Protecting Personal Data

By Angela Henry

Cyber security is a frequent topic in the news these days. The risk of information theft often goes hand in hand with the convenience of electronic resources and applications. There are things you can do to help keep your personal information — and the sensitive student information you interact with — private. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as credit cards, date of birth and Social Security Numbers should not be shared on applications you do not trust.

Tips for keeping information secure

Anyone who has been the victim of identity theft will likely tell you that the minor inconvenience of taking action to protect your personal data is well worth it to avoid the major disruption of having your sensitive information stolen. 

·         When your computer prompts you to update the operating system, do it. These updates often include security repairs.

·         Log off of any secure applications and close your web browser when you are finished.

·         Beware of using open Wi-Fi in public places to conduct secure transactions.

·         Think differently to create a more secure password. For example, use the first letter of each word in a sentence to create your password. And, never write down or share your user ID, password, or challenge questions/answers.

·         Refrain from opening emails with attachments if you don’t know the sender.

·         Pay attention to the information you are sharing on your social networks.

·         Don’t forget to be cautious with your offline data as well. Shred documents that contain personal or financial information.

As someone who deals with others’ personal information every day, you should place strong emphasis on ensuring appropriate controls are in place to protect sensitive, private or confidential student information.

Summer Institute Testimonial - Deadline Approaching!!

by Lindsay Walton, SI Faculty 2016

Assistant  Director of Student Financial Services, University of Mount Union

I have to be honest. Until the 2014 MASFAA conference in Charleston, WV, I was unaware that MASFAA facilitated such a fantastic and in-depth training opportunity called Summer Institute. As one of the 2014 MASFAA scholarship recipients, I was stepping into foreign territory as a first time MASFAA conference attendee. I was a MASFAA “newbie.” It was there that I learned about Summer Institute after a few folks shared their experiences. They spoke of learning NASFAA’s core modules and having incredible opportunities to network with other financial aid professionals in the region. I left Charleston knowing that I definitely wanted to look into attending the following summer!

Summer Institute was appealing to me for numerous reasons. On the brink of taking on a leadership role within my office, I felt a growing sense of responsibility to really “know my stuff.” By working at a small private university, wearing a lot of hats is not uncommon, but I certainly didn’t know it all. I knew that. I was really determined to build on my existing financial aid framework, fill in the gaps, and define the areas that I lacked in knowledge and in experience. I also genuinely wanted to “spread my wings” and become more involved in organizations to connect with other professionals in the field. Additionally, I learned that Summer Institute attendees have the option of taking the NASFAA credential tests for the modules taught at no cost! With each test being right around $100 ordinarily, this was a tremendous opportunity to showcase proven competency and skills backed by NASFAA. What a great benefit! I saw Summer Institute as my chance to pursue many of the items on my professional wish list!

I arrived in Indianapolis for Summer Institute 2015 feeling excited and ready to go! There were 2 tracks for Summer Institute which ran simultaneously- one for folks very new to the profession and another for folks who were a little more seasoned. I was in the latter group but both groups were taught the same material. It was a week-long crash course in the foundations of financial aid, with a great deal of discussion within the groups. Moreover, the instructors were fantastic! I was very inspired by their passion to convey the material and genuine willingness to answer questions. No question was too big or too small and I greatly appreciated that.

The faculty encouraged us to engage in discussions and share how our own schools were putting the ideas we were learning about into practice. It naturally created a comfortable environment to share best practices and trade contact information with each other for future guidance or collaboration. I obtained specific contacts pertaining to PowerFAIDS, verification, and loan processing in particular. It is reassuring to know that I can reach out to these folks when I run into a problem or just need some feedback. I hope that I can be a resource for them, as well!

Another key component of Summer Institute was the ability to interact with prominent leaders who were attending the Leadership Symposium, which ran simultaneously. During a crossover session, Pamela Fowler, Executive Director at the University of Michigan, gave an inspiring speech to the Summer Institute students. She encouraged us to get involved and be the next wave of leaders in the financial aid field. The motivation and genuine support she conveyed to all of us was unparalleled. Even if we felt too new to the profession to get involved, she encouraged us to just go ahead and jump in!

It was an intense week of learning, but I was amazed at how much FUN I had! All attendees stayed in dorm rooms and were matched up with a roommate. The intention was to promote social interaction as much as possible. Each evening there was something planned in order to promote collaboration and networking among Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium attendees. We had game night with “Minute to Win It” one evening. There was team trivia another evening. A major highlight was attending a midweek minor league baseball game! There was also a “free night” with group dinner options led by Summer Institute or Leadership faculty. The discussions were great and it was interesting to learn about the stories and experiences of others in the financial aid field.

