Defining Moments

The Event

Often times we ask how someone became interested in a particular job, or got into a profession.  When I ask fellow financial aid experts how they came to financial aid, they often say that they just “fell into it.”  Many of us were work-study or graduate students in a financial aid office and stuck with it after graduation.  No matter how we came into financial aid, there almost always seems to be that one event or student that helped solidify our love for this noble profession.  We love our jobs because we make a difference to our students and schools, despite the lack of credit for the work we do.

I came into financial aid in 2001 as a graduate student in the Office of Financial Aid at the University of South Florida.  At first it was all fun, seeing behind the scenes and workings of college financial aid, awarding students, and talking them through regulations as a peer.  Then came the day when I moved to a full time position.  That first year as a full time financial aid professional is like spring training in baseball, only it is a year in length.

I always say it takes a year in financial aid before you really get a good understanding of how things work.  It’s during that first year that many of us begin to wonder if financial aid was the right choice.  We deal with the first of many irate students and helicopter parents, read several heart-breaking SAP appeals, and wonder if this is something we can do for the next “x” years.  We may suddenly realize we are doing seven jobs at once, or that staff from other departments do not seem to be as pressured, deadline driven, or accountable as financial aid staff.  But there is always that one moment when it becomes clear that it was the right choice, despite the issues we face there are numerous other students we never had to see - because they got everything they needed.  Those students were in class, pursuing their dreams of a higher education, and you were a part of that success.

For me that moment occurred toward the end of my first year as a Financial Aid Counselor.  Due to USF’s size, we would sometimes encourage students to assist themselves.  We would often get requests for letters of proof of aid awards.  Students would use these for rental agreements, car purchases, etc.; however, in most cases students were directed to log into their self-service and simply print off their awards to use as proof.  In most cases this would work and be accepted.  It was the one time it didn’t that left an impression on me. That memory is something I carry with me to this day.

You know that student, the one that seems to come into your office every day to check his aid status for the 30^th time?  Well, that student came into the office one day; in fact it was his second trip into the office.  He was told to log in and print off his award notice, just as hundreds of students before him were instructed.  I overheard him try to explain that his application specifically asked for a signed statement.  When I asked him what kind of application, the student explained that he was applying for a special program for first time home buyers.  Impressed that a college student was looking to buy a house I took him back to my office to learn more.

During our chat I learned that in his scholarship searches he came across some programs for first time home owners, and just didn’t have enough verifiable income without including his financial aid.  Because of the nature of the program, he needed more than just a print out, so I made the time to help him write a letter that would present him in the best light to receive a mortgage.  If he came to the FA office every day to check on things, I knew he would be the kind of homeowner that would keep track of his finances and would be as successful in home ownership as he was as a student.  The next week he came in to check on his financial aid as unusual.  I had almost forgotten about the letter and our conversation, until he handed me a letter.  You see, what took maybe 10 minutes out of my day not only affected this student and his dreams of higher education, it affected his life in ways I hadn’t thought about when I decided to write that letter.  My words don’t do it justice so I will let his words show you:

Not only was he the first in his family to graduate from college, but the first to own a home.  To this day I have that letter in my desk drawer, to remind me on the bad days that I got into financial aid because I love working on behalf of students.  Being just a small part of their success is worth all the bad days, irate students, helicopter parents and regulation changes combined.

Wayne Kruger

kruger.wayne@spcollege.edu

SASFAA Secretary

Calm and Bright!

Nominations and Elections Committee

The Nominations and Elections Committee is pleased to present our candidates for consideration in the upcoming election.  Thanks are owed to everyone who submitted nominations and to those willing to be nominated.  SASFAA continues leading as a vibrant organization due to the dedication and involvement of our many wonderful volunteers.

Election Candidates

            President Elect            Chad Sartini and Bill Spiers

            Treasurer Elect           Michael Birchett and Leah Louallen

            Secretary                      Tarik Boyd and Wayne Kruger

Stay tuned for more communication, including candidate resumes and candidacy statements in the near future.  Voting will begin February 1 and continue through Tuesday, February 13 at 3 PM EST.

Thank you again to everyone who volunteered.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year,

Marian Dill
mdill@leeuniversity.edu

SASFAA Nominations and Election Committee

Global Issues

LET’S TALK EXPIRATION DATES

It’s time to shake off the cynicism of SAP, C-codes, and PROSPER. Forget the vagaries of verification. It’s the holiday season. Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, whatever you personally celebrate; it’s here. It’s the season of hope and joy and at no other time of the year does the light of human kindness shine any brighter.

