may not have been exciting enough to make a movie, Patty and I do sincerely appreciate WASFAA’s support in allowing us to attend what I feel was one of the best conferences I have ever attended.

Hope to see most of you next month at the Kalahari for WASFAA’s 50^th Anniversary celebration!

Sue Minzlaff - WASFAA, President-elect

Patty Taylor - WASFAA, Treasurer-elect

MASFAA Representation on the NASFAA Board

In the January 12^th edition of NASFAA’s Today’s News, NASFAA members were encouraged to reach out to their Board of Directors to share comments or submit questions pertaining to any of NASFAA’s products or services.  MASFAA members have several options to reach out to a NASFAA board member from the MASFAA region as MASFAA is very well represented on the board.  Current NASFAA board members from MASFAA include National Chair Dan Mann (IL), Paula Luff (IL), Craig Slaughter (IN), Angela Johnson (OH), Nick Prewett (MO), Aaron Steffens (IA), and Keith Williams (MI).  Additionally, Sue Swisher (IL) is a board observer this year. 

If you have a question or concern, any of us welcome your feedback.  The board as a whole does review and discuss items brought to us from fellow members.  Our next board meeting is at the end of February, so you do have some time to provide commentary or ask your questions of a board member.  If you have something to say, we want to hear from you!

NASFAA Credentialing - Online Course Path

(by Melissa Haberman, Loan Manager, UW-Madison)

This spring I had the opportunity to take a NASFAA University course in Direct Loans. The 8-week course covered an in-depth study of regulations in the specific topic. The NASFAA University online courses vary in length depending on the amount of material to cover. This course was structured with assigned reading material each week, a few short videos to introduce the material, an online get-together that you could join live or watch later, required discussion questions, one group project, two independent projects, and a weekly quiz.

The most difficult thing for me was finding the time to do all of the required reading. That’s why I think that the course was a great way to go. Even the most self-disciplined of us need timelines and deadlines to prioritize our day. The deadlines for the weekly assignments prevented me from pushing this to the back burner. Another valuable aspect of doing the course rather than a study guide was the chance to ask questions of colleagues and instructors.

Here is my advice to someone considering a course:

• Allot more time for the reading assignments than you think you will need. There is a lot of material to cover.
• Pay close attention to the quizzes, the wording used will help you understand how the credential test will be structured.
• When the class is finished and it’s time to take the test, try the pretest first. That will help you decide if you need more time to study. 
• Don’t rush through the questions, really take time to read how it is worded.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to take the course. A thorough study of the regulations on a particular topic allows me the opportunity to examine our policies and procedures for direct loans and bring value to my institution by having additional knowledge on compliance for that topic. It is also a valuable benchmark to indicate that I am knowledgeable on a specific financial aid topic. I encourage aid professionals to consider the online courses as a route to becoming credentialed.

Information on NASFAA Credentialing can be found on the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators’ website. The site has a schedule of online courses and self-study guides. In addition, you may be able to attend qualified in-person training events like the MASFAA Summer Institute. Registration has closed for this year, but it's not too early to put it on your calendar for next year!

New & Aspiring Aid Director's Pathway: Zach

We had several MASFAA members attend the new track added to the NASFAA Leadership and Legislative Conference and Expo this year, titled the New and Aspiring Aid Director's Pathway. This is the second of two posts from those in our regional association who attended this track.

by Zach Greenlee, Missouri Baptist University

There is a point in life where you realize that you don’t know everything, can’t do everything, and that the world will keep spinning without you. This point must be when you become a Financial Aid Director. I joke, but this seemed to be a tacit lesson of every larger point being made at the New & Aspiring Aid Director’s conference in D.C. last week. Before the conference began, there were several pages of comments gathered from veteran financial aid directors on the topic of what they wished they had known when they first became directors. Lessons on training staff, delegating, and growing the skills of others were all brought up on several times. As we discussed all of this gathered wisdom at the conference, Ron Day made a point that hit it all home for me. Compliance is not a major part of your job, and at best, should be about 10% of your job.

