SASFAA Nine News

Registration Is Open for the SASFAA New Aid Officer’s Workshop

2012-03-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

Have you thought about sending someone from your school to the SASFAA New Aid Officer’s Workshop? This workshop will provide your employee with the opportunity of a lifetime by participating in one of the most professionally developed, educationally-oriented financial aid training programs anywhere in the United States. See details below.

Registration Begins TODAY!!!

Purpose

The SASFAA New Aid Officers Workshop is an intense professional development activity designed to provide a working knowledge of the federal financial aid programs, as well as an understanding of the laws and regulations that govern these programs. The curriculum will take the student from A-Z covering the basics of financial aid.

Intended Audience

The workshop is intended for new financial aid administrators with less than three years of experience in the field of financial aid. Other individuals whose professional responsibilities include significant contact with the financial aid process are welcome to attend the workshop on a space-available basis. Preference will be given to financial aid administrators.

Format of Workshop

A carefully selected faculty of experienced aid administrators selected from the SASFAA states and representing diverse institutions will provide instruction. These individuals will team-teach and work with the same class of participants throughout the week. Instruction will include the use of case studies, lectures, and interactive instruction. The faculty will be on site for the entire week, providing opportunities for ample interaction outside the classroom.

Location and Dates

The workshop will be held on the campus of North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Founded in 1910, NCCU historic campus is in Durham, in the heart of North Carolina's vibrant Research Triangle. Visit NCCU’s website at www.nccu.edu to view the campus. Classes will be conducted in classrooms that contain PC’s, and other equipment. Participants should plan to arrive no later than 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, 2012 to check-in and take care of on-site registration activities. Check-in and on-site registration will be from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, 2012.

The first class begins at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, 2012. The workshop will end on Friday, June 22, 2012 by 11:30 a.m. for room check-out. Participants may arrive on Saturday, June 16, 2012. Check-in and on-site registration will be available from 12:00 pm until 4:00 pm on Saturday. There is an additional charge of $20 if you arrive on Saturday. Please make your travel arrangements to allow you to arrive before the workshop begins on Sunday afternoon and for you to attend all of Friday morning activities.

Cost

Registration fee for the workshop is $675, if registration is completed by May 26, 2012 and $725 if registration is completed after May 26, 2012. The registration fee includes all instructional materials, most meals, housing and your 2012-2013 SASFAA membership ($35). Early arrivals- those arriving on Saturday, June 16, 2012 will be charged an additional $20 fee to cover the additional night’s lodging.

Housing

Housing will be provided in Ruffin Hall located on NCCU’s campus. This facility opened in August 2005. This suite style, building has a combination of two person suites with a lounge area and bathroom within the suite. Ruffin is located in the West Campus on the corner of Fayetteville and Larson Streets. You must provide your own television, laptop and other electronic devices. Wireless access is available in many areas of campus. Each bedroom has one single bed, one desk and chair, one chest-of-drawers, and one closet. Linens include one pillow, one pillowcase, two sheets, one thin blanket, bath towel and washcloth.

Food

All meals will be cafeteria meals except for Wednesday night. Beginning with dinner on Sunday, June 17, 2012, participants will be provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner except for Wednesday dinner which is on your own. Morning and afternoon breaks will be provided. There are several special activities and functions planned throughout the week.

Travel

North Carolina Central University is located in Durham, NC. Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) services seven (7) major airlines and/or commuter flights from around the country. You are responsible for your transportation from the airport to NCCU. Shuttle services are available. A list of shuttle services will be posted to the SASFAA website. For driving directions, please visit NCCU’s website at http://www.nccu.edu/aboutnccu/drivingdirections.cfm

Registration

Beginning TODAY you can register for this workshop online at www.sasfaa.org under Training. Space is limited so register early!

For more information contact:

Runan Pendergrast, SASFAA Vice President Bluegrass Community & Technical College

859-246-6305

runan.pendergrast@kctcs.edu

Mandy Branch-Friar, Curriculum Coordinator University of Georgia

706-542-2033

mzweig@uga.edu

House Votes to Repeal 2 Controversial Education Department Rules

2012-02-29T08:44:00.002-08:00

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to repeal the regulations on the federal definition of a credit hour and state authorization of distance education programs. Now, the U.S. Senate must take up the issue of repealing these regulations. It will be a tougher battle to get a favorable vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Even if the Senate passes the repeal legislation, President Obama could still veto the bill to repeal these over-reaching regulations into the higher education industry.

You can read the entire article at:

http://chronicle.com/article/House-Votes-to-Repeal-2/130962/

Thanks.

Review President Obama's FY 2013 Education Budget

2012-02-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

Have you had an opportunity to review some of the details of President Obama’s education budget?

In his State of the Union Address, the President laid out a plan for ensuring that our students and workers get the education and training they need to take on the jobs of today and tomorrow. He also later laid out a comprehensive approach to tackle rising college costs. The Administration firmly believes that education cannot be a luxury – it is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.

You can read the entire article at the following website:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/factsheet/an-economy-built-to-last-and-expanded-college-opportunity

SASFAA Conference Information

2012-02-21T05:21:00.000-08:00

Good morning SASFAA Colleagues,

More important information to know before the SASFAA conference:

1. All meeting rooms will have Wi-Fi for members who want to access presentations online with laptops or IPAD.

2. If an attendee would like to receive CEU's (Continuing Education Units) from AFCPE - Association for Financial Counseling Planning and Education there will be a sign up sheet at the conference registration table. Upon return to your campus you will have confirmation of your CEUs earned at SASFAA.

3. Check daily for SASFAA 2012 presentations that are available to download for the conference.

Safe Travels to SASFAA!

Shelley Park

SASFAA Conference Chair

More Important Information for the SASFAA conference:

2012-02-21T03:53:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon SASFAA Colleagues

1. All meeting rooms will have WiFi for members who want to access presentations online with laptops or IPAD.

2. If an attendee would like to receive CEU's(Continuing Education Units) from AFCPE - Association for Financial Counseling Planning and Education there will be a sign up sheet at the conference registration table. Upon return to your campus you will have confirmation of your CEUs earned at SASFAA.

3. Check daily for SASFAA 2012 presentations that are available to download for the conference.

Safe Travels to SASFAA

Shelley Park

SASFAA Conference Chair

SASFAA Board Meeting

2012-02-20T05:49:00.001-08:00

Good morning SASFAA,

I hope everyone had a great weekend and that you’re getting ready to join us in Greensboro, NC for our annual conference. The agenda looks fantastic and I would like to thank the Conference Committee and Local Arrangements Committee for doing such a great job getting things arranged for what should be an awesome event.

The SASFAA Board will be meeting in Greensboro just prior to the conference. Our official meeting will be Saturday (25^th) and Sunday morning the (26^th). Please do not hesitate to let me know if there are any items you would like the Board to review at this time.

Have a great day, and I wish you safe travels to Greensboro!

Brad Barnett

SASFAA President

Have You Considered Attending the SASFAA New Aid Officer's Workshop

2012-02-14T17:31:00.000-08:00

2012 SASFAA
New Aid Officers Workshop
North Carolina Central University
Durham, NC
June 17-22, 2012

-- Registration Begins March 1 --

Purpose
The SASFAA New Aid Officers Workshop is an intense professional development activity designed to provide a working knowledge of the federal financial aid programs, as well as an understanding of the laws and regulations that govern these programs. The curriculum will take the student from A-Z covering the basics of financial aid.

Intended Audience
The workshop is intended for new financial aid administrators with less than three years of experience in the field of financial aid. Other individuals whose professional responsibilities include significant contact with the financial aid process are welcome to attend the workshop on a space-available basis. Preference will be given to financial aid administrators.

Format of Workshop
A carefully selected faculty of experienced aid administrators selected from the SASFAA states and representing diverse institutions will provide instruction. These individuals will team-teach and work with the same class of participants throughout the week. Instruction will include the use of case studies, lectures, and interactive instruction. The faculty will be on site for the entire week, providing opportunities for ample interaction outside the classroom.

Location and Dates
The workshop will be held on the campus of North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Founded in 1910, NCCU's historic campus is in Durham, in the heart of North Carolina's vibrant Research Triangle. Visit NCCU’s website at www.nccu.edu to view the campus. Classes will be conducted in classrooms that contain PC’s, and other equipment. Participants should plan to arrive no later than 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, 2012 to check-in and take care of on-site registration activities. Check-in and on-site registration will be from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, 2012.

The first class begins at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, 2012. The workshop will end on Friday, June 22, 2012 by 11:30 a.m. for room check-out. Participants may arrive on Saturday, June 16, 2012. Check-in and on-site registration will be available from 12:00 pm until 4:00 pm on Saturday. There is an additional charge of $20 if you arrive on Saturday. Please make your travel arrangements to allow you to arrive before the workshop begins on Sunday afternoon and for you to attend all of the Friday morning activities.

Cost
Registration fee for the workshop is $675, if registration is completed by May 26, 2012 and $725 if registration is completed after May 26, 2012. The registration fee includes all instructional materials, most meals, housing and your 2012-2013 SASFAA membership ($35). Early arrivals- those arriving on Saturday, June 16, 2012 will be charged an additional $20 fee to cover the additional night’s lodging.

Housing
Housing will be provided in Ruffin Hall located on NCCU’s campus. This facility opened in August 2005. This suite style, building has a combination of two person suites with a lounge area and bathroom within the suite. Ruffin is located in the West Campus on the corner of Fayetteville and Larson Streets. You must provide your own television, laptop and other electronic devices. Wireless access is available in many areas of campus. Each bedroom has one single bed, one desk and chair, one chest-of-drawers, and one closet. Linens include one pillow, one pillowcase, two sheets, one thin blanket, bath towel and washcloth.

Food
All meals will be cafeteria meals except for Wednesday night. Beginning with dinner on Sunday, June 17, 2012, participants will be provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner except for Wednesday dinner which is on your own. Morning and afternoon breaks will be provided. There are several special activities and functions planned throughout the week.

TravelNorth Carolina Central University is located in Durham, NC. Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) services seven (7) major airlines and/or commuter flights from around the country. You are responsible for your transportation from the airport to NCCU. Shuttle services are available. A list of shuttle services will be posted to the SASFAA website. For driving directions, please visit NCCU’s website at http://www.nccu.edu/aboutnccu/drivingdirections.cfm

Registration

Beginning March 1 you can register for this workshop online at www.sasfaa.org under Training. Space is limited so register early!