Something about this time of year brings out the best in us. People are more generous, kind, compassionate, and patient. You tend to do things like pay it forward at a drive through window or adopt a child from the angel tree. You set aside the stress and anxiety of the world and you go to holiday parties with co-workers, friends, or family and you laugh, love, celebrate and embrace moments of joy. You live genuinely in the moment and for a while it really does feel like “all is calm, all is bright.”

Today I want to remind you that the spirit of the holiday doesn’t have to have an expiration date. We live in stressful times, in a profession that exposes us to the financial woes of families from all over the nation. We know their stories, their struggles and their desperation. We also observe how flippantly some students regard their education. We’ve all had days where we’ve thought unkind things about students or parents, and let’s be honest, we’ve hoped fervently for their failure just so they would go away. But this is your chance to change your perspective. Use the holidays to rest, rejuvenate, and to embrace the holiday spirit, but then take it a step farther. Let’s be that generous, that kind, that compassionate when all the holidays songs, services, and observances are over.

I encourage you all to go into 2018 with a commitment to being a light to your campus, your community, and your students. There is enough negativity, anxiety, and commentary in the world right now. We can be a voice of encouragement and compassion. We can be the one smile someone sees on a bad day, we can be better than the frustrations of our jobs. I don’t know about you, but I’ve given too much time and energy, a lot of energy, to sarcasm, cynicism, and negativity this year. I’ve let student attitudes get the best of me. It’s not worth it. No one should have the power to rob you of your joy. So, let’s be purposeful in guarding our joy, and focus on being bringing joy to others in the coming year. Don’t let the spirit of the season expire when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.

Who’s with me?

If you require a little assistance in lifting your holiday spirits, I offer you this little gem.

Christmas Crack

Ingredients

• 28 to 35 saltine crackers (about one sleeve, enough to line your tray)
• 1 cup (220 g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup (225 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (10 to 12 ounces) chopped dark chocolate

·         1 Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with nonstick aluminum foil (preferred) or regular heavy duty foil, making sure that the foil completely covers the bottom and sides of the pan. If using regular foil, spray lightly with baking spray. Line the saltine crackers in a single layer on the bottom.

·         2 Make the caramel sauce: Place the brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium sized saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter melts. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 to 5 minutes, just until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to darken. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

·         (Note: You're not actually making true caramel here, so you don't need to be as precise or worry about the temperature of the caramel. Just make sure it comes to a boil and wait for it to darken slightly, then continue.)

·         3 Pour the hot brown sugar mixture over the saltine crackers. Spread to evenly coat the crackers.

·         4 Move the pan to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. The caramel will be hot and bubbly.

·         5 Melt the chocolate: Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook it in the microwave in 30-second intervals at full power, stirring between each cook time, until the chocolate has melted.

·         6 Pour the chocolate over the baked crackers: Once the crackers are done baking, remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 minute, until the caramel is no longer bubbling. Then pour the melted chocolate over the crackers. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly over the top.

·         7 Cool the crackers overnight: Let the crackers cool to room temperature then move to the refrigerator and cool over night.

·         8 "Crack" the crackers: The crackers will form a single sheet once cool. Remove from pan and gently peel the foil away, being careful not to tear the foil. (If any bits of foil tear and get stuck in the caramel, break those bits away and discard.) Cut the candy into snack-sized pieces using a chefs knife (you can use your hands, too, but I find it easier with a knife).

·         Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week.

Donna Quick

dquick@ec.edu

Global Issues Committee

EM Forum, Gold Star Award, Giving Thanks

Professional Advancement Committee

The first SASFAA Enrollment Management Forum was recently held in Orlando, FL.  The Forum covered a wide array of topics, from the history of Enrollment Management (EM), to the strengths and weaknesses of Financial Aid Administrators in EM roles, to the research foundation of EM, to the process of writing a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan.  Both attendees and presenters represented a mosaic of the SASFAA membership, with 4 Year Public, Private, Community College and Graduate schools all represented.  This diversity of representation allowed for an incredible amount of information sharing and growth.    

