MASFAA Moments

MASFAA Officer Nominations Sought

2020-02-07T11:00:00.000-06:00

Submitted by the Nominations and Elections Committee

The MASFAA Nominations and Elections Committee is seeking MASFAA members who are ready to make a difference for their peers, their students, and their careers. We invite you to consider nominating yourself or a colleague to run for a MASFAA elected office for the 2020-21 membership year. MASFAA has service opportunities for President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer-Elect, and two Delegate-at-Large positions. These new MASFAA leaders will begin a life changing experience when they take office at the conclusion of our conference this upcoming October in Michigan. MASFAA and the financial aid profession depends on volunteers to develop and grow our association and our great profession. Please consider nominating yourself or sharing the name of nominee idea(s).

Please submit nominations online by February 20, 2020 for consideration. That’s 2/20/2020.

Here are the duties of the vacant officer positions with more detail online in MASFAA Policies and Procedures documents:

President-Elect: The President-Elect is an Officer of the Association and performs the duties of the President in the event of absence, incapacity, or termination of the President and performs such duties as are assigned by the President or prescribed by the Executive Council. This is a three-year commitment (serving as President-Elect, then President, then Past-President).
Secretary: The Secretary is an Officer of the Association and is responsible for developing, distributing, and maintaining the applicable records of the Association and the Executive Council. The Secretary distributes meeting notices and such other communications as provided for in the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws. This is a two-year commitment.
Treasurer-Elect: The Treasurer-Elect is an Officer of the Association and performs the duties of the Treasurer in the event of absence or incapacity of the Treasurer. The Treasurer-Elect is responsible for assisting the Treasurer with developing, distributing, and maintaining the financial records of the Association and the Executive Council and performing transactions as directed by the Finance Committee. The Treasurer-Elect shall be ready whenever required to give to the Executive Council any funds and financial records as requested. This is a two-year commitment (serving as Treasurer-Elect, then Treasurer).
Delegate-At-Large (2 Positions): Delegates-at-Large are Trustees of the Association and serve as representatives of the general membership of MASFAA for the purpose of discussing issues and concerns brought before the Executive Council.

If you have any questions we encourage you to reach out to any member of the Nominations and Elections Committee:

Maureen (Mo) Amos, Northeastern Illinois University
Samantha Matchefts, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Val Meyers, Michigan State University
Chad Olson, Iowa State University
Marvin Smith, IUPUI (chair)
Karla Weber, University of Wisconsin

2020 MASFAA Conference needs you!

2019-12-20T11:42:00.000-06:00

Submitted by the 2020 MASFAA Conference Program Committee

As the fall semester winds down at many of our organizations, take advantage of fewer meetings and a quiet campus to submit a session proposal for the 2020 MASFAA Conference!

As a reminder, the theme for our 2020 Conference is People, Purpose & Passion – A PATHWAY TO SUCCESS and we’re looking forward to meeting new people and providing sessions to support the purpose and passion we all have for serving our students. However, to ensure we bring you a fantastic lineup of sessions and keynote speakers, we need your help! The Conference Program Committee is seeking session proposals now, so please take a moment and think of ways in which you can contribute to our conference. We invite you to submit interest session proposals now through January 31, 2020 for consideration.

Please visit this link to complete your session proposal: https://forms.gle/jszSJU42WnsTvAPR8

One thing to note, please do not use this form to submit your Business Solution sessions – we’ll be collecting those separately in conjunction with Jayne Dinse, Chair of Donor Development.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your Conference Program Co-Chairs:
Betsy Johnson: betsyj@bgsu.edu
Susan Swisher: swisher@sxu.edu

Reflecting on the Past, Preparing for the Future

2019-08-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Marvin Smith, Executive Director of Student Financial Services at IUPUI and 2018-2019 MASFAA President

This picture is from a MASFAA planning retreat held at IUPUI on July 31, 2018. I’m reflecting on some great work that has occurred over the past year by our volunteer organization—and is still occurring as we head toward our annual conference in Chicago October 6-9, 2019.

As I look at the group I’m struck by how much change occurred over the past year. Some of the MASFAA leaders in our group have left the profession (Chandra Owen), left the region (Gena Boling), left for other career opportunities (Crystal Bruntz, Sara Beth Holman, Nick Prewett), changed schools (Laura Rogers, Emily Haynam, Heidi Carl, Alex DeLonis, Dick Battig), and even changed names (Marcus Szymanoski is now Marcus San Marino). That’s 11 changes, not even counting promotions for Michelle Trame, Nathan Lohr, Marcus San Marino, and maybe some folks I’m forgetting. Whew!

But we kept up with change because that’s what financial aid professionals are good at! I am so thankful for folks that stepped up and filled roles when asked. Roberta Johnson took over Advocacy and Legislative Affairs, Keyimani Alford and Chad Olson took on Delegate-at-Large roles, Dena Norris became Missouri state representative. Not to mention Sue Swisher is now in the past president role for the third time! We also had some late committee chair assignments. Ginny Washington agreed to co-chair the Access Committee; Stephanie Petsch and Jennifer Schroeder agreed to co-chair Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium.

Given all the changes that have occurred, our group of dedicated volunteers have accomplished so much. A few highlights…

Stephanie Petsch and Jen Schroeder and an experienced group of outstanding faculty conducted a well-attended and well-received Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI; special thanks to the state of Michigan for great attendance and Shashanta James for her work coordinating some logistics at her wonderful university.
Nick Prewett put together a strong ballot of volunteers and we held a successful election for our 2019-20.
Heidi Carl, Kathy Bialk, Kerry Gilbert, and Laura Rogers made sure our bills were paid, contracts reviewed and signed, and minutes and records were kept in order—no small task in a volunteer organization.
Nathan Lohr and Emily Haynam have helped deliver timely MASFAA communications via our website and various social media channels all year long.
Michelle Trame worked with membership chair Matthew Kearney to develop some membership change ideas to be discussed at the Chicago conference.
Keyimani Alford and Karla Weber put together an outstanding series of professional development webinars while overseeing our taskforce efforts; many of these taskforce leaders will be involved in Chicago conference interest sessions.
Dick Battig helped coordinate a review of Michigan conference sites and the Board selected The Henry in Dearborn, Michigan for our 2020 conference location. In addition, Dick co-chaired a MASFAA strategic plan committee with Sara Beth Holman; a new MASFAA Strategic Plan will be rolled out at the Chicago conference.
Chad Olson worked with webmaster Nathan Lohr to enhance our online vendor support options; we are expecting strong vendor support at the Chicago conference.
Roberta Johnson and a team of MASFAA leaders helped put together a MASFAA Advocacy Toolkit (now available on the MASFAA website) that will be highlighted at the Chicago conference.
Jackie Kennedy-Fletcher and Derek Kindle have put together the first-ever Diversity and Inclusion statement to be adopted by MASFAA and will be discussing the potential implementation of NASFAA Diversity Toolkit initiatives for states and our region at the Chicago conference.
The state presidents continued to filter important MASFAA messages to our nine states and support MASFAA initiatives.
Finally, Betsy Johnson, Susan Teerink, Sue Swisher, Amanda Fijal, and teams of MASFAA’s finest have put together an outstanding conference program, speakers, and activities that are sure to make the 2019 MASFAA Conference in Chicago an event folks will not want to miss!

