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Sunday, May 29, 2016

NAOW - Late Fee Waiver

Breaking news on the NAOW front, we have temporarily WAIVED THE LATE REGISTRATION FEE!

This is the final week of registration.

Why should you attend NAOW?  NAOW is an incredible experience that will remain with you the rest of your life. I had the privilege to attend NAOW as an attendee in 2004 on the campus of the University of South Florida. To this day I remember my instructors and have fond memories of that hot summer week in 2004 twelve years later. The bonds that will be built during this week are priceless. Don’t delay register today!

NAOW Faculty           http://www.sasfaa.org/NAOW2016/Faculty

Registration                    http://www.sasfaa.org/NAOW2016/registration

Shuttle Service           http://www.sasfaa.org/event-2229277

NAOW Heroes2

Live it, Learn it, Love it at NAOW.

 

 

SCASFAA--A Year in Review


Serving students for 50 years with focused passion and fearless vision.

 

Greetings from the Palmetto State. We had a wonderful time celebrating our 50th anniversary this year. We started out the year with a Transitional Board Meeting in Newberry last July. After a time of transitioning activities between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 boards, we resurrected a mini version of the SCASFAA Olympics as a team-building experience.


Some highlights of our year:

·        President Elizabeth Milam attended and presented at KASFAA as part of the SASFAA State Presidents’ Exchange.

·        Our first Financial Awareness Symposium was held at Columbia College on December 14, 2015.

·        The New Aid Officers’ Workshop was conducted at Newberry College on January 21, 2016.

·        We submitted the SCASFAA history and assorted memorabilia for the NASFAA 50th Anniversary time capsule.

·        NASFAA accepted two of our Student Success Stories for inclusion in the National Conference Student Success Luncheon (Dr. Tabatha McAllister, University of South Carolina’s Palmetto College) and NASFAA’s Student Success publication (Samantha Kite, Coastal Carolina University).

·        Approximately 75 SCASFAA members attended the SASFAA Annual Conference in Greensboro, NC.

·        College Goal SC was held at numerous locations across the state on February 20-27, 2016.

·        President-Elect Kevin Perry attended the NASFAA Leadership & Legislative Expo and participated in Hill visits in Washington, DC.  

·        The Intermediate Aid Officers Workshop, featuring a NASFAA U Credential in Verification, was held at Southern Wesleyan University on March 16, 2016.

·        The Leadership Symposium, focusing on customer service and self-care practices, was held as a pre-conference event on April 3, 2016.

·        Legislative Issues Chair Joey Derrick and committee member Brandon Lindsay attended the SASFAA Legislative Symposium and participated in Hill visits in Washington, SC. 

 

The year culminated with our Annual Conference and 50th Anniversary Celebration at Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach on April 3-6, 2016. SASFAA President Amy Berrier and MASFAA President Nicole Patrick were our special guests. We were honored to have 25 of our 49 presidents in attendance. We brought back many fun activities from the past such as the SCASFAA Olympics (nothing creates a bond like being blindfolded and tied to a colleague) and the Miss SCASFAA Pageant. Conference Chair Katie Harrison and her committee did a remarkable job putting together a conference with meaningful sessions, engaging activities, and historical remembrances. The conference touched the hearts of retired lifetime members and past-presidents, energized current members, and inspired those new to the profession.

 

The following retirees were recognized at the annual conference:

Josephine Brown    Trident Technical College                        15 years

Candace Hall          Medical University of South Carolina         17 years

Sherry Hall             Aiken Technical College                          33 years

 

The following members were presented Quarter Century pins, recognizing 25 years of service:

Angela Fowler        Converse College

Hank Fuller            The Citadel

Bobby Holcombe    University of South Carolina-Union

Michael Jordan       North Greenville University

Terri Williams         University of South Carolina-Upstate

Sandra Gibson        Morris College                                      (37 years of service)

 

The following members were recipients of SCASFAA awards:

Emerging Leader Award                        Kyle Phillips             Clemson University

SCASFAA Achiever Award                      Katie Harrison          SC Tuition Grants Commission

Fearless Nine Service to SCASFAA Award   Tabatha McAllister    University of South Carolina’s Palmetto College

 

Our conference’s charity fundraising was held in memory of DePayne Middleton Doctor, one of the “Emmanuel Nine,” victims of the tragic shooting in Charleston last June. DePayne was a graduate and employee of three SCASFAA-affiliated institutions, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College and her Master’s from Southern Wesleyan University. She worked at the Medical University of South Carolina and most recently at Southern Wesleyan University. SCASFAA was proud to raise $2,500 for a scholarship for DePayne’s daughter who is attending Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC.