Special thanks to our presenters, who were unanimously deemed “extremely knowledgeable” by the attendees:

Dr. Forrest Stuart, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Director of Financial Aid at Furman University in Greenville, SC

Mr. Chuck Knepfle, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at Clemson University in Clemson, SC

Mr. Daniel Barkowitz, Assistant Vice President for Financial Aid and Veteran’s Affairs at Valencia College – West Campus in Orlando, FL

The Enrollment Management Forum was a new venture for SASFAA.  Thank you to President Oliver for the opportunity to try something new and to the fabulous attendees who made the Forum so interactive.  I am happy to report that all of the attendees indicated that the information learned in the Forum will not only assist them in their current position, but will also help further their career goals. 

Celena Tulloss, Vice President
ctulloss@utk.edu

SASFAA Professional Advancement Committee

NASFAA Gold Star Award - Update

nbasford@admin.fsu.edu

Global Issues

Joan Bailey - Global Issues Chair 2017-18

joanbailey@health.usf.edu

Conference Registration, Alabama and Electronic Services Updates

Registration is open and information is posted on the SASFAA.org website.

Register Today!

Runan Pendergrast - Conference Committee Chair 2017-18
runan.pendergrast@kctcs.edu

Global Issues and Georgia Update

Joan Bailey - Global Issues Chair 2017-18

joanbailey@health.usf.edu

Georgia Update

• ·         Mercer University hosted our 1.5-day Fall Workshop where we trained 160+ members on a variety of topics; NASFAA Core, Technical Track, State Updates, and New Aid Academy.
• ·         We unveiled a new GASFAA Logo (See Above) to our members.  After 50 Years we decided a new and refreshing look was needed, one of our very own GA Students created the logo for us.
• ·         We began a giving campaign for our memorial scholarship, we established a $2000 goal, which we are 1/3 of the way to reaching.  

Stephen Andersen - Georgia State President 2017-18
sandersen@gntc.edu

Benefits of Membership

The Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA) is an anchor for its membership. Professionals, both new and seasoned, from public and private four-year colleges & universities, community colleges, graduate & professional schools, career schools, student lending organizations, guarantors, consulting groups, government agencies, and financial aid software companies find value in SASFAA membership.

Benefits of SASFAA membership include networking with experienced colleagues, up-to-date information on federal changes and new aid programs, participation in important legislative advocacy efforts, nationally renowned training programs for all levels, an active listserv and Nine News blog that allow constant communication with your peers (including financial aid announcements, relevant articles and job postings), volunteer opportunities and leadership positions, and a 4-day annual conference that invites experts from the U.S. Department of Education and financial aid organizations throughout the country to share knowledge and best practices.

Membership dues are only $35.  If you haven’t already, consider joining SASFAA or renewing your membership today!  We look forward to serving you.

Cordially,

Dr. Sharon Oliver, 2017-2018 SASFAA President

Jenelle Handcox, 2017-2018 SASFAA Membership Chair

A Message from the Legacy-Long Range Planning Committee Chair

Our SASFAA long range plan is set to be reviewed and updated in 2022.   In order to prepare for this review President Oliver has given me the opportunity to chair the Legacy-Long Range Planning Committee.  I am happy to have on the committee; Marian Dill- Lee University, Amy Berrier-UNC Greensboro, and Heather Boutell- Bellarmine.   Our task is to ensure that goals and objectives are being met within the time frame set.

President Oliver also has given me the task of ensuring our Legacy (SASFAA’s) continues to serve the purpose as to which it was created. 

Why was SASFAA created you may ask; because individuals had a vision and desire to provide an avenue for a support and resource network which provides training opportunities that enable and enhance the ethical delivery of educational resources to students, to cultivate personal and professional leadership development among our members, and to advocate for public policies that support financial aid programs.

What does legacy mean to you?  I am sure we all may have a different idea of what legacy means, and I was surprised to find so many different definitions, depending on the context in which used.  I believe that legacy is something that is passed on to us whether by family, culture or organizations.    As a member of SASFAA I am proud of the Legacy of SASFAA!

SASFAA’s Legacy, comes at us from the past, and affects our present and also our future. We must as members of our regional association remember that the life of SASFAA’s Legacy is in our hands and it’s our responsibility to preserve and develop it into something that we are proud to pass on to our future members.  We must continue to provide training opportunities to better serve our students and their families, and to ensure that we cultivate future leaders within our association, in doing this SASFAA’S Legacy will continue.

With this year’s theme:  “Optimizing Student Success through Advocacy Support and Outreach, SASFAA’s Legacy will live on”.

Nathan R. Basford, Jr.

Florida State University.