This is just a short list of MASFAA activities this past year. I know I’ve left out some names and accomplishments, but I look forward to celebrating all that is MASFAA with my fellow Champions of Tomorrow at the Chicago conference. Register now at www.masfaaweb.org/conference.

Regards,
Marvin Smith
MASFAA President 2018-19 and Executive Director of Student Financial Services, IUPUI

The Time Is Now!

2019-07-30T08:57:00.000-05:00

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.

Pre-Conference Sessions at the 2019 Annual Conference

2019-06-27T13:19:00.000-05:00

Submitted by the Conference Program Committee

Greetings!

The MASFAA Conference Program committee is looking forward to a great MASFAA Conference in October 2019 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center. Our committee has worked hard to build a conference program that offers the training you need to keep up on financial aid regulations and more.

This year we have a couple of great pre-conference sessions that we know you will enjoy.

“Financial Wellness Programs” is one of our sessions. This session is presented by our MASFAA Financial Literacy Task Force and will provide not only resources and advice for those looking to start a financial literacy program on their campus but will also discuss current research that can be used to solicit support for this initiative on your campus.

The other pre-conference session is “Women Leadership in the Financial Aid Profession: Success in the Face of Resistance and Challenge.” Come to this session to hear a panel of female Chief Financial Aid Officers from diverse backgrounds and institutions talk about how they have worked toward overcoming obstacles and used their leadership and management styles to succeed.

Registration will be open soon! Please check your email and the MASFAA website for updates on registration.

We hope that each of you will attend the conference and walk away with newly acquired knowledge to perform your jobs. But more importantly, we hope that each of you will meet a new MASFAA colleague.

MASFAA Conference Program Committee:

Betsy Johnson (Chair), Bowling Green State University
Susan Teerink (Chair), Marquette University
Terri Hare, Western Illinois
Donette Cassman, Sallie Mae
Renae Armentrout, Southeastern Community College
Antonio Junior-Robins, University of Michigan
Anne Dahlen, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Charles "Buddy" Mayfield, Northwest Missouri State
Melissa Van Meter, Ohio University
James Buchanan, West Virginia State
Sue Minzlaff, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Meet our Keynote Speaker

2019-05-20T12:26:00.000-05:00

Submitted by the Conference Program Committee

The 2019 MASFAA Annual Conference at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center is fast approaching. The Conference Program Committee is excited to announce this year's keynote speaker: EJ Carrion. What should you know about EJ Carrion?

1) EJ is relatable.

"I understand your students because I was once in their shoes." EJ grew up in low-income communities and a single-parent home. He quickly began falling behind academically, but after a powerful life-changing event, EJ used the wake up call to transform his trajectory and future. He eventually graduated from high school and went to receive a prestigious Bill Gates Scholarship that he used to become the first college graduate in his family.

2) EJ has a world-class reputation.

EJ has spoken to over hundred thousand people in audiences all over the world and more than 33 US states…all while still in his mid-twenties. Here is EJ speaking at the Bill Gates Millennium Scholars Conference to 500 college freshmen who received the award.

3) EJ is a #1 best-selling author.

EJ is the #1 Amazon best-selling author of Accelerate Your Success: How to Create a Future and Stand Out When College is Not Enough. This book teaches students how to market and brand themselves when everyone is going to college but no one is hiring.

4) EJ is an award-winning social entrepreneur.

EJ is the cofounder and CEO of Student Success Agency, a premier academic training organization that pairs teens with near-peer advisors to help improve their high school-to-college transitional skills and help them succeed in the real world. The Student Success Agency serves students across the US, and was awarded the Impact Award.

5) EJ has presented at the White House.

At the 2014 Educational Datapalooza Second Annual Event hosted by the White House EJ’s company Student Success Agency was highlighted for being an innovative and impactful solution that can help students get to and through college.

Look for more information about the conference in the coming weeks at https://masfaaweb.org/conference. In the meantime, keep up with EJ via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat (@EJCarrion).

Why We Love Webinars

2019-05-15T14:42:00.000-05:00

Submitted by the Professional Development Committee

When Marvin approached Dr. Keyimani (Yes, you should call him that 🙂) and me last year with an interest in starting a MASFAA webinar series – we couldn’t say no. With our shared interest in professional development and helping to keep our peers “in the know,” it was a challenge that was right up our alley. MASFAA Matters went live this past January and has had four successful webinars on a range of topics from what it means to be a MASFAA member to how to simply our communications to students to knowing what works and what doesn’t in financial literacy interventions and of course – PELL GRANT!!

But why webinars, you ask? Why not?! Here are just a few of the reasons webinars are an incredible way to learn and network:

Our webinars are all FREE for MASFAA members – no added costs.
There is ZERO travel required. From the office, from home, from a sunny beach (good gracious I’m ready for summer…) – you can participate in the MASFAA Matters webinars from anywhere you can get an internet connection.
Speaking of which, connecting is easy. You’ll need a computer and internet access.
Have a watch party with colleagues in your office so you can share and discuss the topic even more.
It’s an easy opportunity to keep learning and improving the work we do. And you’ll be learning from your peers and incredible professionals.
It’s multi-tasking friendly. Shhhh…we won’t tattle if you’re not active on the webinar – and yes, our system tells us who’s active or not 😃. You can always go back and finish it later.
Can’t join us live? Or had to leave early and want to watch the rest? Each MASFAA Matters episode is recorded and available to all MASFAA members for viewing when it works best for your schedule. Visit the MASFAA Matters webpage to see all of our upcoming and past webinars - https://masfaaweb.org/Webinars (remember to log in for access).