 

Below are a few photos from our year so far.




Transitional Board Meeting, July 2015 – (back) Nikki Miller, Cindy Peachey, Leah Suttles, April Baur, Carolyn Sparks, Jennifer Williams, Kevin Delp, Kisha Dawkins, Deborah Williams, Melanie Gillespie, DJ Wetzel, Jenny Beakley Hammett, Donna Quick, Casey Wallen, (front) Kevin Perry, Elizabeth Milam, Ken Cole, Katie Harrison

 


 

SCASFAA celebrated our 50th Anniversary at the Annual Conference in April 2016




25 out of 49 SCASFAA presidents attended the 50th Anniversary Celebration – (back) Ken Player 1991-92, Ken Cole 2014-15, Bob Godfrey 1992-93, Allison Sullivan 2011-12, Ellen Green 1990-91, Nancy Garmroth 2005-06, Betty Whalen 2004-05, Earl Mayo 1999-2000, Keith Reeves 2003-04, Jeff Holliday 2010-11, (front) Jennifer (Jones-Gaddy) Bomar 1983-84, Jackie Bell 1996-97, Fred Hardin 1995-96, Sarah Dowd 2012-13, Mike Fox 2000-01, Elizabeth Milam 2015-16, Katie Harrison 2013-14, Tabatha McAllister 2007-08, Cheryl Hughes 1998-99, Hank Fuller 2009-10. Present but not pictured: Marvin Carmichael 1881-82, Jeff Dennis 2008-09, Anita Kaminer Elliott 2002-03, Sylvia Hudson 1974-75, Kim Jenerette 2006-07




Jeff Dennis defended his 2005 crown to win the Miss SCASFAA Pageant again in 2016.


SCASFAA wishes you a great remainder of 2015-2016.


Elizabeth Milam

President, South Carolina Assn. of Student Financial Aid Administrators

milamm@clemson.edu





Monday, May 16, 2016

Week of May 16 - This week in legislation...

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·       This week, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate are in session for legislative business. However, neither chamber is expected to consider student financial aid-related legislation.

·       Today at 10:00 a.m., Education Secretary John King, Jr. and Under Secretary Ted Mitchell participate in a roundtable discussion on expanding dual enrollment programs for high school students at the College of Southern Maryland in La Plata, MD. The event will be moderated by Dr. Bradley Gottfried, President, College of Southern Maryland, and include the following participants: David Robinson, Professor, College of Southern Maryland; Brian Hammond, Admissions Director, College of Southern Maryland; Taylor Mutchler, Senior, Huntingtown High School and Student, College of Southern Maryland; Hassan Yousaf, Student, College of Southern Maryland; Tierra Harris, Student, College of Southern Maryland; Molly Gearhart, Supervisor of Student Services, Calvert County Public Schools; Alicia Jones, Supervising School Counselor, Charles County Public Schools; and Jeffrey Maher, Chief Academic Officer, St. Mary’s County Public Schools.

·       On Tuesday and Wednesday, all day, The Atlantic convenes its second annual Education Summit where educators, policymakers, parents, and students will discuss what makes for quality early childhood education programs, how technology is changing the classroom, and the purpose and future of higher education. Speakers include: The Honorable Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chair, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; Chester Finn, President Emeritus, Thomas B. Fordham Institute; Marisa AllisonResearch Fellow, New Faculty Majority; Ross AndersenSenior Editor, The AtlanticAmanda Bennett, Recent Graduate, University of Alabama; Clare Berke, English Teacher, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School; Jeanette BetancourtSenior Vice President, U.S. Social Impact Sesame Workshop; Dana BolgerExecutive Director and Co-Founder, Know Your IX; and Ron BrownsteinSenior Editor, Atlantic Media

·       On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.the House Education and the Workforce Committee holds a hearing entitled, “Helping Students Succeed by Strengthening the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.” Witnesses will be announced at a later date. To watch the hearing live, visit the Committee’s website.

·       On Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.the Aspen Institute holds a discussion titled, “Celebrating Skills for America’s Future,” which focuses on how businesses can successfully partner with community colleges to meet their workforce needs and help working people connect to economic opportunities. Speakers include: The Honorable Penny Pritzker, Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce; Nick Pinchuk, Chief Executive Officer, Snap-On; Eva Sage-Gavin, Principal, Sage-Gavin Associates; Ellen Alberding, President, Joyce Foundation; Walter Isaacson, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Aspen Institute; Maureen Conway, Vice President for Policy Programs, The Aspen Institute and Executive Director, Economic Opportunities Program; and Marie Lynch, Chief Executive Officer, Skills for Chicagoland’s Future.

