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

Introducing FAFSA Campaign Series

With the start of each new calendar year, we begin our task of creating a successful campaign encouraging students to file the FAFSA, and preferably file early. Over the next two weeks, we’ll provide you with a plethora of resources from Federal Student Aid that can assist you as you continue with this year’s campaign!

You’ll learn about resources that Federal Student Aid provides us that can help you promote FAFSA completion, including images, videos, infographics, fact sheets, blog posts, the StudentAid.ed.gov website, Facebook posts, tweets, and other social media. You won’t want to miss a single post!

INTRODUCING FAFSA CAMPAIGN SERIES

(by Susan Thares, Digital Engagement Lead with the Office of Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education)

The start of a new year provides a fresh opportunity to remind parents, students and others about the importance of submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ®). As you know, completing the FAFSA is the primary step for determining eligibility for federal student aid and subsequently accessing these funds. The 2015-16 FAFSA went live on January 1 and Federal Student Aid (FSA) is requesting your assistance in promoting FAFSA completion.

We are asking for your help in getting the message out through your social media channels about the importance of completing the FAFSA early in the year. To help you do that, FSA has developed some resources for you to use. They include sample Facebook posts, tweets, blogs, informative videos, photos and infographics. These and other great resources can be found on FSA’s Financial Aid Toolkit and can be tailored to best fit your needs. If you’re new to social media or just looking for ideas on how to easily use these resources or how others are using them, view this presentation.

We have a variety of videos and infographics you can embed on your school’s website, display on campus monitors, use on your school’s main social media accounts, include in email communication with students or use in your “Financial Aid Night” presentations. Take a screenshot of any of the videos and use them as photos and add your own text overlay. The infographics can also be printed to hang in your office or include in admission and award letter mailings.

The last Wednesday of every month (adjusted for holidays in November and December) FSA hosts a financial aid Q&A on Twitter using the hashtag #AskFAFSA. Follow along or better yet, promote it through your social media channels. Again, take our content and customize it for your school. We highly encourage you to use and repost our content whenever applicable. 

Here are the places you can find us:

https://www.facebook.com/FederalStudentAid

https://twitter.com/FAFSA

https://www.youtube.com/user/FederalStudentAid

https://storify.com/FAFSA

Thank you for your support and commitment to advancing the higher education goals of students and families across the country.

In Remembrance at Marshall University

(by Kathy Bialk, Marshall University)

A personal reflection of the loss of the late President Stephen J. Kopp, Marshall University President. Dr. Kopp was a Guest Panelist Speaker at the 2014 MASFAA Annual Conference.

Dr. Stephen J. Kopp, 36th President of Marshall University at the 2014
MASFAA Annual Conference President's Panel

Dr. Stephen J. Kopp, the 36^th Marshall University President (2005-2014), died on December 17, 2014, from an apparent heart attack. When this shocking news came to me I was immediately stricken with grief. For days, I was very, very sad. I could not reason with myself why I had such a heavy heart when my grief could not compare to what his family or all the others who worked so closely with him were enduring. After all, I am just a Director of Financial Aid, who I believe in a university president’s mind, has a very important job, but ranks far less important than other university jobs or functions. Why would I, from a hierarchical distance, feel this way?

The late Dr. Stephen J. Kopp was one of the four presidents who spoke as a panelist at the 2014 MASFAA Annual Conference in Charleston, West Virginia, this past fall. Many MASFAA colleagues expressed great pleasure in hearing the Presidents’ perspectives and were particularly astonished about how much President Kopp knew about financial aid and how his values about college financing and public education were very closely aligned with the values of many financial aid professionals.

It may have appeared that I prepared President Kopp for this session as was implied by a couple of colleagues. I did not. The Friday before the conference, I provided each President the format of the session and the questions I planned to ask. It was a “jaw-dropping” experience for me to hear my President’s statements at the MASFAA Conference. He, unequivocally, listened (during those limited but opportune times I was able to offer my perspectives as a financial aid professional), understood, and supported the financial aid profession. I knew that, but to hear him articulate that in front of me and a few hundred other financial aid professionals, made me feel that what I do (and what all financial aid professionals do) matters.

The Late Marshall University President, Stephen J. Kopp, with MASFAA
member, Kathy Bialk, at the 2014 annual MASFAA conference

Dr. Stephen J. Kopp was a remarkable higher education leader. He inspired and empowered me; he was my mentor in big and small ways. I am not alone in my admiration for Stephen J. Kopp, the fallen son of Marshall University. I thank him and will miss him.

Kathy J. Bialk

Director of Student Financial Assistance

Marshall University

Other tributes: http://www.marshall.edu/kopp-tribute/memorial-service/