We’re not done yet – we’ve still got three more to go!

On May 20^th at 3 pm Eastern (2 pm Central) – Jo Levine from Case Western Reserve University will moderate The Ins and Outs of Scholarship Awarding with a panel of experts.

Then on June 17^th, Cori Splain from the University of Wisconsin-Madison will be teaching us about trauma, toxic stress, and how to work with our students (and each other!) through a trauma-informed lens.

And to wrap out our year, save the date for July 22^nd- moredetails coming soon!

We’ll be starting to fill our 2019-20 webinar calendar soon. Is there a topic you’d like to present on? Or you’re not interested in presenting, but would love to see a specific subject or topic covered? Is there interesting research happening on your campus that others would like to hear about? Did you see a great presentation through another organization that you think would be beneficial to share with MASFAA members? Think outside of the “financial aid” box!

The options are boundless and we’d LOVE to hear from you.

Travels with Nick

2019-05-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Nick Prewett, MASFAA Past President

Representing MASFAA on the state conference circuit has been a highlight of my service as president. As you know, MASFAA consists of nine states and the MASFAA presidents split up the
states and visit three conferences per year. I was even lucky enough to visit one state twice! Through my travels, I drove 2,080 miles and flew 7,642 miles. I had the distinct pleasure of attending four 50th anniversary parties and celebrating all things that are financial aid association related. I thought I would share something that I will always treasure from my state visits.

Indiana (January 2017): I will recall Indiana as the first state that I visited. The memory I will always treasure is cruising around greater Indy with Alex DeLonis in his sweet vanilla smelling car as fluffy flakes of snow fell from the sky.

Illinois (April 2017): This was an exciting conference in the suburbs of Chicago. By far, Illinois had a unique set-up for snacks at a conference with different types of beef jerky. A shout out to Michelle Trame for letting me ride in the third row (or torture row) of her SUV. I am sure that my back and I will always remember that.

Minnesota (May 2017): When I think of Minnesota I think of lakes, so of course this was held at Madden’s on Gull Lake. I am not sure you could get much more stereotypical Minnesota than having a conference on a lake, with pontoon boats, fried walleye, glow in the dark golf, bingo, and a buffet of hot dishes.

West Virginia (November 2017): Any visit to West Virginia is not complete without listening to some John Denver. I will never forget attending the board meeting and someone saying that the board is just like Mayberry, where everyone has different hats and they trade them around the table each year. What a fun place to visit is Charleston. Who doesn’t love Karaoke at a conference?

Missouri (November 2017): This was by far the largest state conference that I attended and had pomp and circumstance associated more with the Academy Awards than a conference. There was a red carpet walk, photographers, tuxedos, and stars of the past, present, and future.

Michigan (January 2018): The Henry Hotel in Dearborn overlooks the Ford offices and is in a great location. This was the 2nd 50th that I was able to attend. Professional casino games, great charities, and cool sessions. I could even see Canada from my hotel room.

Iowa (April 2018): Iowa stands out for their 50th, not because they brought back their past presidents, but because they also brought back their first IASFAA president. Dueling pianos led by the son of a former financial aid director lead you to one heck of a celebration. I also learned that in Iowa adding a lime to Busch Light was a way to “make it a classy beer.”

Ohio (October 2018): 50th parties and casino themes seem to be a thing. OASFAA threw a formal night and had their past presidents share some inspirational quotes and inside jokes that made a number of people blush. As a first, the entertainment crew had so much fun that they stayed late at no charge.

Wisconsin (April 2019): When I heard that WASFAA was going to be held in Green Bay, I hoped there was one activity that we’d have, so of course, we were able to tour Lambeau field! Financial aid folks at a football stadium is one heck of a party. WASFAA had a number of new attendees and the future of their association looks bright. If you were curious, there was a lot of cheese to be found at the conference.

Iowa (April 2019): IASFAA was worth a second trip to discuss the finer points of financial aid. I learned a great deal about Bacon, the maple kind, or as most people call it Bacon.

It was a great pleasure to serve MASFAA and meet so many great people throughout the MASFAA region. I would encourage everyone to take the opportunity and become active in our association and you too may have a once in a lifetime experience.

Advocacy & Legislative Issues Tool Kit

2019-05-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted by the Advocacy and Legislative Initiatives Committee

When we hear legislative issues or advocacy, many of us think “no, thank you.” But what you may not realize is that by virtue of working in financial aid, you’re likely advocating for your students every single day.

No matter your role within a financial aid office, the primary goal is to assist students in securing funds to enable them to enroll and complete their educational endeavors. For most students, this entails helping them to understand the financial aid process — from completing the FASFA, navigating verification, understanding their award letter, completing a master promissory note and entrance counseling if borrowing, paying their university charges, and managing any refunds. It may also involve helping them to apply for scholarships and secure a work-study position. Lastly, when they complete their education, it involves making sure those who have borrowed have the information necessary to repay any loans.

Aside from helping students and their parents understand the sometimes changing landscape of financial aid, another important piece in assisting students is advocating for financial aid programs that assist them while enrolled. Sometimes advocacy involves internal conversations within the office to determine the most efficient way to award available funds. Sometimes it involves educating those in other offices on the requirements needed to maintain compliance. Other times, meetings with an institution’s administration to advocate for student-friendly policies or additional funds are required. But as everyone who works within the sphere of financial aid is aware, most of the daily work is a result of laws and regulations enacted at the state and federal levels.

No matter which realm your job description fits into, YOU are an advocate for the students you serve at your institution. But how do you do this? Where do you start? What if you don’t consider yourself a political expert? Can you still make a difference? The answer is YES.

Feel like you might be ready to take your work to the next level? The Tool Kit is to assist you in getting started. You know the challenges you face in doing your job and you hear the challenges your students express when navigating the financial aid journey. Advocacy is nothing more than sharing the story of how to make things better.

Coming later this year, our committee will offer a “toolkit” to help you navigate the advocacy process. Depending on what institution you serve and your role in that institution, advocacy might look different for each one of us. Watch for our session at the MASFAA conference this year to talk through our toolkit and hear tips from some of our experiences.

