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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Happy Financial Aid Day From Nathan Basford

October 19, 2011:  Financial Aid Day

On this day I stop and ask myself two questions? 

·         How did I get here in this profession we call Financial Aid?
·         Why do I stay? 

It all began over 30 years ago.  I was working on campus at Florida State University with the US Postal Service, and the financial aid office was one of my delivery stops. Being the shy kind of person that I am, (Do I hear laughter) I noticed a job posting in the financial aid office.  It read:  Financial Aid Position I knew some of the staff that worked in the office of financial aid (OFA) so I asked about the position.

They informed me that the position being created was in the Special Program Section. “Special Programs” Well that was a new term for me.  I asked what is “Special Programs?”  I was told this is a department that reviewed students and parent’s files that had unusual circumstances happen in their life, and that this position would review the circumstances and hope to increase their financial aid eligibility.  Well, that sounded interesting, helping people that is what I like to do.  So I applied, interviewed, and was hired!

As I began my first day in the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) I said to myself over 100 times: "What was I thinking, here I am, in an office with three other people ;( yes, we shared offices back then).  They were all talking about their weekend, and then they began to speak in a foreign language:  "Financial Aid" Their conversations were: Did you review the IVF? Look at the SAR! Adjust their COA! I thought what in the world am I going to do!  I could hardly wait till lunch, I said to myself, I am not coming back after lunch, I hope my old position is still available at the post office.

My immediate supervisor came to my table, yes TABLE; I did not even have a desk!  She began talking the financial aid language, and I thought oh my!  She gave me the paper application called the "Free Application for Federal Student Aid, (FASFA) another foreign word.  She also provided me with tax returns, and other forms that I had never heard of.  She said: "The only way to learn about financial aid is to complete the FASFA, so she ask that I take the information that I had and complete the form.  I thought; “will lunch time ever get here?'  I began to review the form, and read the instruction (yes, can you believe that someone took the time to read them?) completed the form and then gave to my supervisor.  I then went to lunch, and thought Good bye OFA!

I took my lunch break, and had a little talk with myself and thought; I need to give this a chance!  Change is good!  So I returned back to the OFA and when I got to my table (still no desk) there was the FASFA that I had completed with a BIG A+.  Boy did I feel good!  I was hooked! I was going to enjoy learning the financial aid foreign language, and was going to enjoy my new found profession.

I stayed in the profession for over twenty year, and after 30 years working at Florida State University, I retired!

I have returned back to Florida State University, in the OFA office, doing again what I enjoy: Assisting students and their parents in finding sources of financial aid to assist them in meeting their educational goals. 

In doing my job I find that sometimes students just need someone to talk to.  We are more than financial aid staff who award aid to students, we counsel them on debt management, we help them research for scholarships, and most of all we sometimes just listen.

My profession Is rewarding!  I hope you all feel the same way!

Nathan Basford
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Fl.

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