I walked away from Summer Institute a much more confident financial aid professional than the one that arrived. I gained knowledge and experience to better prepare me as a leader and established connections with prominent professionals in the field who continue to encourage and support my growth. Being able to expand my professional network was invaluable. I have also taken and passed all 11 NASFAA credential tests for the modules that were taught at Summer Institute. That is something I am very proud of and worked very hard to accomplish. It is refreshing to be able to add these credentials to my professional repertoire.

The last year and a half or so has been professionally eye-opening for me and especially gratifying. Thank you to MASFAA and Summer Institute! My experiences with both have allowed me to meet some really wonderful people and be a part of some great opportunities. One opportunity in particular that I am very happy to share is that I will be faculty at Summer Institute 2016 at Illinois State University June 13-17. I am very excited to be a resource for the attendees and hopefully inspire them to get involved.

YOU ARE INVITED to Summer Institute 2016! Let’s learn about financial aid, meet some great people, and have a lot of FUN!

Click on the following link for more information and to register for the 2016 MASFAA Summer Institute!    http://www.masfaaweb.org/docs/toc_training.html

Lindsay Walton

2016 MASFAA Summer Institute Faculty

Summer Institute Testimonial

by Gena Boling, SI Faculty 2016

Associate Director of Student Financial Aid, University of Missouri

Picture this, June 2011. St. Louis, Missouri. It was hot – historic temperatures indicate it was around 97 degrees in June. I just remember sweating – a lot. Sounds like a grand location to lay the building blocks of a financial aid career.

I had been in financial aid for just a few months and received a scholarship from MASFAP to attend the MASFAA Summer Institute to immerse myself in financial aid knowledge. It would be my first experience with the regional association at a time when I still had very little knowledge of the state association. I didn’t know what to expect. But, I knew I had to go.

I was working at Stephens College at the time, and the financial aid director left a few months prior, leaving the two remaining staff in the office to our own devices. MASFAA Summer Institute seemed like a perfect solution to the problem of training – one week, tons of topics, walk away with knowledge it would have taken weeks, if not months to get around to training on in the office. My administration was supportive, so I packed my bags and drove to St. Louis to spend a week with a few of my closest financial aid friends, whom I technically hadn’t met yet.

Summer Institute was scheduled to begin bright and early on a Monday morning, so I arrived at the hotel Sunday evening and anxiously awaited the start of the program. Nervous as could be, I arrived about twenty minutes early to my first session and found I was alone in a room with the Chair of the MASFAA Summer Institute Committee, Candi Frazier (West Virginia). I remember wearing green and I remember Candi rushing up to me to introduce herself – I think I’ll forever be known to her as the first person to arrive to Summer Institute, and that’s okay with me. I’ve admired Candi’s work in financial aid and in MASFAA since that moment and am pleased she remembers who I am, at all.

Financial aid administrators from all across the region began to pile into the room, eager to soak up information like sponges and we weren’t disappointed. Several days of intense training, homework and review each night, mixed with plenty of time for networking and getting to know each other, including one very warm cookout in Pam Fowler’s backyard – it was an excellent week. Let me tell you, no one can teach an EFC hand-calculation like Pam Fowler (Michigan) and when you walk away from that session, you know how to do it – you’ve learned from the best.

So, this is heavy material and the information is packed in tightly so that when you end your week with MASFAA, you are prepared to return to your office as a knowledgeable resource on a variety of financial aid topics. That being said, MASFAA Summer Institute faculty are engaging and fun and turn what could be dry material into interesting learning opportunities. For example, how many times have you seen Vickie Crupper (Michigan) in her pajamas teaching a course on PJs?

Since my time at Summer Institute, I have served on the boards of both our state and regional associations, volunteered hours of time to both associations, and loved every minute of it. I have widened my network of colleagues and count many MASFAA members among friends. And now, five years later, I have the opportunity to return to Summer Institute as a faculty member. I couldn’t wait to tell Candi Frazier when I saw her at the FSA Conference this past fall – she was instrumental in building my foundation. I hope you’ll consider joining me in June on the Illinois State University Campus for a week of intense financial aid training. Who knows where your foundation will take you!

Click on the following link for more information and to register for the 2016 MASFAA Summer Institute!    http://www.masfaaweb.org/docs/toc_training.html

Gena Boling

2016 MASFAA Summer Institute Faculty