For more information contact:

Runan Pendergrast, SASFAA Vice President
Bluegrass Community & Technical College

859-246-6305
runan.pendergrast@kctcs.edu

Mandy Branch-Friar, Curriculum Coordinator
University of Georgia

706-542-2033mzweig@uga.edu

What's Next With President Obama's Budget Request?

2012-02-14T14:21:00.000-08:00

President Obama initiated the FY 2013 budget process with the release of his budget request on Monday, February 13. Now begins the long process of discussing and negotiating the final budget. Read below an outline of how the budget process evolves.

This information was submitted by Amy Berrier on behalf of the SASFAA Legislative Relations Committee.

Budget Request – Check. What’s Next?
Monday’s release of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 budget proposal is the first step in a lengthy budget process for the upcoming fiscal year. Below you will find a summary of the next steps for the FY 2013 budget cycle. As we have seen last year, a full budget cycle is not often seen through requiring the need for stopgap funding measures, often referred to as continuing resolutions.

The President’s budget proposal is a formal request for funding for the next fiscal year. This budget proposal (often referred to as the budget blueprint) is usually issued between February 1-14. This formal request is issued to the United States Congress. The President’s proposals found in the budget request require action by Congress.

• February

o Initial budget request to Congress by President

• March – Budget resolution process – Congress considers the initial budget request. Budget resolution is used to set self-imposed budgetary parameters, also in the aggregate, to serve as guidelines for future spending legislation

o House and Senate Budget Committees have jurisdiction over federal spending priorities
o Congressional Budget Committees markup respective budget resolutions (how much revenue expected and how much will be spent during FY)

• April

o According to the Budget Act, the Senate is required to report its version of the budget resolution by April 1.
o The House is not mandated to report its version at this time, but tradition is that the House follows the Senate with its release of their version of the budget resolution.
o A budget resolution may include a reconciliation instruction, or an authorization to amend entitlement programs. Reconciliation is not subject to Senate filibuster.
o As long as the net effect of a reconciliation bill is to reduce the deficit, a wide range of program changes that affect spending and revenues may be included in the legislation.
o After Congressional Budget Committees review their budget resolutions, they then appoint conferees and work towards reaching a conference agreement. Both Houses of Congress must pass by a majority vote the conference report on the budget resolution.
o April 15 – After Budget conference report – formal result of the budget resolution process – often referred to as a “budget blueprint” because it does not contain specific levels of funding and is non-binding. Congress usually misses this target date.
• President sends detailed budget request to Congress – line by line funding levels for upcoming FY and proposed aggregate levels for the following five years

• May-June

o Appropriations Committees draft bills - Based on the Budget Conference Report and the president’s detailed budget request, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees hold hearings and markups for twelve appropriations bills.
o Following approval of the budget resolution, funding levels for government programs are debated and set by the 12 appropriation subcommittee’s, which come up with detailed spending instructions for federal agencies.

• July

o Appropriations bills voted on and passed – Technically, the twelve bills are to be passed before the August recess to ensure completion by October 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year. Rarely does Congress meet this self-imposed deadline.
o Often times—as has been the case in recent years—Congress has failed to pass the twelve appropriation bills before the start of the fiscal year and therefore has operated under a continuing resolution (CR) until the passage of an omnibus spending bill, which combines all 12 appropriations bills into one.
o Reconciliation legislation can be considered any time before the next budget resolution.

Legislative Relations Committee

Please Help Me Promote Registration to the SASFAA Nine News

2012-02-14T11:07:00.002-08:00

Dear SASFAA Nine News Subscriber,

During the week of February 6, I registered 739 SASFAA Members for the SASFAA Nine News blog website. These 739 persons were not registered for the blog or had tried previously to register for the blog, but did not successfully complete all the steps to confirm their registration. This mass registration for the SASFAA Nine News blog was a planned initiative to further the use of the blog to speed communication to the SASFAA membership.

We have had 233 of the 739 persons to complete the confirmation process to the blog in the past 8 days. I need your help in encouraging our fellow SASFAA friends to confirm their registration to our blog. Please tell them to look for the email verification message from FeedBurner Email Subscriptions, the service that delivers email subscriptions for SASFAA Nine News. The web address may look something like this:

http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailconfirm?k=BWmCZY-s9dOUOg-_9dVO9hGx7zY

The person will need to click the link listed in the message to activate their subscription. If they do not see a confirmation e-mail in a reasonable amount of time, they should check their bulk/spam folder.

The SASFAA Nine News may become our primary (maybe only) means of communications to the SASFAA membership. We have already ceased the publication of the newsletter. The next step is to “deactivate” the SASFAA List-serv.

David Bartnicki, our friendly FED, is one of the biggest users of the SASFAA List-serv. If the list-serv is deactivated and you want to stay apprised of David’s regulatory updates, you will need a “confirmed” subscription to the SASFAA Nine News. Furthermore, job announcements, conference information, reports from officers and committee chairs, news from other states, etc., will be posted through the blog.

There is no cost or fee to register for the SASFAA Nine News. On the other hand, you must be a dues-paying member of SASFAA to utilize the SASFAA List-serv.

Please help me spread the word about the SASFAA Nine News.

Thanks,

Ben J. Baker

SASFAA Communications Chair

U.S. Economic Development Administration Announces University Center Competition

2012-02-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

2012 University Center Competition

Thursday, Feb 9, 2012

U.S. EDA Announces FY 2012 University Center Competition
Eligible Universities in EDA's Atlanta & Seattle Regions Encouraged to Apply

The U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration (EDA) today announced its FY 2012 University Center Economic Development Program competition to promote bottom-up regional strategies that help foster business expansion and job creation in EDA's Atlanta and Seattle regions. Accredited institutions of higher education, including community colleges, or a consortium of accredited institutions of higher education are encouraged to apply by the March 30, 2012 deadline.

For prospective applicants, teleconferences will be held to provide general program information and information regarding the preparation of applications for funding under this competitive solicitation. The Atlanta Regional Office will hold its informational teleconference on February 23, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The Seattle Regional Office will hold its informational teleconference on March 1, 2012 at 1:30 p.m PT.

To ensure that enough incoming lines are available for each caller, the Atlanta Regional Office requires interested parties planning to participate on the teleconference to register no later than 12:00 p.m. ET on February 21, 2011; the Seattle Regional Office requires interested parties planning to participate on the teleconference to register no later than 12:00 p.m. PT on February 28, 2012.

To register, please send a fax with "FY 2012 UC Teleconference Registration" in the subject line to the designated contact listed below. The telephone number and pass code for each teleconference will be provided upon registration.

For Atlanta:
Gloria Huang, Program Analyst
404.730.2827
404.7303025 (fax)

For Seattle:
Frances Sakaguchi, Economic Development Specialist
203.220.7693
206.220.7669 (fax)

To review FFO, click here.

Submitted by Amy Berrier, SASFAA Secretary

Hop Aboard the NAFSAA Training Track at the SASFAA Annual Conference

2012-02-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

If you are going to the SASFSAA Annual Conference later this month, check out the new NASFAA Training Track – a series of in-person conference sessions taught by a member of NASFAA’s training staff at your conference!

Each NASFAA session is designed to enhance your knowledge and application of regulations at your school. Our goal is to provide you with guidance and resources to ensure you are in compliance and following best practices. If you are registered for the conference, there is no additional charge to attend the NASFAA sessions.

State and regional associations could select up to three session topics from NSASFAA that would most appeal to their members. For a list of NASFAA sessions being offered at your conference, please refer to the final conference schedule provided at registration.

Kind regards,

Connie McCormick

NASFAA Chief Training Officer

Amy Berrier Reports on Capitol Hill Visits

2012-02-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday SASFAA,

On February 2nd, 2012, Executive Board Members from SASFAA, EASFAA, and the Tri-State (DC-DE-MD) regions met on Capitol Hill to discuss financial aid issues affecting our community. EASFAA and Tri-State did this last year (2010-2011) and this being only the second year, invited SASFAA to participate in this event. Most of you will also remember that some of us participated in the Legislative Briefing on Capitol Hill back in October as well. At the October event, we invited members of Congressional offices to come hear us discuss important topics in financial aid.

A big thank you goes out to the EASFAA/Tri-State Federal Relations Chairs, Dawn Mosisa and Rachel Smith for their outstanding efforts in coordinating communication, invitations, and managing the appointments and group set-up with all of the Board attendees. NASFAA Staff also assisted in providing services and information for us to include in the debriefing document. It was certainly a joint-ASFAA effort! They also worked hard at creating a debriefing document that we used in our meetings and also dropped off to key Congressional members with which we did not have an appointment. These members were on the House Education/Labor Subcommittee and the Senate HELP Committee. We had in excess of 24 appointments with Congressional staffers and dropped over debriefing documents to over 35 offices.

Several attendees had the opportunity to sit in on a majority of the Senate HELP Committee's Hearing on Innovations in College Affordability. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC), Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) are on this committee. For those of you interested in watching this Senate Hearing, please do so at the following link:

http://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=2f5ce9b3-5056-9502-5d14-2428cbd01c06

The larger group was divided into 8 subgroups for the individual meetings. Brad's particular subgroup met with the Legislative Director and Legal Counsel for Congressman Bobby Scott (VA), Congressman Joe Wilson (SC) and his Deputy Chief of Staff/Legislative Director, and Education Counselor for Senator Bernie Sanders (VT). David Gelinas' group met with Celia Sims from Senator Richard Burr's staff, Simone Hardeman from Senator Kay Hagan's staff, and one other Congressional staffer. My group met with staff from Senator Orrin Hatch's (UT) office, Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA), and Congressman Trey Gowdy (SC). Thanks to Brad Barnett and David Gelinas for participating in this event.

Our meetings were very productive. We discussed such topics as the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet. College Scorecard, Pell and the EFC Formula, needed need analysis changes, loan interest rates, loan debt, private loans, financial literacy/education, Gainful Employment, employability of our students, and administrative burden.

One of the hot topics right now is the College Scorecard. You can find the scorecard at http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/scorecard. The administration is seeking feedback, so please take a few minutes to provide some on-line feedback.