Now if this seems like a “Whatever does he mean?” kind of statement to you, as it did to me when I first heard it, let me qualify it by saying that a director still signs their name on the Program Participation Agreement (PPA) to declare that funds and programs will be administered correctly. That said, a director’s job cannot be so “in the weeds” just to make sure that everything is being done correctly that they overlook all of their other responsibilities. If you can accept that compliance is not your only responsibility, you must reconcile how it can be an institutional priority without you as the only person maintaining it. Thus, all the advice on delegating and having a well-trained staff starts to make sense.

For those of us who are or recently were so “in-the-weeds” of compliance, going up the ladder of responsibility seemed synonymous with giving more attention to all the complexities of administering federal aid. What it really means is that you have to focus less on what makes you successful and more on what makes your staff successful. One person’s wisdom put it this way, “… nurturing and growing staff, allowing them to become experts and the public face to the university community on their areas of expertise… keeping in regular communication with them means that my staff now takes ownership over making sure we are following all the rules and regulations.”

Strangely, the struggle of focusing less on one’s self and more on others might possibly be achieved by focusing more on yourself! Quite the contradiction, yes? Justin Draeger led a session on the importance of developing a better work-life balance. One of the shared tips involved understanding the Pareto principle (aka the 80/20 rule) in your daily life. Justin also shared on learning when to say that okay is good enough for a project. As a director, we do not need to prove ourselves by showing off how capable we can be and how well we can lead, especially if it means driving ourselves into the ground. For many of us, we see this next step as a director to probably be a position we will maintain for years to come, and for some it will be our last position until we retire. If we don’t want to be a candle that burns out overnight, we have to learn to live and let live.

As all of these ideas and suggestions from the experts of our industry were sinking in, I revisited that first explicit lesson of the conference: that I don’t have to know everything. Aspriring to be a director, I’m challenged to learn and see how my staff can share in this endeavor, how our knowledge of specifics can cover the whole, how I can be more efficient with my time, and how to have a life where I am present in each moment. I do not have to know everything. I need to know enough, and then I need to know who else knows the rest. I’m thankful for the opportunities to not only learn from some of the best NASFAA has to offer, but to also network with them and others who share my aspirations.

P.S. Let’s keep the discussion going. Those who attended the conference each received a copy of “You’re the Director: A Guide to Leadership in Student Financial Aid.” If there is interest in moving through this book with colleagues by forming an online discussion group, please email me at greenleez@mobap.edu with a Subject line of “Reading Group: You’re the Director.” If we can get 10-15 people interested, I will put together a group to begin in mid-April. If you do not have a copy, you can order one from NASFAA at www.nasfaa.org/yourethedirector and it could take 2-4 weeks for delivery.

New & Aspiring Aid Director's Pathway: Betsy

We had several MASFAA members attend the new track added to the NASFAA Leadership and Legislative Conference and Expo this year, titled the New and Aspiring Aid Director's Pathway. This is the first of two posts from those in our regional association who attended this track.

by Betsy Henkel, Illinois State University

I recently attended NASFAA’s Leadership and Legislative Conference under the New and Aspiring Aid Directors track. I was encouraged by my office’s current Director of Financial Aid to attend the conference so that I could learn more about what being an aid director meant and to see if it was for me. Prior to the conference, I thought Directors of Financial Aid had to be the ultimate Financial Aid guru—an expert in federal regulations, compliance, and systems. Within the first session with Ron Day, I was surprised to learn that this is actually a very small portion of a Director’s responsibility. Throughout the rest of the sessions, I had the opportunity to listen to new and experienced aid directors and discuss how to manage employees, how to offer better service to our students, and how to foster a positive relationship with other offices on campus. I currently have limited supervising experience so I found the sessions regarding an aid director's role as a boss particularly insightful and valuable for my career’s path. My biggest takeaways from the conference are:

• If I wish to see change in my office or on my campus, I must lead by example. 
• Being a good DFA isn’t achieved through micromanaging or focusing on making the office perfect; its more about creating an environment where all people—students, employees, and colleagues—can feel comfortable and able to focus on what really matters: our students. 