·       On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, all-day,the Association of American Colleges and Universities and U.S. News and World Report host the fifth annual National Leadership Conference on STEM Solutions, which brings together interested parties to share their strategies and ideas in advancing the future. Speakers include: David Coleman, President and Chief Executive Officer, The College Board; Dr. Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University; Marc Morial, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Urban League; Timothy Lawrence, Executive Director, SkillsUSA; and Dr. Russell Shilling, Executive Director – STEM, U.S. Department of Education.

 

·       On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee holds a hearing titled, “The Telephone Consumer Protection Act at 25: Effects on Consumers and Business.” The hearing will examine the TCPA and the FCC’s application of the law to new technologies and practices popularized since adoption of the Act. Witnesses include: Becca Wahlquist, Partner, Snell and Wilmer, testifying on behalf of the U.S. Chamber Institute of Legal Reform; Monica Desai, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs; Rich Lovich, Partner, Law Offices of Stephenson, Acquisto, & Colman, testifying on behalf of the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management;Margot Saunders, Of Counsel, National Consumer Law Center; and The Honorable Greg Zoeller, Attorney General, State of Indiana.

·       On Thursday and Friday, all-day, the International Institute for Business Information and Growth holds its Education Finance and Loan Symposium, which attracts key players in the education finance/student loan industry. During the event, attendees will hear from experts on the following topics: State of the Education Finance and Lending Industry in 2016/17; Life Cycle of Student Loans – Part I: Current Loan Origination Opportunities; Life Cycle of Student Loans – Part II: Servicing Private Loans; Life Cycle of Student Loans – Part III: Collections and Risk Management; FFELP Auction Rate Securities Litigation: An Update; College and University Student Financial Aid Roundtable; Student Loan Portfolios: Valuation and Securitization Trends; Cloud-Based Lending: How Disruptive Technologies and New Players are Changing the Student Loan Markets; and Legal and Regulatory Roundtable.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

NAOW - More info, register, shuttle...


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Why should you attend NAOW?  For the opportunity to be immersed in intricacies of financial aid with highly qualified SASFAA instructors and staff from each of the nine states in the region. http://www.sasfaa.org/NAOW2016/Faculty

To register for the NAOW follow this link:


Want to go to NOAW and not sure how to get there from the Birmingham Airport? No Problem follow this link:



 

Live it, Learn it, Love it at NAOW

What's Happenin' in NC!?!



Greetings from North Carolina!

We have had a great 2015-2016 year in North Carolina and NCASFAA’s Executive Board has been hard at work.  At the transition meeting in June 2015, we set several goals for the year and I am proud to say that we have met, or exceeded, each one.  In an attempt to increase membership, the board sent out surveys and asked the membership to share their current needs and topics they would like to see in future training sessions.  Using that information, the Executive Board created their action plans for the year and purposefully worked to demonstrate the value of a NCASFAA membership to the entire state.

Several board members led the way and served as project managers on the various initiatives and did exemplary work.  NCASFAA created and held three “Support Staff Training Seminars” around the state in various locations and had 49 total attendees.  Multiple training webinars were created throughout the year on the topics the membership deemed to be most important, and our most recent one on “Verification” had 78 attendees.  We have also held various other training events like new aid officer training, intermediate aid officer training, and will be having our second conference of the year in April 2016.  All of the work from NCASFAA’s board, committee chairs and committee members has been recognized by the membership and led to NCASFAA having the highest number of active members in at least the last decade at 642 members!

Our 2016 Spring Conference was held in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.  The Program Committee worked remarkably hard to create a training conference that began the yearlong celebration of our 50th anniversary while incorporating our annual theme of “Serve with Purpose”.  The committee arranged for exceptional training on federal compliance issues from both David Bartnicki and Wood Mason, training from the North Carolina Community College System office, brought in Jim Briggs, “The Tax Detective”, to discuss the intricacies surrounding taxes and verification, requested both federal and state updates from knowledgeable officials, brought in Dr. Michael Johnson, Senior Vice President/Chief of Staff at SACS-COC, to be our keynote speaker and much, much more. 