Meet The Faculty

2019-04-29T13:09:00.001-05:00

Submitted by Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium Committee Co-Chairs Jennifer Schroeder, Program Coordinator at Iowa State University, and Stephanie Petsch, Assistant Director at Eastern Michigan University

Thinking about registering for Summer Institute or Leadership Symposium? We have an experienced and excited faculty lined up to teach at this year’s conference. Get to know a few of the faculty we have lined up. We would love to get to know you more in Kalamazoo this summer. If you would like register for Summer Institute or Leadership Symposium, visit masfaaweb.org/Summer-Institute.

Manda Riley

Manda is a Financial Aid Adviser at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she has been in financial aid for one year! She attended Summer Institute in 2018 and had a wonderful experience so she is now volunteering her time back by being a SI faculty member. Manda’s involvement with MASFAA began with attending SI last year. After that she applied for MASFAA’s scholarship in order to attend the annual conference last fall in Minnesota. This year, she is honored to present a session at the annual conference in Chicago. Manda also serves on MASFAA’s Financial Literacy Task Force. In MASFAP (MO’s association), she serves on the Professional Development Committee, Program Committee, and Research Committee. Manda will be teaching Application Process, COA, and Student Eligibility & Packaging. Manda hopes to inspire participants to take the financial aid world by the reins, ask a lot of questions, and absorb as much as possible during SI. Manda has a background in social work helping college students with mental health and suicide prevention. She is a beagle mom and loves all things Harry Potter – you should check out her office- it’s decked out in all things HP!

Kelsey Ryder

Kelsey is an Assistant Direct at the University of Iowa. Kelsey has been in financial aid for 5 years where she began working in financial literacy and recently moved to the AD role overseeing the Counseling & Financial Literacy teams. Kelsey has been involved in IASFAA from the beginning of her career. She has served IASFAA on the Program Committee, Chaired the Association Communication Committee and currently is serving as Secretary. Kelsey attended MASFAA’s SI in 2016 and helped with local arrangements when MASFAA was in Iowa in 2015. Kelsey is excited to expand her knowledge and find creative ways to engage participants. Kelsey is also looking forward to meeting more financial aid professionals. Kelsey will be teaching SAP, COA, Direct Loans, and Application Process. On a side note, Kelsey has a sheltie names Sheldon who (unfortunately) cannot come to SI with her but she would be happy to share pictures and videos with anyone who is interested!

Melissa Van Meter

Melissa is currently the Associate Director of Operations at Ohio University. Melissa started like many as a work-study student and was then hired full-time where she has been for 20 years. Melissa has attended several MASFAA conferences and served on the Conference Planning Committee for our 2017 and 2019 conferences. Melissa is also involved with NASFAA, participating in several Angoff Study Teams and the Rapid Response Network. She has participated in two NASFAA Certified Financial Aid Administrator task forces. Melissa has not attended MASFAA’s SI or LS but is looking forward to sharing her varied experience and knowledge with the Leadership Symposium group. Melissa will be leading sessions on Personality Assessment, Building a Strong Team, and Campus Involvement. Melissa is looking forward to a great event where we can share ideas and learn from one another.

Chad Olson

Chad has been with the Office of Student Financial Aid at Iowa State University for 17 years, currently serving as the Assistant Director for Counseling & Loans. Chad has been actively involved in IASFAA and MASFAA while he has been in financial aid. Chad has served as IASFAA President and was recently elected as the President-Elect of MASFAA for 2019-20. Chad also serves MASFAA as the Donor Development Committee Chair. Chad participated in the inaugural MASFAA Leadership Symposium and admits it had a powerful effect on his career. He is very excited to be faculty this year and hopes to be able to give back to this year’s participants. Chad will be teaching Leadership sessions on Building Leadership & Supervisory Skills, Building a Strong Team, Conflict Management, Change Management, and Association Involvement. Chad is married with three kids and a dog. In his spare time, Chad coaches youth sports like wrestling, baseball, and football.

Val Meyers

Val has been in financial aid for almost 34 years. She began her career as a file clerk back when paper records were the thing! Currently Val serves Michigan State University as the Associate Director of Financial Aid. As Val advanced in the office, she was given an opportunity to serve on MSFAA. Val has served MSFAA as editor of the Newsletter, Membership Co-Chair and President. Val has also served MASFAA in several ways including Secretary, Treasurer and as a member of Federal Issues (now Advocacy and Legislative Initiatives). Val has also participated with Negotiated Rulemaking by representing financial aid administrators in that process. Val has earned all 17 NASFAA credentials and has previously taught Summer Institute two other times. Val loves to interact with other aid administrators and talk about real-life applications of what we learn in the credentialing sessions. Val has several well-tested teaching tools and stories she is excited to share including the explanation of this picture…

Val will be teaching Consumer Information, COA, Packaging, Verification and SAP at SI this summer. Val encourages you to attend because there are prizes and it will be fun!

For more information about Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium and to register for the event, click here.

Update from the Access Committee

2019-04-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Ginny Washington, Senior Assistant Director of Student Financial Services at IUPUI and co-chair of the Access Committee

The Access Committee plays a crucial role in helping MASFAA members prepare students and families for success at our institutions. Its purpose and goal is to highlight proven methods for access to higher education. To achieve this goal, we focus on two key areas. First, we work to create networking and best practice opportunities with partners or agencies who are focused on similar work as MASFAA, such as access to higher education, connecting with students, and barriers to access. We also research best practices that exist with partnerships, including researching the interest in organizations that may want to partner with us for this purpose.

The committee is currently working on gathering data to help define best practices in this area. Each committee member is reaching out to their community to find those best proven methods and what partnerships already exist. We also surveyed the nine MASFAA states and gained some information about what some states are doing in the area of access and how some states have formed partnerships with community groups. We would love to have more examples. If you would like to share your school or state’s partnerships, please email Ginny Washington.

As we move forward with the rest of the board year, our goal is to continue gathering data about access programs and possibly coordinating pre-conference session or interest session at the annual conference regarding our research, sharing best practices, and demonstrating how MASFAA members can form a collaborative relationship or partnership with local or state groups.

How can you help the Access Committee reach these lofty goals? We would be delighted to have other MASFAA members join us in our efforts. We would appreciate your input on successful strategies that you see in your area. Just sharing your knowledge about your community partners and your working relationships that have a proven method for access to higher education would be great. And, if you have a passion for this work, consider serving on the committee. To share your feedback or to join the committee, please send your information to Ginny Washington.

Thank you for all you do to help prepare students and their families for success!