As Brad indicated in a previous message, our main goal was to increase awareness and create relationships between ourselves, the Financial Aid Experts (that means all of YOU), and the Congressional staffers. We asked to remain a key player in these discussions and to allow us to be at the table when things need to be discussed.

Brad summed it up very well. I hope we can continue this effort in the future. Great job SASFAA!

Thanks for your support,
Amy Berrier
SASFAA Legislative Relations Chair
SASFAA Secretary

SASFAA Visits Capitol Hill

2012-02-06T08:09:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday SASFAA,

The end of last week Board members from the SASFAA, EASFAA, and Tri-States regions converged on Capitol Hill for meetings with Congressional members to discuss some hot topics in financial aid and build relationships. This was the first attempt at coordinating an event like this for the three boards (EASFAA/Tri-State did this for the first time last year), and I truly appreciate EASFAA and Tri-States for allowing us to be a part of this with them. I also appreciate all of the hard work their legislative affairs folks put into scheduling our appointments and taking the lead in creating the debriefing materials we provided the legislators. It should also be noted that NASFAA provided support services to our associations in putting this event together. It was truly a joint effort.

Our group had 24 different appointments scheduled with legislators and/or their staff. We dropped off packets of information for 35 other members of the House Education/Labor Subcommittee and Senate HELP Committee with whom we could not get appointments. We also had the opportunity to sit in on part of the Senate HELP Committee’s Hearing on Innovations in College Affordability. All in all, the visit was very productive and we’ll start following up with them now that we are back in our offices.

We divided our larger group into 8 subgroups for the individual meetings. My particular subgroup met with the Legislative Director and Legal Counsel for Congressman Bobby Scott (VA), Congressman Joe Wilson (SC) and his Deputy Chief of Staff/Legislative Director, and Education Counselor for Senator Bernie Sanders (VT).

Overall, I believe our meetings were very productive. The subgroup I was a part of discussed topics such as the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, College Scorecard, Pell and the EFC Formula, the cost of borrowing, private loans, changes to the subsidized loan interest rate going into effect in July, loan debt, financial education, employability of our graduates as it relates to their loan debt, and the manner in which some of the current laws and regulations create barriers towards what we can do for our students.

One of the hot topics right now is the College Scorecard. You can find the scorecard at http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/scorecard. The administration is seeking feedback, so if you can carve out a few minutes to provide some on-line feedback that would be great.

The individuals I saw were all very willing to meet with us, and some even applauded our timing in meeting with them now since Reauthorization will be coming up in the not too distant future. My hope is that these meetings are part of a bigger process of developing relationships with these offices so we can serve as a resource for them as they move forward on their higher education initiatives.

Amy Berrier, SASFAA Legislative Relations Chair, was instrumental in organizing SASFAA’s involvement in this event. You will hear from more her about this event as she prepares her comments to post.

Have a great day!

Brad Barnett

SASFAA President

SASFAA Conference Information

2012-02-03T13:34:00.001-08:00

Hello SASFAA Friends,

The SASFAA conference is in three weeks away and if you haven’t registered don’t worry you still have time! Your SASFAA conference committee has been hard at work to develop an outstanding conference. This year’s committee is Biz Daniel, Lisanne Masterson, Jody Darby, Janet Nowiski, Amanda Sharp, Emily Staggs, Nathan Basford, Sandra Rockett, Cindy May, Laura Diven-Brown, Sharon Oliver and Jennifer Priest. If you see any of these committee members at the conference please thank them for countless hours of work planning a great meeting for you.

You will not want to miss out on the information packed sessions provided by our friendly feds pertaining to new changes affecting the financial aid community. In addition, we have a variety of breakout sessions ranging from SAP, Verification, Outsourcing and Detecting Fraud.

The special SASFAA room rate of $124.00 is good until February 10th so make sure to call 1-800-242-6556 and reserve your room.

Other important things to know about the SASFAA conference:

· BINGO will have a special caller – Elvis. Go through those Christmas gifts you received that you didn’t want and pack them up to bring for BINGO. SASFAA members are not picky – we will take anything that is FREE. During BINGO SASFAA members will have an opportunity to tell funny financial aid stories. A prize will be given for the best story.

· Session moderators don’t forget to contact your presenters for their bios and please be in your meeting rooms 10 minutes before the session you are moderating.

· Get the word out to your EM/Retention folks about the workshop on Sunday “Enhancing the Power of Need-Based Aid to Improve Student Access and Persistence”. When are you ever going to be able to so easily afford to attend a Noel- Levitz workshop and have the company president /CEO present!

I hope you are ready to get educated, reacquainted with your financial aid family and focused on what’s best for our students!

Shelley Park

SASFAA Conference Chair

Click the link to view a detailed outline of the 2012 SASFAA Conference Program http://www.sasfaa.org/ListLock/N9WXVfbKgbywmmuw.docx

State of the Union

2012-01-25T06:39:00.000-08:00

NASFAA President Justin Draeger sent a summary to the NASFAA Board last night of President Obama's higher education/financial aid comments in his State of the Union address. The summary below (bullet points) is from Justin. This does not contain any opinions or policy points, but is a compilation of some of President Obama's comments in case you missed his speech.

· Schools that don’t keep costs down will face punitive measures: So let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can't stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down. Higher education can't be a luxury - it's an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.

· Student Loan Interest Rate Hike: When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July.

· Tuition Tax Credit: Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves middle-class families thousands of dollars.

· Double Work-Study Jobs: Give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years.

· College/Business Partnerships: Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, Orlando, and Louisville are up and running. Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers - places that teach people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.

· Simplifying Labor Retraining Programs: And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help they need. It's time to turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work.

· Dream Act: Let's also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: The fact that they aren't yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else. That doesn't make sense. The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let's at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.

SASFAA Announces Candidates for Secretary

2012-01-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

Sandy Neel, Chair of the SASFAA Nominations and Elections Committee, has announced the candidates for SASFAA Secretary for 2012-2013. The candidates are Sharon Oliver and Amanda Sharp. Their statements of candidacy are below. Watch for news for voting to begin.

Sharon Oliver Statement of Candidacy

I am honored to accept the nomination for SASFAA Secretary and is very committed to executing the duties and responsibilities of this role in an efficient, organized manner. I stand fully prepared to work cooperatively with the President, Board Members and membership to ensure that the following functions of this position are accurately and promptly completed:

record meeting minutes
disseminate meeting agendas
plan and organize board meetings
communicate with members
update the policies and procedures manual
serve as the chair of the bylaws committee
maintain the seal
perform other duties as assigned by the President

The passion and dedication that I possess coupled with my professional experience will allow me to share the leadership and organizational skills that I have acquired with this association. While serving as Secretary for the State of NC, I was honored with an award during my tenure for the high level of services rendered in this capacity. The experience of serving as NCASFAA’s Secretary afforded me an opportunity to gain firsthand experience and knowledge which has prepared for the duties and responsibilities at the regional level.

Please find highlighted below my professional experience which shows that I have been very involved with serving this association and if elected as SASFAA’s Secretary, I will be most grateful for the opportunity to render excellent services to this great association.

Current Position

· Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Director of Financial Aid

North Carolina Central University

Years in Financial Aid: 19

Previous Positions

· Director of Financial Aid, Shaw University

· Bursar, Shaw University

· Chief Accountant, Shaw University

Education

· Masters Business Administration, Webster University

· Bachelor of Science, Accounting, South Carolina State University

Professional Involvement

SASFAA

· 2020 (Diversity) Chair, 2011-12

· Conference Committee Member, 2011-12

· Vice President, 2008-09

· Leadership Symposium Chair, 2008-09

· Instructor, New Aid Officers Summer Workshop, 2007- 2008

· Newsletter Editor, 2007-08

· Participant, Leadership Symposium, 2007

· Newsletter Editor, 2006-07

· Voting Member of SASFAA Board (NCASFAA President), 2004-05

· Participant, New Aid Officer’s Summer Workshop, 1992

NCASFAA

· Executive Board 2005-06, Past President

· Executive Board 2004-05, President

· Executive Board 2003-04, President-Elect

· Executive Board 2002-03, Secretary

· Support Staff Chairperson, 2001-2002

· Program Committee, Member

· Diversity Committee, Member

· New Aid Officers, Instructor

· Mentor

Amanda Sharp Statement of Candidacy

I would like to thank the Nominations Committee for the honor of nominating me for the position of SASFAA Secretary. You may be certain that I do not take lightly the responsibilities of the office. I have had the distinct pleasure of serving on the Executive Boards of both SASFAA and AASFAA. This service provided me with an insight to the importance of understanding our organization’s Policies and Procedures and By-Laws. The office of SASFAA
Secretary requires an attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy, both of which are qualities I possess. I will work tirelessly to ensure that our membership is kept abreast of the latest information from SASFAA Executive Board Meetings, as well as other events in our ever-changing profession.

You may rest assured that, if elected, I will serve SASFAA with the highest level of integrity and dedication. Furthermore, I have the support and approval of my fellow employees to engage in the necessary travel and time away from my financial aid assignments to fulfill the duties of the SASFAA Secretary. Again, thank you for the honor of nomination the office of Secretary and for supporting me in my desire to continue to serve our association.

Work Experience:

2008-Present: Associate Director, Student Financial Services, University of North Alabama

2007-2008: Student Aid Specialist, University of North Alabama

2004-2007: Secondary Education - Social Science Teacher

1996-2002: Mortgage Banker, Bank Independent, Florence, AL

Education:

B. S., University of North Alabama

MAEd., University of North Alabama

Professional Involvement:

AASFAA:

2007- Present: Member

2009-2010: President-Elect

2010-2011: President

2011-2012: Past President

2011: Spring Conference Presenter

2010: Spring Conference Presenter

2010: Spring Conference Moderator

2010: Spring Conference Chair

2010: Program Committee

2009: Fall Conference Chair Local Arrangements Committee

2008: Spring Local Arrangements Committee

SASFAA:

2007-Present: Member

2010-2011: Executive Board Member

2011-2012: Budget & Finance Committee Member

2011-2012: Annual Conference Committee Member

Other Professional Involvement and Honors:

2011: Presenter, Alabama Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Annual Conference

2011-Present: University of North Alabama Staff Senate Member

2010-Present: University of North Alabama Shared Governance Committee Member

2003-Present: Member Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

SASFAA Announces Candidates for Vice President

2012-01-17T18:01:00.000-08:00

Sandy Neel, Chair of the SASFAA Nominations and Elections Committee, has announced the candidates for SASFAA Vice President for 2012-2013. The candidates are Mandy Branch and Mike Reynolds. Their statements of candidacy are below. Watch for news for voting to begin.