Overall, I enjoyed not only the opportunity to learn and set career goals for myself but also the opportunity to network and visit with my colleagues.

NASFAA Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo – Association Management Pathway

(by Sue Swisher, MASFAA President-Elect)

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the NASFAA Leadership and Legislative Conference and Expo in Washington D.C. along with other MASFAA members representing the states in our region. I attended the Association Management Pathway which prepares future association leaders with the perspective and insight in understanding the legal, financial, and management issues facing financial aid leaders today.

While I have been to Washington D.C. previously, I have never had to opportunity to see the monuments at night.  So, I took advantage of the bus tour on the first evening I was there.  The tour guide was great and seeing the monuments at night was breathtaking.

The conference kicked off with Dr. Michela Perrone providing information on Governance and Board Members’ Legal Obligations.  Additional sessions offered included topics on leadership characteristics, leading change, running a meeting, conflict resolution, and sizing up your association. The conference also provided an update on federal issues and a legislative symposium to prepare us for the Hill visits on the final day.

As I reflect on the conference, I walked away feeling energized by all the information provided as I plan for becoming President of MASFAA.  This was my first opportunity to visit the Hill and advocate for financial aid and meet with staff from both the House and Senate.  Since the meetings were short, I focused on FAFSA Simplification, Student Loan Repayment, and the Federal Pell Grant.  It felt great knowing I exercised my constitutional right and was able to voice our financial aid concerns.

Joining me at the conference were the following state representatives in the MASFAA region:

• Illinois: Julie Israel, Dan Mann
• Indiana: Emily Janero, Christie Miller
• Iowa: Christine Ditter
• Michigan: Katherine Allen, Gabriela Garfield, Shashanta James, David Urbaniak, Kristi Welling
• Minnesota: Barbara Charboneau, Kari Zakariasen
• Missouri: Kristen Gibbs, Angela Karlin, Dena Norris, Nick Prewett
• Ohio: Angela Johnson, Edward Recker, Amanda Reisenger
• West Virginia:  Kathy Bialk, Debra Turner
• Wisconsin: Debra Duff, Jill Price

NASFAA Awards Nominations Due Friday, Feb. 27

The NASFAA Awards Nomination Deadline is February 27th. Please consider nominating those in our profession who may fit the nomination criteria.

Gold Star Award

The Gold Star Award recognizes innovative ideas in the financial aid arena at any level, targeted toward any constituency. This award is open to individuals working at NASFAA member institutions; member institutions; regional associations; and state associations.

Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award 

The Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award is one of the highest awards that NASFAA bestows and may be awarded either for significant contributions in the furtherance of NASFAA's goals over a sustained period of time OR for a single contribution of such momentous importance as to deserve the award.

An award recipient may come from the financial aid, political, educational, business, or other community. In addition to any selection(s) made from nominations for the Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award, the association normally recognizes the significant and sustained contributions of the NASFAA Chair with this award at the end of the Chair's term.

Members may nominate individuals for this award using the online form on the NASFAA website. Download the list of past winners of the Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award.

Lifetime Membership Award

The Lifetime Membership Award is the highest award that NASFAA can bestow on one of its members or an individual who is affiliated with a member organization. In order to be eligible to receive this award, the individual must first be employed or have been employed by a member institution, be an affiliate member, be employed by a constituent or associated member organization, or be a student member.

In as much as this award is the highest that NASFAA can bestow on a member, the achievements and contributions of the individual must truly be outstanding and significant. Normally, the individual will have made these contributions and achievements over a sustained period of time. That is to say, this award is not typically made for a one-time achievement or effort, but for working over a sustained period of time for the Association and the profession in important capacities, and contributing significantly to NASFAA's success in meeting its goals.

Members may nominate individuals for this award using the online form on the NASFAA website. Download the list of past winners of the Lifetime Membership Award.

Meritorious Achievement Award

This award is presented to an individual who has made an important contribution to the Association or to the profession. To receive a Meritorious Achievement Award the individual should have made either:

• An important single contribution to the Association or the profession; or
• Significant multiple contributions to the Association or the profession.