Reflections on Summer Institute

2019-03-29T13:09:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Manda Riley, Financial Aid Adviser at the University of Missouri - Columbia and 2019 Summer Institute faculty member

Come one, come all – sign up for MASFAA’s 2019 Summer Institute!

Last year, my supervisor encouraged me to attend MASFAA’s 2018 Summer Institute after a whopping two months of working in the financial aid world. I’ll admit – I was nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the experience and didn’t know if I would be “up to par” with my colleagues.

Fortunately, I was welcomed with open arms from the moment I arrived. I quickly felt comfortable with the group and recognized that there were financial aid professionals from all backgrounds and levels of experience. I enjoyed meeting “newbies” like myself as much as I enjoyed meeting our seasoned veterans. I did not once feel that I didn’t belong.

Reflecting a year later, I can tell you that Summer Institute was one of the most valuable financial aid experiences I have had to date. I gained new knowledge, yes, but just as important, I gained new friends. When traveling to other financial aid events, I am excited to reach out to the colleagues I met at Summer Institute and reconnect. I have found a community with MASFAA, and am confident that you will too.

One of the biggest perks? Being eligible to earn all of your NASFAA credentials! After attending Summer Institute, I went back to my office inspired to complete them all. One month later, I received all 17 – the first to achieve this goal in the state of Missouri. My colleagues Dr. Nick Prewett, Gena Boling, Keri Gilbert, and Keely Haynes have all achieved their credentials since then, too! Maybe you will be the person in your office to inspire your co-workers to meet this wonderful bench mark. Bonus perk: An awesome flashing pin from NASFAA that states “Credentialed professional.” Oh, and more credential certificates than you could possibly display in your office. Seventeen picture frames later…

During Summer Institute, I grew significantly from the professional development and NASFAA credential sessions offered. As an adviser, I continue to utilize the information gained there each day. More importantly, I learned where to find information when I need it, and found colleagues that I can reach out to when I need support. I also got to try out fun activities like duckpin bowling and explore Columbus in my downtime. How fun is that?

As a faculty member for 2019 Summer Institute, I am thrilled to share my love and passion for financial aid with you – a lot of which was inspired and grew during my time at Summer Institute. We are prepared to welcome you with open arms, and regardless of your level of expertise, our faculty will encourage you to grow in new ways with your fellow MASFAA colleagues.

Moral of this story… go sign up! See you in Michigan, MASFAA!

To learn more and register for the 2019 MASFAA Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium, visit https://www.masfaaweb.org/Summer-Institute.

But who was Allan W. Purdy?

2019-03-27T11:28:00.000-05:00

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.

Experiences from a New Board Member

2019-03-08T12:40:00.000-06:00

Submitted by Jennifer Schroeder, Program Coordinator at Iowa State University and co-chair of the Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium Committee

Last month I had the privilege of attending my second MASFAA board meeting in Chicago; my first board meeting was prior to the annual conference last October in Minnesota. I am currently co-chairing Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium with Stephanie Petsch. This co-chair position is my first such position with MASFAA and, so far, has been challenging and very rewarding!

I have been involved at the state level in Iowa for the past decade and feel very comfortable there. However, when I was asked to serve MASFAA, I was a little apprehensive. I was humbled to be asked to serve our regional association, I was excited at the opportunity to meet more great colleagues from across the region, I was intrigued by the challenge, I was nervous about the scale of the responsibility and I was wondering if I would be able to do it.

Fast forward 6 months and we’re in the thick of planning Summer Institute and Leadership. So far, this has been a great experience for many reasons. I like the challenge of trying some new, I have a co-leader who I work well with, Marvin and board have been supportive and responsive to our questions, I’ve meet a wealth of new MASFAA folks and I’ve gotten an inside look at the operations of the MASFAA board.

MASFAA board meetings are full of great discussion, idea generation, networking and laughing. The board worked hard all day, discussing what committees have been working on, addressing questions and concerns from each committee, sharing struggles and ideas from each state representative and planning for MASFAA’s future. After working hard all day, the evening brought an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and get to know one another over some Chicago deep dish. The next morning, it was back to work finishing up remaining MASFAA business.

From my experience working on the MASFAA board, I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter what your title is, how long you’ve been in the profession or how shy you might be because MASFAA welcomes us all! I’ve learned that there is an expansive network of financial aid professionals who are ready and willing to answer your questions and share their experiences with you as you fulfill your MASFAA board responsibilities.

I would encourage everyone to consider any offer to serve on a MASFAA committee, work on the MASFAA board or run for a MASFAA elected position. While I was intimidated at first, I am glad I took a chance and said “yes” when Marvin asked me to serve MASFAA in this role!

On another note- we are planning a great Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium experience this summer at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo! Make sure you watch the blog and website for details coming very soon!

Assessment as a Tool for Advocacy

2019-02-27T13:44:00.001-06:00

Submitted by Daniel Matamoros, Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Loyola University Chicago

Data is important. In fact, collecting and analyzing data are the hallmarks of some of the most influential businesses in existence today, and yet—as with most innovations—it feels as though our offices within higher education are lagging behind in appropriating and implementing these techniques for our own good. In effect, most student affair offices view data as something to be collected secondarily, as an afterthought, existing as a chore for the sake of demonstrating compliance or reviewing attitudes from existing programs. When leveraged correctly, however, we can harness the power of data through purposeful assessment to create new pathways and find ways to tackle, and effectively advocate for assistance, investment, and continued support for our programs and initiatives.

In effect, a common concern shared by members in our community is how to engage and manage current problems in the midst of crisis. With consumer confidence waning and with the added pressures of state and federal legislators pushing for divestment, it seems overwhelming (if not futile) to add the collection and analysis of data to our never-ending checklists. To some, this might even feel like an added investment they simply cannot afford. When looked through a critical lens, however, I argue that we cannot afford to continue to fly blind when putting our efforts and dwindling resources into programs we have not tested. In essence, this is where assessment becomes an invaluable tool for success.

It is worth clarifying here that what I mean by assessment is not the same as conducting research. Rather, it is the general art of gathering and reviewing data and information from students and others, for the sake of developing conclusions in connection with the expectations and goals in the programs we are investing in. This does not require a lengthy test and collection of questionnaires, but rather a simple, targeted, and focused evaluation of information that gets to the heart of what we are doing.