Mandy Branch Statement of Candidacy

Because we work in Higher Education, we often hear professors discuss helping their students achieve those “ah ha moments”. Ah ha moments are moments in which a student finally grasps a difficult concept. Professors strive to help their students attain “ah ha” moments, because these are the moments that will propel the student forward in his or her field of study and will hopefully set him or her on the path to a rewarding career. As financial aid professionals it is our duty to help both our students and coworkers achieve “ah ha” moments. Financial aid is in a state of continuous flux. If a financial aid professional does not stay up-to-date on the latest changes to federal, state and institutional regulations, he or she will not be able to help students achieve those “ah ha” moments. Instead, the financial aid professional may inadvertently cause the student to have an “uh oh” moment and have to repay or lose financial aid eligibility simply because the financial aid process was not fully explained to the student. It is with this concept in mind that I accept the nomination of Vice President for SASFAA. I would like to help your staff achieve an “ah ha” moment in financial aid.

During the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 academic years, I participated in the New Aid Officer’s Workshop as a trainer, and found it to be one of the most enjoyable and engaging experiences of my career. During the 2011-2012 academic year I will serve as the Curriculum Coordinator for SASFAA’s New Aid Officer’s Workshop. I believe these experiences will help prepare me for the role of SASFAA’s Vice President.

I feel honored and blessed to be part of such a great organization, and look forward to serving SASFAA in the future. Thanks again for your nomination!

Current Position:

Coordinator of Outreach and Special Projects, University of Georgia (2006 to present)

Years in Financial Aid: 11 ½

Previous Positions

Loans Counselor, University of Georgia

Verification Clerk, University of Georgia

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Drama, University of Georgia

Professional Involvement

Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

· Instructor, New Aid Officers Workshop, 2008-2009 & 2009-2010

· Curriculum Coordinator, New Aid Officers Workshop, 2011-2012

· Membership Committee, 2010-2011

Georgia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Diversity Committee, 2008-2009

Moderator and Presenter at various conferences

Other Activities

College Goal Sunday Site Coordinator for Clarke County, GA area, 2009-2010, 2010-2011

Academic Honesty Facilitator, University of Georgia

Staff Coordinator for UGA student organization Peer Financial Counseling, 2006-present

Member of Georgia Default Prevention Task Force, 2008-2010

Mike Reynolds Statement of Candidacy

I am truly honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to run for Vice-President of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA). Since receiving Financial Aid back in 1980 from the same office where I am currently employed, I realized the importance and significance of financial aid and how it can make dreams become reality. SASFAA continues to support and enhance this role and has given me many opportunities to continue to contribute. As a past state President and Board Member, as well as, Local Arrangements Conference Chair, I know the dedication and effort necessary to assure that the training and conferences are at the highest possible level.

In my 25 years in the financial aid industry, I have worked on both the guaranty agency and school side of serving students and families in reaching their higher education goals. I have instructed in numerous state conferences, private Collection Agency conferences as well as a serving as a mid-level instructor for SASFAA. I have also served as Secretary, Vice-President and President of the Alabama Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. I cannot ever repay SASFAA for all the knowledge, support, and experiences that I have been offered through my affiliation with such a great group of professionals. However, I do offer up any of my services and expertise to assist SASFAA is continuing in their valuable services.

Once again, I am truly honored to be considered for this position and pledge to provide the best possible leadership and training to the very deserving SASFAA membership.

Personal

Married—Robin Mayfield Reynolds

Teacher—1st Grade Wrights Mill Road Elementary Auburn, Alabama

2 Daughters – Lauren Cecille 22

Melissa Alexandra 19

Both students at Auburn University

Work Experience

Aubie Program Advisor

Auburn University

April 2005-Present

Executive Director, Student Financial Services

Auburn University

November 11, 2004- Present

Director, Student Financial Aid and Scholarships

Auburn University

May 2000- November 10, 2004

Interim Director, Foy Student Union

Auburn University

May 2003-December 2003

Associate Director

Student Financial Aid

Auburn University

July 1999- May 2000

Alabama Student Loan Program Administrator

Alabama Student Loan Program-KHEAA

August 1995- July 1999

Alabama Commission on Higher Education

Assistant Director, Loan Processing

November 1984- August 1999

Education

B/A Business Administration

1982 Auburn University-Montgomery

Master –Public Administration

1997 Auburn University, Montgomery

Past President of Alabama Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

SASFAA Announces Candidates for President-elect

2012-01-17T17:55:00.000-08:00

Sandy Neel, Chair of the SASFAA Nominations and Elections Committee, has announced the candidates for SASFAA President-elect for 2012-2013. The candidates are Zita Barree and Nathan Basford. Their statements of candidacy are below. Watch for news for voting to begin.

Zita Barree Statement of Candidacy

I am honored to be nominated again for the position of SASFAA President-Elect. For those of you who were involved with SASFAA last year, you might remember that I ran for the same position and lost. So, you may be wondering, why do I want to run again? Certainly it would be easier to accept defeat and move on, right?

Fewer of you know that my husband, Michael, who retired from the financial aid profession several years ago, had emergency heart surgery this past August. We learned then that life can change in an instant and that you need to make the very most out of each and every day that God gives us. We also were reminded that we have a great family and a wonderful group of friends and that the majority of our friends come from either our church or the financial aid world.

Over the twenty plus years I have been involved with SASFAA, it has served me by providing many lasting friendships, great training opportunities and a network of colleagues who I can call on to help me through what continue to be challenging times for our profession. SASFAA will remain a premier regional association with a leader who understands the issues, can represent the needs of our members, and can help guide our association through the hurdles ahead. I am ready to serve SASFAA in this critical role and believe my prior experiences have shown that I am capable of taking on this challenge!

The financial aid profession is a tough one at times but more often it is a fulfilling one as well. It is more than just a job to me; it is an integral part of my life and a true honor for me to meet the needs of students, their families and my colleagues as best as I possibly can. I have the full support of my husband and my school. I ask for your support and hope you will give me the opportunity to serve you and SASFAA as your next President-Elect.

Current Position:

Director of Financial Aid, July 2009 to present

Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, VA

Years in Financial Aid: 22

Recent Previous Positions:

District Marketing Director, Edamerica
Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Director of Financial Aid, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Associate Director of Financial Aid, VCU
Financial Aid Coordinator, School of Dentistry, VCU
Assistant Coordinator of Financial Aid Programs, State Council of Higher Education for VA

Education:

M.B.A., Virginia Commonwealth University, 1989
B.S., Elementary Education, VCU, 1987

Professional Involvement:

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA):

2000-01, Member, Leadership Development and Professional Advancement Committee

1998-99, Presenter at the 1999 NASFAA Conference

Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA):

2011-12, member, Membership Committee

2010-11, member, Governance and Planning Committee

2009-10, member, Governance and Planning Committee

2004-05, Vice President

2003-04, Chair, Annual Program/Conference Committee

2002-03, Member, Conference Committee; instructor at New Aid Officer’s Workshop; member, Governance and Planning Committee

2001-02, Member, Conference Committee; instructor at New Aid Officer’s Workshop, member, Governance and Planning Committee

2000-01, Presenter at 2001 conference

1999-00, Board of Directors as Virginia’s state President; served as panelist for session at the 2000 SASFAA Annual Conference

1998-99, Member, Local Arrangements 1999 conference in Norfolk, VA

1997-98, Newsletter Editor; co-presenter at 1998 conference

Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (VASFAA):

2011-12, member of Non-Conference Training Committee and Strategic Planning Committee

2010-11, Special Appointee to the Board

2009-10, Conference Committee Co-Chair

2008-09, Awareness Committee Co-Chair

2007-08, Treasurer

2006-07, Treasurer-Elect

2000-01, Past President; Chair Awards, Nominations, and Bylaws committees

1999-00, President

1998-99, President-Elect; member of Strategic Planning and Assessment, Site Selection, Sector Coordination committees

Numerous other committee membership and chair positions held since 1990-91

Nathan Basford Statement of Candidacy

I am seeking your vote to represent you as SASFAA’s President-elect. I have been active in the financial aid arena for over twenty-one (21) years. Many of us get into the financial aid profession by accident, but we stay because we are committed to serving our students and their families in providing financial assistance in order for them to achieve their educational goals.

In my 21 years of financial aid service, I have been active in my state association, Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (FASFAA) by serving as Region representative, Conference chair, Vice-President of Training, and the privilege to serve twice as President.

I value every opportunity that comes in life, and being nominated by fellow financial aid professionals for SASFAA President-elect is something that I honor and appreciate. I would be honored to serve this great association.

I have been involved in SASFAA since 1990 by serving on the SASFAA executive board, being a presenter at annual conferences, and this year serving on the annual conference committee.

Being a part of SASFAA has been very rewarding, and I enjoy being an ACTIVE member.. As an active member we are encouraged to give our ideas and recommendations as to what we, as financial aid professionals need from our association to help each of us better serve in our positions.

As president-elect I will strive to:

· Keep communication open between all members.

· Ask for and seek out new training opportunities and ideas from the entire membership,

· Work to ensure that new members become more active in our association.

· Be an active advocate for students, parents and financial aid professionals to ensure that funding is available to all seeking their educational goals.

Together we will share the responsibility in providing training to our professionals and to reach out to our state representatives to ensure that funding is being provided in order for students to achieve their educational goals.

My commitment to SASFAA is:

· To expect more than others think possible

· To take more risks than others may think safe

· To dream more for the future

· To work with fellow professionals, faculty, students, and staff that care more than perhaps some think is wise.

I would appreciate your vote to assist me in our endeavor to make SASFAA an integral player in today’s ever–changing: Financial Aid World!