As an example, Ruth Burns was honored for her developmental work on the original NASFAA Encyclopedia of Student Financial Aid.

Members may nominate individuals for this award using the online form on the NASFAA website. Download the list of past winners of the Meritorious Achievement Award.

Robert P. Huff Golden Quill Award

The Robert P. Huff Golden Quill Award may be presented each year to an individual or individuals chosen for their contributions to the literature on student financial aid. The award is named in honor of Bob Huff, former director of financial aid at Stanford University and himself an outstanding contributor to the scholarly literature on student aid. Bob received the first Golden Quill Award in 1984.

Nominees for the award are judged on the basis of published work which exemplifies the highest quality of research methodology, analysis, or topical writing on the subject of student financial aid or its administration.

Members may nominate individuals for this award using the online form on the NASFAA website.

Honorary Membership Award

Honorary Membership in NASFAA is the highest honor that the Association can bestow on a person who is neither a member nor affiliated with a member organization.

Since this is the highest such award that NASFAA can give, the individual receiving it must have made truly outstanding contributions to the Association and to the profession over a sustained period of time. It is not expected that honorary membership will be granted in recognition of a single accomplishment, but for continued efforts over a period of time. Several members of Congress, a former Secretary of Education, and a former Commissioner of Education have received this award.

Members may nominate individuals for this award using the online form on the NASFAA website. Download the list of past winners of the Honorary Membership Award.

Now, nominate a colleague or two by Friday!

MASFAA Members Elected to NASFAA Board

Last week, NASFAA announced the results of the 2015 NASFAA Elections. Congratulations to two MASFAA members who were just elected as Representatives-at-Large: Angela Johnson from Cuyahoga Community College District Campus and Nick Prewett from the University of Missouri.

Ms. Angela K. Johnson
Executive Director, Financial Aid Administration
Cuyahoga Community College District Campus
Cleveland, OH

Mr. Nick Prewett
Director of Financial Aid
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO

NASFAA Shares Seasons Greetings!

This week, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) shared a holiday greeting to all the NASFAA members. Please share your own holiday messages with your MASFAA colleagues in the comments below!

MASFAA Well Represented at NASFAA Board Meeting

(by Aaron Steffens, MASFAA President)

Six MASFAA members attended a NASFAA Board Meeting in New Orleans on November 17-18.  These six members included Dan Mann (IL), NASFAA Chair-Elect; Lori Vedder (MI), Treasurer; Craig Slaughter (IN), Representative at Large; Paula Luff (IL), Representative at Large; Sara Beth Holman (WI), MASFAA Regional Representative and Aaron Steffens (IA), MASFAA Observer.  The board heard updates from National Chair Eileen O’Leary as well as NASFAA President Justin Draeger.  It was reported that the rollout of the Ethics and Code of Conduct information has been fairly well received at conferences.  A lively discussion took place as it related to moving board tenure from two to three years for the regional representatives.  While no decisions were made, many points of view were shared and it appears that conversation on this topic will be on-going.

A highlight of the board meeting included a conversation with Lynn Mahaffie, Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.  Items of interest that were discussed with Assistant Secretary Mahaffie included the future of the Perkins Loan program, Gainful Employment regulations, changes to credit standards in the PLUS program, PAYE regulations and the President’s College Ratings System.  The Department is well aware of the fact that schools need guidance on how to proceed with packaging Perkins Loans for 2015-16 in light of the fact that this program could end.  Look for more information on the formula for the College Ratings System to be released in a December Federal Register.

Attending this meeting did give us an opportunity to preview the location for the 2015 NASFAA Conference.  The Hyatt Regency in New Orleans is a beautiful facility that should be able to accommodate the conference nicely.  While the brisk thirty degree temperatures made a walk down to the French Quarter seem endless, the walk is only about ten blocks.  The 2015 NASFAA Conference promises to be special as it serves as the kick-off point to NASFAA’s 50^th Anniversary year. 

As the holiday season begins with Thanksgiving this week, I would like to wish you and yours all the best in the upcoming weeks.