In addition to the training efforts, NCASFAA has selected two charities to support at our conferences this year as we attempt to give back to the communities we serve.  In the fall we selected Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen of Asheboro, North Carolina.   Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen provides a daily meal to meet the nutritional needs of those less fortunate or who have fallen on hard times.  Due to the rise in local unemployment and the overall economic climate, the numbers of those being served increased significantly in recent years.  In 2010, the number of residents fed daily, increased fifty percent and in recent years the numbers peaked to more than 10,000 meals served annually.  NCASFAA was able to raise $2,250 at our fall conference to help support their mission and donated 20 banker boxes of food to help them create care packages for the less fortunate seeking assistance with groceries.  Our charity for this spring was Children’s Home Society of North Carolina.  This organization has placed more than 15,000 North Carolina children with adoptive families and countless more in temporary foster placement. Lack of resources is the only thing standing in the way of helping more children and families, and our simple goal was to help them gain these resources and continue with our theme of “Serve with Purpose!”

In closing, I hope you that all have had a wonderful year and enjoyed your time at the 2016 SASFAA Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina.  We were excited to have you and we look forward to potentially hosting you again in future years!  Thank you, too, to Nathan and Mike for coming to NC for our spring conference as representatives of SASFAA. Our states couldn’t be as effective as we are without SASFAA’s continued support.  It doesn't go unnoticed, and our members thank you.

Joey Trogdon
2015-16 President
North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Monday, May 9, 2016

This week in legislation...



Week of May 9

·       This week, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate are in session for legislative business. However, neither chamber is expected to consider student financial aid-related legislation.

·       Today is the deadline for interested parties to submit a competitive bid under Phase I of the U.S. Department of Education’s solicitation to acquire a single servicing solution to be utilized by multiple customer service providers to support the management of Title IV and Title VII financial aid, post loan, and grant disbursement. The scope of the potential contract includes, but is not limited to: loan servicing, loan discharge, loan consolidation, financial reporting, default management, and default collections.

·       Today at 10:45 a.m. PDT, Education Secretary John King, Jr. participates in a roundtable discussion on criminal justice reform efforts, especially as they relate to college campuses, at the University of California Los Angeles. The Secretary is expected to highlight the Second Chance Pell Pilot program to test new models to allow incarcerated Americans to receive Pell Grants and pursue postsecondary education and training with the goal of helping them get jobs, support their families, and turn their lives around. Participants in the event include: The Honorable Eric Garcetti, Mayor, City of Los Angeles; James Anderson, Student, University of California Los Angeles, and Community and Member Relations Manager, Anti-Recidivism Coalition; Vivian Nixon, Executive Director, College and Community Fellowship; and David Rattray, Executive Vice President, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

·       Today at 1:00 p.m., Academic Impressions hosts a webcast titled, “Prior-Prior Year (PPY): Preparing Your Institution.” Participants will learn how financial aid offices and enrollment management leaders are planning for the changes that PPY will bring to campuses, including dates and deadlines, financial aid communication, staffing and workflows, and recruitment and yield. Speakers include: W. Kent Barnds, Vice President of Enrollment, Communication, and Planning, Augustana College; and Brent Shock, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Director of Student Financial Services, Miami University. To register, click here.

·       On Tuesday at 3:00 p.m., the Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus and the Alliance for Excellent Education host an event titled, “Career Pathways: Exploring the Partnership Pipeline.” The briefing will examine the partnerships that are essential to transform the high school experience to ensure that all students are thoroughly prepared for both college and career upon graduation. Panelists include: Dr. Scott Ralls, President, Northern Virginia Community College; Dr. John Snavely, Superintendent, Porterville Unified School District; Randy Wallace, Executive Director, INNOVATE Tulare-Kings; Alexandra “Lexie” Williamson, Student, Pasadena City College; and Dr. Monica Almond, Senior Policy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education.

·       On Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) hosts a discussion and debate titled, “Postsecondary Education Financing Forum.” During the NASFAA event, speakers will address the issue of why college costs so much, what can be done to reduce indebtedness and simplify repayment, and more. Opening remarks will be provided by former Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter. To watch the live webcast, visit the NASFAA website.
·       On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy holds a hearing on member proposals for improvements to the U.S. tax system.
·       On Friday at 6:00 p.m., Education Secretary John King, Jr. delivers the commencement address at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee, WI, where he will speak to graduates and their families about the importance of service and giving back to the community.
·       On Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Dr. Jill Biden, Second Lady of the United States, delivers the commencement address at Northern Virginia Community College in Bristow, VA.


This information is shared by SASFAA's Legislative Affairs' Committee and NCHER.