Nathan Basford/SASFAA President-elect nominee

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND:

Financial Aid Representative/Florida State University Office of Financial Aid: May 2009- Present

Account Manager/Academic Finance Corporation: July 2004 - February 2008

Senior Financial Aid Officer/Florida State University Office of Financial Aid September 1993 - July 2004

Financial Aid Officer/Florida State University Office of Financial Aid September 1991- September 1993

Florida State University Office of Financial Aid: June 1990 - September 1991

Florida State University Postal Services: February 1987 - June 1990

Florida State University Postal Services: December 1981 - February 1987

Florida State University/Strozier Library: October 1978 - December 1981

ORGANIZATIONS & ACTIVITIES

Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

President 2010-2011

President 2003-2004

President-Elect 2009-2010

President-Elect 2002 -2003

Vice-President, 2000- 2001

Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Active Member since 1980

Executive Board Member 2003-04 & 2010-2011

Presenter at annual conference

Conference Committee member 2011-2012

EDUCATION

Marianna High School

Activities

Active member St. Stephen Lutheran Church

Sunday school Teacher K-5

Award Notification Task Force

2012-01-12T06:43:00.000-08:00

NASFAA has formed a task force on award notification and consumer information. The task force is currently seeking input from financial aid offices through a 15-minute survey. The task force will use input from this survey to guide their discussions and recommendations.

The SASFAA Board has already provided feedback to NASFAA on this topic following a review of the “financial aid shopping sheet” at our November Board Meeting. You can find the “financial aid shopping sheet” at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Know Before You Owe website.

Brad Barnett
SASFAA President

SASFAA Conference Registration is Live!

2012-01-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

SASFAA Colleagues!

You can now register for the 2012 SASFAA Conference! Be sure to check the SASFAA website often as updated conference information will be posted weekly.

Shelley Park

2012 Conference Chair

You can win a FREE NASFAA Conference Registration!

2012-01-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

You can win a FREE NASFAA Conference Registration in Chicago!

What do you have to do? Complete the NASFAA Staffing Model Survey by next Monday. “We will be randomly selecting three school participants for free NASFAA conference registrations in Chicago,” said NASFAA President Justin Draeger.

NASFAA needs your help to create an accurate Staffing Model that will help financial aid offices assess how their institution's staffing levels compared to aid offices across the nation. A minimum response rate of 25 percent is needed to ensure the staffing model will be accurate. The response rate is currently 19 percent. That means NASFAA needs 150 more schools to complete the survey by Jan. 6.

This valuable online tool on the NASFAA website allows you to compare your staff size against a national representation of financial aid offices and their staff sizes. In times where we are all being asked to do more with less, this staffing model can be a valuable point of reference.

According to the NASFAA staff, each financial aid director received a special email invitation with a survey link to complete the survey to Staffing Model. However, if you lost that link, please contact Dr. Gigi Jones, Research Director (jonesg@nasfaa.org or 202-785-6943), directly.

If you’d like to review a copy of the survey, log in the NASFAA website and click on this link: http://www.nasfaa.org/products/temp/2011_Staffing_Survey.aspx. You can disregard the December 22, 2011 response date when you go to the survey.

Thanks!

Brad Barnett

SASFAA President

Christmas is coming!

2011-12-16T14:33:00.001-08:00

As we gear up for the Christmas/New Year’s break it’s time to catch our breath and reflect on the past year. After all, for many of us the next time we step foot in the office it will be a brand new year.

The 2011 year brought about many changes in our industry, but being the resilient financial aid professionals we are, we continue to find ways to juggle everything that is required of us while still trying to look out for the best interests of our students.

The Christmas season is a time of giving; however, for many of us it’s certainly not the only time that giving occurs. In fact, I would venture to say that most financial aid officers play Santa Claus all year long. Think about it for a minute…you give the gift of education every day to thousands of students whose lives would turn out very differently if you were not there to help them along the way.

Every time you award a scholarship or a grant you are giving someone a gift, and along with that gift comes the opportunity for better things to come. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. I don’t know about you, but I find it very exciting to know that we play a role helping people fulfill their dreams. I recall my own days as a Pell Grant and scholarship recipient when I went to college. Those gifts were the main reason I was able to go to school and my life would be very different today had they not been made available to me.

So, put on some Christmas music and a big smile the next time you start making grant and scholarship awards. Let out a big “ho ho ho”…go ahead, it’s pretty cathartic! You may not be dropping down a chimney in the middle of the night, but I would venture to say that your students appreciate the money you give them more than that new gadget under the tree.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Brad Barnett

SASFAA President

NASFAA Summary of Student Aid Changes in FY 2012 Budget Bill

2011-12-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Congress reached a deal last night to fund the federal student aid programs in 2012-2013. Some of the highlights of the bill include:

1. Maintaining the $5,550 maximum Pell Grant award for 2012-2013.

2. Duration of Pell Grant eligibility is reduced to the equivalent of twelve (12) full-time semesters.

3. The interest subsidy on student loans during the six-month grace period is eliminated.

4. All other student aid programs (excluding Pell) will be impacted by an across-the-board cut.

The Senate has not voted on the bill, but student aid provisions are not expected to change.

You can read the NASFAA summary of the bill by going to:

http://www.nasfaa.org/advocacy/budget-2012/news/NASFAA_Summary_of_Student_Aid_Changes_in_FY_2012_Budget_Bill.aspx

Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

Virginia Tech

2011-12-09T12:30:00.001-08:00

By now you have probably heard about the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech yesterday. I have spoken with Dr. Barry Simmons, Financial Aid Director at Tech, and he reported that everyone in their office is okay.

As you can imagine the event brought up many bad memories and mixed emotions, but we know the students and staff at Virginia Tech are strong and will get through this. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Virginia Tech community and our friends and colleagues in the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Brad Barnett

SASFAA President

Georgia State Report

2011-12-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the Peach State!

The Georgia folks have been very busy this fall. On October 19, 2011 I was honored to take part in the EASFAA/SASFAA Joint Legislative briefing. I represented the State of Georgia with Tracy Ireland from the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Tracy serves on the GASFAA Board as our State Legislative Relations Chair. Legislative aides from our states were invited to come and meet us and learn about the issues facing the student financial aid community. Bonnie Joerschke, GASFAA’s Federal Legislative Affairs Chair, sent invitations to all of the aides working for Georgia’s Senators and Congressmen. The day started with a casual mixer where we could get to know the aides as well as the other GASFAA representatives. We then had a panel discussion followed by a question and answer session. While in Washington I had the opportunity to meet individually with Georgia aides working for: Senator Saxby Chambliss, Congressman Jack Kingston, District 1, Congressman Rob Woodall, District 7, Congressman John Barrow, District 12, and Congressman David Scott, District 13. Our main topic of discussion was funding the Federal Pell Grant program. I hope that the work we did while in Washington has some impact in the upcoming budget decisions.

GASFAA’s Professional Development Committee hosted the New Aid Officers Workshop at Central Georgia Technical College in October. They used NASFAA’s CORE Training Materials. There were 96 financial aid officers in attendance which far surpassed expectations. On January 31 and February 1 GASFAA’s PDC will host one day workshops on verification and Satisfactory Academic Progress. The verification session will be led by David Bartnicki from the Department of Education and the SAP session will be led by GASFAA’s President-Elect, Philip Hawkins using NASFAA’s SAP training materials. The January 31 session will be held at Central Georgia Technical College in Macon and the February 1 session will be held at Athens Technical College in Athens.

Felicia Ailster and the Diversity Committee took part in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta on October 29. The walk raised over $1 million for the American Cancer Society. Lori Whitaker and the Community Action Committee took part in The Bert Show’s (Atlanta radio station) Big Thank You, an initiative to send handwritten thank you notes to all service members stationed overseas, to be delivered on Thanksgiving Day. Big Thank You collected over half a million letters to send to the troops.

GASFAA’s various committees have been hard at work. Cathy Crawley and the Newsletter Committee put out a great issue of the GASFAA Grapevine. She is also researching the option of moving to a blog format like SASFAA. Patrick Harris and the Electronic Services Committee are working with ATAC to redo the current web page and is looking into other hosting options. Susan Little and the Leadership Development Committee and Jody Darby and the Program Committee have held their first meetings to get things rolling for the May 2012 conference. Pat Barton and the Membership Committee surveyed the membership and are currently analyzing results to find what our membership needs from GASFAA and what will cause them to renew. Treasurer Amy Moser has been looking at electronic payment options for GASFAA membership and conferences. Budget and Finance Chair Gary Mann has kept our CDs up to date and has been working with Edward Jones to ensure that all of our investment paperwork is in order. Vendor Sponsor Coordinator Kimberly Jordan and I have been soliciting sponsorship for ourorganization. Past President Doug Tanner and his committee are seeking qualified people to run for elected office this upcoming year. President Elect Philip Hawkins and his committee have started work on GASFAA’s next strategic plan. I could not be more proud of the Executive Board and the hard work they are doing.

GASFAA is very proud to be selected as the SASFAA 2013 Conference site. President-Elect Hawkins is already planning on how we can help conference chair Paul Mittelhammer make it an amazing 50^th Anniversary conference. We hope to see y’all there!

Respectfully submitted by,

Nancy Ferguson

GASFAA President

What Happens With the Failure of the Super Committee?

2011-12-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Budget Control Act was signed into law on August 2nd, 2011. This Act increased the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion. How did this affect student aid programs?

1) Elimination of in-school interest subsidy for graduate and professional students (no more sub!)
2) Additional $17 billion for Pell for FY12 and FY13
3) Elimination of Direct Loan repayment incentives
Also created the 12 member Super Committee tasked to come up with legislation creating at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by November 23rd.

To see how the effects of sequestration (automatic spending cuts) will affect the Federal Student Aid programs, click on the following link:

http://www.nasfaa.org/Advocacy/Debt-Ceiling/Impact_of_Budget_Control_Act_Across-the-Board_Reductions.aspx

Congressional aides are reporting that forgoing any unforeseen circumstances, the Super Committee will announce TODAY their failure to reach a deficit agreement deal. Even IF a deal is reached, the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) would have to review the legislation prior to being sent to Congress.

Nonexempt, discretionary programs would be reduced by an estimated 7.8% across the board cut according to the Congressional Budget Office. Pell is exempt from any across the board cut. These cuts would go into effect in FY13 – January 2013 AFTER the 2012 election process.

Funding for the U.S. Department of Education would be reduced by $3.54 billion as a result of sequestration.