Moreover, with a new economics of value deeply embedded in the minds of everyone we encounter, we must learn to accept assessment as a means by which to produce means-tested and effective solutions- via programming- that effectively and efficiently tackle some of the problems faced by our institutions today. By doing so, we are then empowered to reach out to students, families, legislators, and university administrators with pertinent data and information that validates our efforts and encourages investment. In effect, we must look at assessment as a means by which to arm ourselves for the difficult conversations we must have to encourage the continued support we require to be successful; and if our assessments do not go exactly where we expect, we must use the information gathered to adapt and change fluidly in response to the demands that are present. In the end, all we can expect to lose when we invest in assessment is the ignorance we have in our efforts today.

Applause for your Colleagues!

2019-02-19T10:30:00.000-06:00

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.

My MASFAA Board Meeting Experience

2019-02-14T10:46:00.000-06:00

Submitted by Alex DeLonis, Director of Financial Aid Processing at Ivy Tech Community College and MASFAA Delegate-at-Large

One of my favorite parts of being involved in MASFAA and serving on the Executive Board is attending the board meetings with my colleagues throughout the year. Here are some of the highlights of my experience at the meeting held last week:

How Did You Get There?

This Board Meeting experience got started with a road trip with two of my favs President Marvin Smith and Executive Vice President Heidi Carl. The 3 hour journey from Indianapolis to Lombard, Illinois was a wonderful opportunity for us to catch up. Our meeting took place at the Westin Lombard which is also the site for the MASFAA 2019 Champions for Tomorrow conference in October.

What Were the Hot Topics?

We had a long agenda but our President Marvin Smith kept the meeting moving. The agenda items that stood out to me were the strategic plan task force update, conference planning, financial updates, diversity and inclusion, summer institute, professional development, and hearing what issues our State Presidents were dealing with. In my role as Delegate-at-Large I have the opportunity to work with the Conference Program, Local Arrangements, and Advocacy and Legislative Issues Committees, so it was a great opportunity to connect with them to hear about the great work they are doing.

What Did You Eat?

You can’t go to the Chicagoland area without eating deep dish pizza, right? And Reese’s Cups…Lot’s of Reese’s Cups.

What Was the Area Like?

This is going to be an amazing place to have our conference! The venue itself is spacious and easy to get to. The location is a short drive from both O’Hare and Midway airports. There is plenty to do in the area including great shopping and endless restaurant options!

How Did Nick Injure His Thumb?

After a long day’s work we had the opportunity to kick back with our colleagues and relax. The competitive MASFAA members engaged in a few round of the card game Spot It. For those who have not played it’s a game that requires being the quickest to find the matching symbol between two cards. This is how our Past President Nick Prewett nearly lost his thumb. In the end, I think the table won the game after Nick was forced to retire from Spot It to ice his injury.

When is the Next Meeting?

The next Board Meeting will take place in early June at Western Michigan University and will overlap with the Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium. Heal up, Nick! I’ll be sure to bring Spot It again!

The Importance of Advocacy

2019-01-29T13:02:00.000-06:00

Submitted by Val Meyers, Michigan State University, and Michelle Curtis, University of Minnesota

The role of the MASFAA Advocacy and Legislative Issues Committee (ALIC) is to assemble talking points that our members can use to influencing legislative or regulatory efforts. We do this to educate legislators and their staff about the needs of students and families, the work that we do as aid administrators, and how a change in law or regulation can help us with our common mission – to promote access for students into an institution of higher education.

Recent events have proven that advocacy can also be vital during a sudden change in conditions, such as a government shutdown. In this case, the closing of the Internal Revenue Service left families unable to obtain documents vital to receiving financial aid. As schools began trying to work through the start of the new term in January, with bills due and parents unable to pay, we had to develop scenarios that both adhered to regulations and helped our families. In the background, we knew that Federal Student Aid (FSA) was working to publish new guidance on alternative tax documents. NASFAA and all of our legislative affairs staff in DC were sharing impact statements as more schools began reporting the frustration of unverified applicants who had no financial aid to pay their bills.

Before the Dear Colleague Letter was released on January 9th to allow alternative documents for verification, schools were doing what they could (extending the due dates of registration bills, cancelling late fees and interest, or even advancing institutional aid to cover the minimum payments).

But it’s important to note that this change didn’t start with the shutdown – the shutdown just made a crisis out of an existing annoyance. We all knew, for example, that the requirement for the Verification of Non-Filer documents put a burden on our neediest students and families. The same could be said of those tax filers who, without a credit history, couldn’t use the online tool to get a copy of the tax transcripts and were thus limited to the request by mail option, which cost them more in time and effort.

FSA was already on the way to revising the requirements, as they announced at their annual training at the end of November. This is likely to have been in response to advocacy from financial aid administrators, both individually and through their associations at the state, regional, and national levels.

With this is mind, we welcome thoughts on items should we advocate for in the future. What are your major pain points? What one law or regulation would you change if you could? And how can MASFAA ALIC help you in that effort? We welcome your feedback.

HAPPY NEW YEAR MASFAA!

2019-01-14T14:48:00.002-06:00

Submitted by Emily Haynam, Assistant Director of Compliance, The Ohio State University, co-chair of the MASFAA Communications and Electronic Initiatives Committee, and MASFAA Delegate-at-Large

Hello MASFAA! I hope your 2019 year has started out well and everyone is enjoying the recent announcement of changes to the verification requirements… can we just say, wooohooo!!!!

I’m today excited to announce the first live MASFAA webinar will be held on Monday, January 28 from 3:00pm-4:00pm ET (2pm-3pm CT). The first webinar topic “This Is MASFAA” will be presented by MASFAA President Marvin Smith (from IUPUI) and MASFAA Membership Chair Matthew Kearney (from Southeast Missouri State). Marvin and Matthew will be talking about the value of MASFAA membership and opportunities for involvement.

Speaking of opportunities for MASFAA involvement, we need the membership to “step up” and submit conference ideas by the end of January. Conference program co-chairs Betsy Johnson (from Bowling Green) and Susan Teerink (from Marquette) are planning for the MASFAA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL from October 6-9, 2019.

The theme for our 2019 Conference is Champions of Tomorrow and we’re looking forward to being in a great city while helping develop champions of tomorrow in all of you and also learning about ways to make our students champions as they strive to reach their goals. However, to ensure we bring you a fantastic lineup of sessions and keynote speakers, we need your help!

The Conference Program Committee is seeking session proposals NOW, so please take a moment and think of ways in which you can contribute to our conference. We invite you to submit interest session proposals now through January 31, 2019 for consideration.