SEOG, FWS, and Federal TRIO programs and GEAR UP would see a total of $221.8 million in cuts, affecting millions of students.

http://www.nasfaa.org/Advocacy/Debt-Ceiling/Automatic_Spending_Cuts_Loom_as_Deficit_Committee_Prepares_to_Dismantle.aspx

As a result of the looming Super Committee’s failure, it is likely they will dismantle the Committee and discontinue negotiations. Any failure to meet the November 23rd deadline will revoke the power given to the Committee to “protect their-debt-reduction package from Congressional procedures to block legislation.”

Stay tuned for more on As the Financial Aid World Turns…

Submitted by the SASFAA Legislative Relations Committee

Congress Approves Bill to Fund Federal Programs Through December 16

2011-12-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

On Thursday November 17th Congress approved a "minibus" appropriations measure that combines FY12 Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development spending bills.

For those federal agencies whose current year appropriations bills have yet to be approved, Congress approved a short-term funding extension through December 16th. This includes the Department of Education.

H.R. 2112 was first approved in the House and later by the Senate on Thursday. H.R. 2112 has been forwarded to President Obama for his signature.

Attempts to pass a second "minibus” bill have come to halt in the Senate. Leaders have been unable to successfully agree on terms to combine State and foreign operations and financial services and general government appropriations bills to the Energy and water development appropriations bill.

Submitted by Amy Berrier
SASFAA Secretary

No Deal May Be Announced By Super Committee

2011-12-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

Members of the Super Committee (12 Congressional Leaders) were charged with trying to arrive at $1.2 trillion in budget cuts. Congressional sources indicate that no deal will be reached. Aides are trying to focus on how to announce to the nation that no deal has been reached.

A senior Democratic aide has indicated that talks are over to reach a deficit reduction agreement. No final decision has been made, however, barring an unforeseen breakthrough, the "no-deal" announcement is looming.

The Congressional Super Committee was tasked with proposing ways to reduce deficits by at least $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years to stave off automatic spending cuts, known as a sequester. 7 out of the 12 Super Committee members would have to approve a deficit reduction plan in order to send it to the both houses of Congress in the form of legislation.

Then both chambers of Congress would vote on the legislation without amendment by December 23rd. For the legislation to pass, a simple majority would be required in each chamber of Congress.
Failure to pass any agreement could result in $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts across much of the federal budget starting in 2013, evenly divided between defense and non-defense spending. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Congress this week that such cuts could cripple the American military establishment.

Since Congress made the law governing the sequester, it can also amend or repeal it, as some lawmakers are suggesting.

Submitted by SASFAA Legislative Relations Committee

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T06:29:00.001-08:00

As you prepare to settle down for what I trust will be a joyful Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends, I hope you will take a few minutes to catch your breath and think about all that we have to be thankful for. Sure, we live in this “crazy” world of financial aid where the rules are always changing, students always need money, and there is never enough to go around.

However, I’m thankful for the students who are helped by the money we have and the lives that all of us play a part in changing for the better. Your job as a financial aid administrator is to help the dreams of our students become a reality, and because of the work you do countless students will have a better life in the long run.

This time of the year I am reminded of how thankful I am for my family and the loving support they give me each and every day. I am also thankful to work in a profession with so many people who sacrifice of themselves to help make better the lives of the students we serve.

Thank you for all you do, and I pray that you and your family will have a peaceful and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday.

Brad Barnett

SASFAA President

What happens with the anticipated failure of the Super Committee?

2011-11-21T13:15:00.001-08:00

http://www.nasfaa.org/Advocacy/Debt-Ceiling/Impact_of_Budget_Control_Act_Across-the-Board_Reductions.aspx

The Budget Control Act was signed into law on August 2nd, 2011. This Act increased the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion. How did this effect student aid programs?

1) Elimination of in-school interest subsidy for grad and professional students (no more sub!)
2) Additional $17 billion for Pell for FY12 and FY13
3) Elimination of Direct Loan repayment incentives
Also created the 12 member Super Committee tasked to come up with legislation creating at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by November 23rd.

Effects of sequestration (automatic spending cuts)?

http://www.nasfaa.org/Advocacy/Debt-Ceiling/Impact_of_Budget_Control_Act_Across-the-Board_Reductions.aspx

Congressional aides are reporting that forgoing any unforeseen circumstances, the Super Committee will announce TODAY their failure to reach a deficit agreement deal. Even IF a deal is reached, the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) would have to review the legislation prior to being sent to Congress.

Nonexempt, discretionary programs would be reduced by an estimated 7.8% across the board cut according to the Congressional Budget Office. Pell is exempt from any across the board cut. These cuts would go into effect in FY13 – January 2013 AFTER the 2012 election process.

Funding for the U.S. Department of Education would be reduced by $3.54 billion as a result of sequestration.

SEOG, FWS, and Federal TRIO programs and GEAR UP would see a total of $221.8 million in cuts, affecting millions of students.

http://www.nasfaa.org/Advocacy/Debt-Ceiling/Automatic_Spending_Cuts_Loom_as_Deficit_Committee_Prepares_to_Dismantle.aspx

As a result of the looming Super Committee’s failure, it is likely they will dismantle the Committee and discontinue negotiations. Any failure to meet the November 23rd deadline will revoke the power given to the Committee to “protect their-debt-reduction package from Congressional procedures to block legislation.”

Stay tuned for more on As the Financial Aid World Turns…

SASFAA Legislative Relations Committee

Super Committee Update

2011-11-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

Members of the Super Committee (12 Congressional Leaders) were charged with trying to arrive

at $1.2 trillion in budget cuts. Congressional sources indicate that no deal will be reached. Aides are trying to focus on how to announce to the nation that no deal has been reached.

A senior Democratic aide has indicated that talks are over to reach a deficit reduction agreement. No final decision has been made, however, barring an unforeseen breakthrough, the "no-deal" announcement is looming.

The Congressional Super Committee was tasked with proposing ways to reduce deficits by at least $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years to stave off automatic spending cuts, known as a sequester. 7 out of the 12 Super Committee members would have to approve a deficit reduction plan in order to send it to the both houses of Congress in the form of legislation.

Then both chambers of Congress would vote on the legislation without amendment by December 23rd. For the legislation to pass, a simple majority would be required in each chamber of Congress.

Failure to pass any agreement could result in $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts across much of the federal budget starting in 2013, evenly divided between defense and non-defense spending. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Congress this week that such cuts could cripple the American military establishment.

Since Congress made the law governing the sequester, it can also amend or repeal it, as some lawmakers are suggesting.

SASFAA Legislative Relations Committee

Amy L. Berrier

Assistant Director for Operations

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Financial Aid Office

723 Kenilworth Street

PO Box 26170

Greensboro, NC 27402

SASFAA Board sends letter to Washington

2011-11-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings SASFAA -

President Brad Barnett and I were authorized by the SASFAA Executive Board at last week's meeting to compose and send a letter to all Senators and Representatives in the SASFAA states. The letter asks for support of the student financial aid programs as well as opposes cuts to these programs pending a looming Super Committee failure. A failure by the Super Committee would kick off automatic spending cuts - effective January 2013. A letter was faxed to all 18 Senators and 93 House of Representative Members today. We want to express our thanks to NASFAA for providing the template that we used as the foundation for crafting our letter.

Feel free to let Brad or myself know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Amy Berrier

SASFAA Legislative Relations Chair

Brad Barnett

SASFAA President

November SASFAA Board Meeting Review

2011-11-21T13:13:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon SASFAA,

The SASFAA Executive Board met November 16 -18 in Greensboro, NC. The following is a summary of some of the highlights from the meeting. This is not an all-inclusive list of everything that was discussed. You will be able to find more details about the meeting in the minutes, which will be posted to the SASFAA website following their approval at the February meeting.

· The Board approved slate of candidates for the office of President-Elect, Vice President, and Secretary. You will hear more about this from Past President Sandy Neel as we get closer to the beginning of the election process.

· The Board approved changes to the SASFAA Policy and Procedure Manual for our new blog, including converting the Newsletter Committee to the Communications and Outreach Committee. I hope you have been enjoying the blog so far. SASFAA appears to be only the 2^nd financial aid association in the country to move to a blog format in place of a newsletter, so we are entering unchartered territory here. This update to our manual is going to provide some operational structure as we move forward determining the most effective way to use this format.

· The Board approved updates to the financial sections of the SASFAA Policy & Procedure Manual and Guide to Financial Management.

· The Board reviewed reports from the various SASFAA committees regarding their work so far and plans for the near future.

· The Board approved a site location for our the 2012 Transition Board Meeting

· The Board approved a location for Summer 2012 New Aid Officer’s Workshop. You will hear more about this from the SASFAA Vice President, Runan Pendergrast.

· The SASFAA Operational Calendar was updated.

· The Board approved the February 2012 Annual Conference Fee and we are happy to report that conference planning is well under way. It appears we have a great line up of speakers from the Department of Education, NASFAA, as well as aid officers companies from within and without the SASFAA region. This includes two pre-conference workshops. You will hear more about this from SASFAA Conference Chair, Shelley Park.

· The Board approved sending a letter to the House of Representative members and Senators in support of student financial aid. We are using the NASFAA templates as the guide for crafting our letter. This template can be found at http://www.nasfaa.org/advocacy/budget-2012/Act_Now_to_Prevent_Cuts_to_Pell_Grants.aspx.

· Issues related to the transition of moving SASFAA from ATAC to Wild Apricot for hosting our website were discussed, including some decisions made regarding the transfer and storage of data. This move will save SASFAA thousands of dollars and will occur at the beginning of the 2012-13 SASFAA year. There is a lot of work that has to take place between and then to make that transition happen.

· For various reasons SASFAA has not rotated between the 9 states for our annual conference for the past few years, and it appears this many continue for the foreseeable future. Every effort is being made to find central locations that provide the best opportunity for as many SASFAA members as possible to attend this very important training event. The Board realizes that one of the drawbacks of not rotating between all states is that each state will not have the opportunity to benefit from the charity project, as the charity is generally an organization from the host state. For that reason the board voted to create a state rotation for the purposes of the charity, beginning with the 2012 conference in North Carolina. A charity in North Carolina will be the recipient of our fund raising efforts at the 2012 conference. In 2013 it will be a charity in Georgia to coincide with our 50^th anniversary conference. After that the charity will rotate to another state, even if that state is not hosting the conference. The state order will be determined at the February Board Meeting.