Please visit https://goo.gl/forms/71ff3xQ2HZbhhpxJ3 to complete your session proposal. One thing to note - please do not use this form to submit your Business Solutions sessions. We'll be collecting those separately in conjunction with Chad Olson, Chair of the Donor Development Committee.

MASFAA 2018-19 Planning and Event Updates

2018-12-18T08:43:00.001-06:00

Submitted by Marvin Smith, MASFAA President, Executive Director of Student Financial Services, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Dear MASFAA Friends and Colleagues:

I hope all is well and you are ready for the holiday season. Your MASFAA leadership has been busy since the wonderful conference in Minneapolis this past October. A lot of good work is occurring. Some of the highlights…

MASFAA has a new “MASFAA Moments” YouTube Channel.

MASFAA is planning a monthly training and development webinar series to begin in January, 2019. Members are encouraged to submit your ideas regarding our webinar series name. Stay tuned to your favorite MASFAA social media channel for more details.

MASFAA is planning for the 2019 Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium to be held at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI) June 3-7, 2019 around the theme “Soar to Your Future”.

MASFAA’s 2019 Annual Conference will be held at the Chicago Lombard Westin on October 6-9, 2019. I encourage members to check out the inspiring 2019 MASFAA Annual Conference video built around our conference theme “Champions of Tomorrow”.

Nick Prewett, Financial Aid Director at the University of Missouri and immediate past MASFAA president represented MASFAA at the Ohio fall conference in Columbus, OH where OASFAA celebrated their 50^th anniversary (!). OASFAA invited back all the past presidents and had them line up across the stage and give a bit of a background story for OASFAA. Nick noted that he won thousands of dollars at their casino night. If anyone needs any money contact Nick Prewett.

Michele Trame, Financial Aid Director at the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana and MASFAA president-elect represented MASFAA at the Missouri fall conference. MASFAP was held at the Lodge of the Four Seasons Resort in Lake Ozark, MO where apparently Missouri folks go to get re-energized. Michele got to hang out with Nick Prewett since Nick never misses a conference opportunity to play games of skill and chance like BINGO and have fun with colleagues.

I had the pleasure of representing MASFAA at the West Virginia fall conference. Note this conference was actually held as a joint conference at the Rocky Gap Resort in Flintstone, MD in combination with the Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, DC area financial aid associations (referred to as the “Tri-State” association). WVASFAA made me feel special and welcome. The combination conference worked nicely. I will always remember this conference fondly—it was great to connect with friends and colleagues.

We’ve had more than fifty MASFAA members volunteer to serve on a committee or taskforce. If you volunteered and have not been plugged into a volunteer opportunity please send me an email (Marvin Smith, mlsiii@iupui.edu).

Finally, I’m pleased to announce that MASFAA has begun to develop a new Strategic Plan that will be led by past MASFAA presidents Sara Beth Holman (Lawrence University in Wisconsin) and Dick Battig (Model College of Hair Design in Minnesota). Watch for your chance to provide input in the coming months.

I hope you all have a happy holiday and a great new year. Stay tuned to hear more about the good work that keeps getting done by and for MASFAA members.

Get The Most Out of Conferences By Asking Questions

2018-10-01T11:41:00.002-05:00

Submitted by Ted Malone, Executive Director, Division of Financial Aid, Purdue University

Hi everyone, my name is Ted and I am a question asker. For many people they first see me standing at a microphone waiting to ask a question of a Fed or other speaker. For me, I cannot help it. There are times when I am determined not to ask a question, but then the speaker says something that cannot go unquestioned. I try to see if someone else will do it, but after a bit, I find myself back at the microphone. I am reasonably certain that if I have a question, someone else must have it. I am a curious person by nature and not particularly shy; both of those traits are helpful in being a question asker. However, you can learn to be bold and confident. Some of you may want to become a question asker. There are some important rules for asking questions:

Pay attention to questions asked by others and avoid asking the same question that was just answered unless you are seeking additional clarification. If you do, make sure to acknowledge the previous question.
Always identify yourself as someone else. I like to go with Peter Hurley from the University of Michigan. Not really, it is best to admit who you are.
If you are on camera and your name tag can clearly be seen, don’t try to be anonymous.
Think about your question before you walk to the microphone. At my age, I need to write them down so I don’t forget it on the way up.
Try to remember that the person making the presentation likely did not make the call on the issue in question, so don’t kill the messenger.
Use sarcasm sparingly. It can be great, but more often will only confuse people.
If you have a question, other people have the same one.
Try to avoid specific situations that only apply to a single student. Those are best done one-on-one after the session.
Speak slowly, clearly, and succinctly

Well, those are the most important ones. I’m sure there are others, so if you think of them share them with me. You know where to find me at the conference.

Thoughts from the Missouri Recipient of the MASFAA Conference Scholarship

2018-09-04T08:13:00.001-05:00

Ahhh… there is nothing quite like the excitement of receiving a scholarship! I have to admit, it’s been a few years since I’ve felt the exhilaration of receiving a “you have been selected as a recipient” letter. Upon receiving the news, I *may* have jumped up from my desk and dashed into my supervisor’s office. Keri Gilbert exclaimed with a “you scared me!” as she witnessed me dance in her office door as I shared the news.

I couldn’t be more thrilled to be selected as a recipient of the MASFAA Conference Scholarship. When I began my career in financial aid, a mere five months ago, it was explained to me how enjoyable and rewarding financial aid conferences could be. When I was selected to attend MASFAA’s Summer Institute, I got a taste of this, as I was able to collaborate with financial aid professionals from the nine states that MASFAA serves. I was able to grow in many ways; both in my professional knowledge and with those whom I built relationships. Shout out to all of those who attended Summer Institute with me... what a blast (minus the beds… we won’t talk about those!)

I can’t say that I know exactly what to expect at the upcoming “Seeds of the Future” conference. What I can say is that expect to gain new professional relationships, enhance my knowledge of financial aid processes, and be seen around the conference as a really-smiley and happy-to-be-there financial aid professional.

I plan to moderate some conference sessions, and engage in as many sessions as I am able. I am particularly excited for the sessions on “How to Advocate” (my social work background sends me there, of course), “Bringing Financial Aid to Everyone,” and “How America Pays for Graduate School” (I’m starting my grad program in Spring 2019 - yikes). In attending these sessions, I am hoping that the instructors will inspire me to create a session of my own. Look out MASFAA! I’m here to live, learn, and eventually teach other professionals in my career.