· The Board reviewed the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet that was created in collaborating between the Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The board created a three page document outlining questions, concerns, and recommended adjustments to this proposed sheet. The document has been shared with NASFAA, who is working with the financial aid association leaders to collect information about this new initiative.

· Each of the 9 SASFAA states provided a report to the board of what is happening in their states and with their associations.

Have a great day and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Brad Barnett

SASFAA President

SASFAA Board Meeting

2011-11-12T06:07:00.001-08:00

Good morning SASFAA,

The SASFAA Board is meeting November 16-18 in Greensboro, NC. Please let me know if there is anything you would like the board to discuss at this time. You can send me an e-mail at barnetbd@jmu.edu.

Have a great weekend!

Brad Barnett
SASFAA President

SASFAA President-elect Reports on NASFAA Board Meeting

2011-11-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

Part of my responsibility as SASFAA President-elect is to submit a report to the SASFAA Board providing an update on NASFAA activities. While this report does not encompass everything that is going on in NASFAA right now, it provides a brief overview of some of the things that have taken place.

NASFAA Fall Report to SASFAA

ü NASFAA conducts Standards of Excellence Reviews (SOE) for schools who would like to have their Financial Aid Office reviewed as a result of an anticipated program review or a change of leadership at the school or other reasons. NASFAA has seen an increase in the number of reviews provided to schools. During the 2009-2010 year NASFAA had 43 schools requesting a cost estimate for a review. The 2010-2011 year saw 101 cost estimates. The first quarter of 2011-2012 has seen 47 cost estimates. NASFAA does charge a fee for this service, but it is worthwhile.

ü NASFAA saw an increase of conference attendees in Boston this summer compared to prior years. Boston had 2,374 attendees where Denver 2010 had 1,788 and San Antonio 2009 had 1,845. It is good to see things picking up.

ü NASFAA training has several methods to provide training to the Financial Aid Profession. This fall NASFAA made available to the states and regions a training module on Satisfactory Academic Progress. NASFAA also has a webinar series. On December 16^th Cash Management, February 2012 Summer Issues, March 2012 Default Prevention Strategies, May 2012 Reviewing Education Programs for Title IV Eligibility, and June 2012 Hot Issues. A NASFAA member could have purchased the package when they renewed their membership or they can make a single purchase. Single purchase is $105 per webinar for members and $210 for nonmembers. NASFAA is offering for 2011-2012 a training track for states and regions at their conferences. SASFAA, of course, is participating. Also we have five of our nine states participating this year (AL, FL, GA, SC, and VA). NASFAA is also developing a credentialed training program. Options for credentialed training will include online courses, self-study guides or even an on-site service.

ü NASFAA’s membership is up 140 institutions year to date at the end of October. This is great news.

ü NASFAA is seeing an increase to their social media. Facebook has 34 new followers and Twitter has 96 new followers.

Jeff Dennis

SASFAA President-elect

SASFAA President's Report to NASFAA November Board Meeting

2011-11-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

Part of my responsibility as SASFAA President is to submit a report to the NASFAA Board providing an update on SASFAA activities. While this report does not encompass everything that is going on in SASFAA right now, it provides a brief overview of some of the things that have taken place. You will receive more information about what transpired during the NASFAA Board Meeting from your President-Elect, Jeff Dennis.

NASFAA Board of Director’s Meeting

November 6-7, 2011

The new SASFAA year began July 1^st and a lot has taken place, with much more to come. With elimination of FFELP and the economic recession SASFAA made several sacrifices over the past few years in order to maintain the financial viability of the organization. Like other associations, much of our revenue stream had been eliminated and/or reduced and we were still obligated to contracts for conferences and meetings that were signed years in advance in some cases. The decisions over the past few years to eliminate these items were difficult to make, but they were necessary and I am proud of the way the past SASFAA Boards responded to these financial challenges without depleting our reserves. The work of those boards helped put us in the financial position we are in today.

The 2011-12 SASFAA year presents us with many opportunities since we entered this year without any long term contractual agreements. Therefore, at the request of the board, we have proceeded in finding ways to add back some of the items that were eliminated during leaner times. Those items include:

· The SASFAA President and his/her designee will begin traveling to the state conferences again

· A November face-to-face board meeting

· A third night at the June Transition Meeting

· For the first time in 30 years finding a new location for our June Transition Meeting…one that is more affordable and frees up money for other items

Many of the budgetary changes made this year also allow us to proceed with other initiatives, as well make changes that will reduce SASFAA expenditures over the long term. Some of those highlights are:

· The February 2013 conference will celebrate SASFAA’s 50^th Anniversary, so we are able to dedicate funds from this year’s budget to be saved for next year knowing that we may want to spend more during the 50^th anniversary conference than our regular conference budget would allow. Being able to do this eliminates the need to use our reserves next year.

· Through the work of our Legislative Relations Committee, SASFAA is partnering with EASFAA on two joint legislative events to be held in Washington D.C. The first is in October and the second is in February. Approximately 10 SASFAA members will be joining a host of EASFAA members to speak with legislators and their aides/staffers about issues related to financial aid.

· We renamed our Newsletter Committee the Communication and Outreach Committee. That committee is currently working with our Electronic Services Committee to create a blog which will replace our newsletter and listserv. The blog will be called the SASFAA 9 News. Policies and procedures are being written on how this will be implemented and managed. The newsletter has outlived its usefulness in this day and age of instant communication. It has become more of a reporting of past events than anything else. That history is retained in the reports submitted at the board meetings and posted on our website for the membership to review. Eliminating the newsletter will also reduce costs associated with this committee.

· In 2012-13 SASFAA will be moving from ATAC to Wild Apricot to host our website. The Electronic Services Committee is currently working on the migration, with a plan to go live in the 2012-13 year. This move will significantly reduce SASFAA’s website costs, while still providing the functionality needed for our membership.

· The Vice President is planning an FSA Debriefing event for SASFAA members to follow up on information discussed at the FSA conference. This will allow those in attendance at FSA to receive the regulatory information needed to stay in compliance, and then discuss the implementation issues with their colleagues once they get back to their campuses. NASFAA Board members Sandy Neel and Brent Tener are scheduled to be the facilitators for this event.

SASFAA has held true to a very conservative investment plan over the past several years (decades), which has served us well in protecting our assets and providing a steady stream of income in a higher interest rate climate. Economically, it is likely to be a long time before rates on certificates of deposit increase again. While our Vendor/Sponsor Chair has done a phenomenal job finding new sources of support and increasing the sponsorship contributions more than we could have anticipated in the current economic climate, the board realizes that a change in our investment strategy is necessary for the long term viability of SASFAA. For that reason, the board voted to accept NASFAA’s invitation to utilize Lepercq Lynx Investment Advisory, LLC for some of our long term investments. We have since established that relationship and made an investment of $150,000 into our portfolio with them. Additionally, we are moving away from certificate of deposits for our cash on hand to avoid tying up our money in the instruments that are paying very little in interest. We are utilizing other interest bearing accounts that provide more liquidity than a certificate of deposit.

In the process of reviewing our budget some questions were raised about the amount we had allocated in our Accounting line. In response to that I contacted the other regional presidents to learn more about how they file taxes and/or any tax liabilities they had over the years. The responses I received were helpful, and through more discussions with Brenda Hicks, RMASFAA President, we raised some questions with the firm who has been doing our taxes. In the end, the firm responded to our inquiry admitting that they simply overlooked a rule related to “unrelated business income” (UBI) as it pertains to advertising dollars in volunteer organizations. Simply stated, we had paid unnecessary taxes for the past few years. Our accountant has filed amended tax returns and we are expecting to receive over $11,000 in tax refunds, in addition to eliminating our estimated tax liability for the 2011 year.

Many other activities are also taking place:

· Our 2012 Annual Conference Committee is busy planning our conference that will take place February 26-29 in Greensboro, NC. The theme of the conference is “Focusing on What’s Best For Our Students.” The agenda is coming along nicely and it looks like we will have great representation from the Department of Education and NASFAA, including taking advantage of the NASFAA Trainer program.

The 2020 Committee is developing a resource guide to assist financial aid administrators with identifying funding options, financial plans, and support for veterans, as well as creating sessions for the annual conference that focus on completion strategies for first generation, non-traditional, disabled, and economically disadvantaged students.
We are in the process of evaluating sites for our June 2012 New Aid Officer’s Workshop (NAOW), and hope to have a site selected during our November Board Meeting.
Our Membership Committee is taking the reins for October 19^th Financial Aid Day and has communicated information about this to the SASFAA membership.
Site Selection has done a magnificent job finding new locations for our November Board Meeting and June Transition Retreat. Since we no longer have old contracts holding us to certain locations, the work of this committee has picked up as these sites, and the location for the June 2012 NAOW event needed to be found. Another positive with Site Selection is our work with IMN to secure our 2013 Annual Conference site. Our experience with them has been very positive, so much so that we signed on for another year to use them in securing a site for our 2014 conference. There is no cost to the association or our members for this service.

In closing, SASFAA is in great shape. I am extremely appreciative to all of the volunteers, elected officers, state presidents, and committee chairs for the work they have already done to get us off to a great start, as well as the work they have planned for the rest of the year.

Brad Barnett

2011-12 SASFAA President

Webinar Training on ED's Quality Assurance Program

2011-11-08T18:02:00.000-08:00

TG webinar on ED's Quality Assurance Program

Is your head spinning trying to learn all the new verification rules effective for the 2012-2013 award year? Imagine selecting who and what you want to verify at an institutional level using institutional specific data and techniques, determining acceptable documentation and evaluating the results of your verification efforts. All of this is possible under the Quality Assurance Program.

Join TG for a webinar — Changes to Verification Bring New Opportunities : Learn about the Quality Assurance Program — offered Thursday, November 17, from 10 a.m. -11 a.m. and 3 p.m.- 4 p.m. Central Time, to learn more about the U.S. Department of Education's Quality Assurance (QA) Program. We will review the QA Program requirements and tools available for your school to use. Determine if your participation in the QA Program can help you manage verification and maintain compliance in administering the Title IV programs. Become leaders in change and innovation and expand the program's reach to include increased representation from all school sectors.

About the presenter

The presenter for this webinar, Anne Baker Tuccillo, is a Management and Program Analyst in the Office of Federal Student Aid. Tuccillo began her federal service in 1984 as part of the Career Internship Program. Throughout her tenure at the U.S. Department of Education, Tuccillo has worked almost exclusively with the Title IV programs, specifically as a team member responsible for administering the Department's Quality Assurance Program. She serves as the team lead for the development of the ISIR Analysis Tool, is the Regional Quality Assurance Representative for Regions 3, 4, 6 and 7, and works in collaboration with members of her team to design and deliver training products and services to promote and to educate schools on the benefits of the Quality Assurance Program, the ISIR Analysis Tool, and the FSA Assessments.

To register

Register for this TG training online. Schedules for additional webinars and trainings are published regularly and announced in Shoptalk.

Go To: http://www.tgslc.org/training/webinars/index.cfm

A Financial Management Webinar For Your Students

2011-11-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

Hello SASFAA Friends,

ECMC is hosting 2 webinars this week designed specifically for your students. The topic centers on financial management and how to curb excessive holiday spending. The webinars are 30 minutes in length and registration by the student is required.

To help you get the word out on campus, included below is some sample email text you can customize and send to your students to promote the 30-minute webinars.

Print our downloadable flier to post on campus:

http://www.ecmc.org/details/ECMCtraining.html

Thanks!

Paula Craw

National Director, Outreach and Financial Literacy

ECMC

757.374.6771 (phone)

Send email to students using sample email text:

You are invited to attend an interactive online seminar:
Avoid the holiday spending hangover...

In just 30 minutes, you will:

• Discover ways to cut back on holiday spending

• Reduce your December stress levels

• Learn how to start the new year without dreading your credit card statement

dates and times

Tuesday, November 8

10 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET

Thursday, November 10

1 p.m. PT / 2 p.m. MT / 3 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. ET

presenter

Jeff Southard

Senior Trainer, ECMC

register Today

www.ecmc.org/seminars

About this online seminar

This seminar is being hosted by and presented by ECMC as a service to students, at no cost to our school or student participants. Registration information, which includes name and email address, will not be used for any reason other than to communicate with registrants about accessing the seminar online.

About ECMC

Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) is a nonprofit company providing services in support of higher education finance. We work to support college access and success, and we provide students with tools and resources for planning and paying for college.

FINANCIAL AID DAY RECOGNIZED IN CONGRESSIONAL RECORD

2011-10-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

RECOGNIZING THE OBJECTIVES OF FINANCIAL AID DAY

THE HONORABLE TIMOTHY BISHOP

OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, October 24, 2011

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the objectives of Financial Aid Day (FAD). FAD reserves the third Wednesday in October to honor the role financial aid professionals across the United States play in helping students realize their dream of attaining a college education.

Today, student aid is under attack, despite that the fact that millions of students rely on and benefit from federal student aid each year. In fact, the number of students applying for federal financial assistance increased to approximately 19.5 million in 2010-2011, up by nearly seven million students since 2006-2007. From school years 1999-2000 to 2009-2010, the total amount of Title IV federal financial aid awarded to students jumped from $62.1 billion to an estimated $146.5 billion, an increase of 136 percent.

FAD recognizes that assisting

citizens of all ages to attain a higher education puts aid administrators among the forefront of this nation’s efforts to compete in the global economy and contribute to the common good. Without such dedicated administrators, an untold number of students from diverse financial backgrounds would not be able to continue their pursuit of higher education due to a lack of necessary information and counseling.

Mr. Speaker, a post-secondary education would be unachievable for many of our nation’s students without federal student aid. As such, I welcome the opportunity to honor those who serve these students on a daily basis. I support the goals of Financial Aid Day and I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to recognize the important role played by financial aid professionals in helping students realize their college dreams.

Nominate a SASFAA Member for the Distinguished Service Award

2011-10-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hi SASFAA Friends,

The Awards Committee is now soliciting nominations for Distinguished Service and Honorary Membership awards.

For the Distinguished Service Award, the nominee must have provided outstanding, significant and meritorious contributions to the advancement of student financial aid.

If you know of anyone that is retiring or has retired and has been actively involved in SASFAA, please let me know so they can be considered for Honorary Lifetime Membership.

You may contact me at sneel@bellarmine.edu or (502) 272-8283 for more information or to nominate someone. I would love to hear from you.

Thanks,
Sandy Neel

SASFAA Is Looking For Members Willing to Serve

2011-10-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Dear SASFAA Friends,

Albert Schweitzer said:

“I don’t know what your destiny will be but the one thing I do know is that the only ones among you who will be truly happy will be those who sought and found how to serve.”

Nominations and Elections Committee is still looking for people to serve!

This year we are looking for President-Elect, Secretary and Vice President.

If you nominate someone, please be sure to have that person’s permission and they will need to be prepared to provide a biographical statement to the Nominations and Election Committee. We will present a slate of candidates to the Board for approval in November.

Please send your nominations to anyone on the committee.

Committee members are:

Sandy Neel, Chair – sneel@bellarmine.edu

Andy Weaver (Alabama) weaver@uah.edu

Rebecca Lydick (Florida) rlydick@keiseruniversity.edu

Doug Tanner (Georgia) dtanner@valdosta.edu

Dave Cecil (Kentucky) dcecil@transy.edu

Donna O’Quinn (Mississippi) doquinn@prcc.edu

Paul Coscia (North Carolina) pcoscia@guilford.edu

Jeff Holiday (South Carolina) jsholli@presby.edu

Sandra Rockett (Tennessee) rockett@dscc.edu

Heather Hollandsworth (Virginia) hhollandsworth@ferrum.edu

Thank you for taking the time to help grow SASFAA!

Happy Financial Aid Day From President Brad Barnett

2011-10-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Good morning SASFAA and Happy Financial Aid Day!

Today is your day...a day to celebrate all that you do as financial aid professionals to make the hopes and dreams of our students a reality. Whether you realize it or not, the work you do impacts the lives of our students on a permanent basis...that's pretty awesome when you think about. You have the ability to change lives.

I would like to say thanks for all that you do, not only for our students, but for each other as well. We are in a fantastic profession with people who love to collaborate and are always there to help each other out in a pinch. It takes a special type of individual to do what and aid officer does, and that is worth celebrating.

So, take a few minutes today to pat your coworker on their back, send an email to a colleague, or grab a bite to eat with someone in the office and let your financial aid colleagues know that you appreciate what they do. After all, today is your day...Financial Aid Day, so make the most of it.

Brad Barnett

SASFAA President

How Financial Aid Day Began

2011-10-20T12:44:00.001-07:00

Financial Aid Day is a special day that is set aside to celebrate and recognize the contribution of all Financial Aid Professionals across the United States of America for helping students realize their college dreams and for being so ever effective at helping our institutions accomplish their mission.

Financial Aid Day, FAD as it is commonly referred to, is celebrated on the third Wednesday in October. The first FAD was held on October 20, 2010; the second will be on Wednesday October 19, 2011. On FAD, colleagues are encouraged to do something special - have an office party, a potluck, a toast, etc., to celebrate our contribution to our profession. Colleagues are also urged to take lots of pictures to record this momentous occasion, so that we can share them with our regional, national, state and federal colleagues, as we demonstrate our respect, love and passion for Financial Aid: A Grand Profession.

FAD was created by Neville R Brown, the President of EASFAA, during his 2010‐2011 tenure, as part of what he referred to as “The President’s Projects.” Other projects under this initiative were: EASFAA Across Our Region (EAOR) - a video of aid administrators within our EASFAA region at work in their respective institutions, Moments-of‐Silence (MoS) - a conference project honoring administrators and their spouses who passed during President’s Brown’s tenure,

Certification of the Financial Aid Professional - an initiative to promote support for the certification of aid professionals and Dolls-For‐Diversity - a conference project that depicted ethnic diversity through dolls.

On Saturday, June 25, 2011, at the Annual EASFAA Retreat in Baltimore, Maryland, then Past‐President Neville Brown entertained a motion to have the 3rd Wednesday in October be designated as Financial Aid Day for Financial Aid Professionals across the EASFAA Region. Motion passed unanimously.

On Saturday, July 16, 2011, at the NASFAA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, EASFAA Past-President and BOD Regional Representative Neville R Brown introduced FAD as part of his Annual EASFAA Report and urged all Regional BOD Members to supplicate their colleagues to “join forces with EASFAA,” to celebrate FAD and help it gain national recognition for all financial aid administrators across the nation. His plea was well received by the Board: It won the support of NASFAA, although he did not entertain a motion likewise.

Happy Financial Aid Day From Nathan Basford

2011-10-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

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.

The Kids Are Alright

2011-10-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

Facing the most challenging job market in at least a generation, today’s younger workers are currently confronted with economic realities that have forced them to reconsider career choices that might have been foregone conclusions just a few years ago. Imagine looking for work if the unemployment rate jumped to 17.4 percent. Now, consider that is the actual unemployment rate for the age cohort of 16 to 24 year olds across the United States.

Once considered the key to greater economic freedom and financial success, the value of a college education is being called into question. In the wake of the recession, an outpouring of reports have cited increasing tuition costs, escalating student-loan debt burdens and diminishing job opportunities for recent college graduates as justifications for younger workers to forego college.

How can economics help today’s youth make an informed decision about what can fairly be described as one of life’s most important choices? Our analysis suggests that the decision of whether to attend college, pursue a technical degree or discontinue education after high school not only plays an important role in helping young people find a job, but also completely changes the trajectory of a prospective student’s lifetime earnings. With the constant growth of globalization and the shifting trends in the production of goods and services, we also consider the eternal question of passion versus practicality as it relates to pursuing a course of study. In addition, we survey the employment landscape to provide a snapshot of how different generations are staggered across the labor force and what that distribution means for younger workers seeking employment today, as well as how changing demographics will likely shake things up in coming years. Finally, we consider the role of fiscal policy and what federal spending cuts may mean for higher education in the years ahead.

Is College Still Worth It?

Today’s younger workers are currently grappling with the most challenging labor market for their age cohort since the Great Depression. The unemployment rate for workers between the ages of 16 and 24 is nearly twice the national unemployment rate, and participation in the labor force among younger workers has plummeted in recent years, compared to prior economic recessions in the 1970s and 1980s.

If you would like to read the entire report by the Wells Fargo Economics Group, click on the link below:

https://www.wellsfargo.com/downloads/pdf/com/research/special_reports/TheKidsAreAlright_08222011.pdf