I look forward to seeing you all there, and meeting lots of new faces from around the country. I wish you all safe travels to Minnesota, and I hope to be greeted into a new financial aid family with open arms.

All the best,

Manda Riley

Financial Aid Advisor

University of Missouri

MASFAA Leadership Spotlight - Emily Haynam

2018-08-22T14:23:00.000-05:00

How did you get started in financial aid?

My first gig in financial aid started at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) in 2013 as an Assistant Director of Compliance. They were in need of a person with Division I athletic aid experience, and I had previously worked in athletics compliance at Youngstown State University, Saint Peter’s University, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

How did you first become involved in your state and regional associations?

In my new financial aid role at IPFW, I knew athletic aid but I needed to get a crash course and learn financial aid regulations to do the other half of my role of financial aid compliance. So… I went to the MASFAA Summer Institute. I had amazing faculty that ended up becoming unofficial mentors for me. The collegiality of financial aid professionals is unparalleled and I just knew I wanted to be part of it in any way that I could. So, I followed the advice of filing out volunteer forms and making sure my new unofficial mentors knew I wanted to be involved. From there, I was asked to participate on a few committees and it just grew from there. I’ve been fortunate to serve.

Why were you interested in a MASFAA leadership role?

I love to be part of teams. I love to help contribute in any way I can to the success of a team. Initially, MASFAA was the next team to play for, so that is why I wanted to be part of the leadership team. As time went on, I kept signing up because of all the growth I was (and still am) experiencing by being involved. I cannot say enough, how invaluable the relationships I have made have become to helping me be a better financial aid professional, and I just hope that I can return that favor as time goes on.

What have you learned through your state or regional association that you were not expecting?

Credit card fees cause a lot of drama…

What advice do you have for someone new to financial aid?

Take initiative to seek out training and just as important, build your network. Outline to your boss why you want to go to trainings, and what the ROI will be for the office as a result of you going. Building your network can be a vital part of building your financial aid knowledge and resources.

What advice do you have for someone interested in becoming more involved in MASFAA?

Don’t take yourself too seriously… be willing to put yourself out there and talk to new people. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, no one knows everything in this business. Also, you don’t have to have 800 years of experience before getting involved. Involvement will advance your experience faster than just working in your office. When you do get involved, make sure you have the time and live up to your commitments.

What are you looking forward to learning during your leadership term? Or what did you learn during your leadership term?

I enjoy puzzles, and I enjoy seeing how all of the pieces fit together. I hope to continue to learn more of the details of how MASFAA works, how and why decisions are made, and how I can contribute to help MASFAA continue to grow as an association in serving our members.

Have you ever presented at a MASFAA Conference? What did you present about and how did you get involved in presenting?

I initially let some of the MASFAA leaders know that I was interested in being involved with the MASFAA Summer Institute in any way that they would need me. From there, I was asked to be faculty, and I taught four credential sessions. Since then I have done pre-conference NASFAA credential training presentations for student eligibility, and cash management. I typically let the folks who are organizing the event know that I am available if they need me, and then sometimes have been asked to present. I’ve also done presentations on professional development, and athletic aid at an annual conference. The MASFAA conference program committee will send out a call for proposed conference sessions and at that time I proposed the session ideas and indicated I would be involved in presenting.

What advice do you have for someone interested in presenting at a conference?

Be a moderator first where you will introduce a presenter so you can get a feel for it without doing any presenting. Then, go for it! Several topics I agreed to present, I am not an expert in and perhaps don’t necessarily have a ton of experience in. I look at presenting more of leading a conversation about a topic. By agreeing to present, I got to work researching and it forced me to learn a lot about something new so I could have an educated conversation. Learning by presenting is effective.

What do you enjoy doing when you are outside the aid office?

I love being an Aunt!!! I also love to float in my Kayak, bike, grill out, be outside, and spend time with friends. Pyrography (or wood burning) is my hobby. My dad taught me how to do this when I was a little girl with sunlight and a magnifying glass. Now I have a big-girl tool, and do projects as gifts as well as I have started doing some commission pieces. Visit Keeper Krafts on Facebook or Instagram for all your wood burning needs!

Don't Forget to Submit Your Award Nominations!

2018-08-15T15:56:00.002-05:00

This is a reminder that the awards committee is seeking nominations for the annual MASFAA Awards to be given out at the 2018 Annual MASFAA Conference. The deadline for submitting award nominations is quickly approaching – August 20! Please take a few minutes to nominate a deserving financial aid professional for the hard work they do every day!

Please complete the nomination form found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MASFAA-Awards-2018.

In addition to the above awards, we are also seeking nominations for the Access Award. The Access Award recognizes innovative ideas and programming in the area of financial literacy and financial aid outreach initiatives targeted toward K-12 or post-secondary settings. Nominations for the Access Award can be submitted by completing the Access Award Application found at https://masfaaweb.org/resources/Online%20Forms/MASFAA-AccessAwardApplication-2018.doc.

All awards will be presented and announced at the 2018 Annual MASFAA Conference, “Seeds for the Future,” in Minneapolis, MN October 14-17, 2018. While we would love to have all selected recipients attend the conference to accept their award in person, it is not required.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Awards Chair, Dena Norris, at dena.norris@mcckc.edu.

Thanks!

Your 2018 MASFAA Awards Committee

MASFAA President Elect’s Retreat Recap

2018-08-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

The MASFAA President Elect’s Retreat took place July 30-31 in Indianapolis, IN. President Elect Marvin Smith developed an impressive schedule for the incoming MASFAA Board to discuss. Some of the topics included the development of a Diversity Statement for the association, developing a Strategic Planning Task Force, potential changes to the MASFAA membership model, and the use of webinars to deliver training for our members. There was also small group discussions amongst the State representatives and various committee groupings, to develop goals and action plans for the upcoming MASFAA year.

Of course, during the discussions about the 2019 MASFAA Year, we also heard information about the 2018 MASFAA Conference in Minneapolis, MN, October 14-17. You do not want to miss this event! The 2018 Program Committee and Local Arrangements Committee have lined up a lot of great opportunities and learn from and with your MASFAA colleagues. You should run, don’t walk, to https://masfaaweb.org/conference to get registered for the conference and reserve your room at the Marriott City Center. Register by August 31 to take advantage of the early bird registration rate!

Chad Olson 18/19 Donor Development Chair