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Tuesday, April 7, 2015

NASFAA Credentialing and MASFAA's Experience - The Benefits



What does NASFAA Credentialing mean to MASFAA Members?

NASFAA Credentialing is offered in a number of areas from the basics of Financial Aid to the advance levels that we all deal with on a daily basis.  The issues that we all feel we need more training are addressed and the credentials are not just a piece of cake to get. The credentials are an asset to any individual who completes the training and receives the credentials.  

The Mississippi Association of Student Financial Aid decided to take advantage of NASFAA’s offer to allow the states to offer the credentials to their members.  MASFAA broke the credential trainings into groups of three and offered four separate events.  Each event offered our members the opportunity to increase their knowledge and enhanced the benefits we offer. After the sessions we asked our members to complete a short survey to gather their thought.

The first question asked was: What motivated you to sign up and complete the credential training?  Our members stated they were motivated by the doors that having the credentials would open for them in future job searches.  They also stated that having the opportunity to do the training in a group setting for an affordable rate enticed them to complete it sooner than they thought. A number of our members say the opportunity to validate and enhance their knowledge motivated them to complete the training.  

The second question asked was: Would you be interested in serving as a NASFAA Instructor?  Most of our members stated that they would be interested in serving as instructors because they feel like it will be beneficial to others in the industry.  The biggest issue we found is that people only want to teach what they feel comfortable with, so getting good trainers could be hard.   The positive factor of having the events is the instructor pool is being enhanced.  

The third question asked was: Do you find value in the credentials and the emphasis NASFAA has placed on the credentials?  Most of the members stated they feel that NASFAA has not marketed the material enough for there to be a high level of value to be placed on it.  The members do believe that the credentials have given them the opportunity of upward mobility.  

Overall, I think the fact that NASFAA has given the opportunity for states to offer the credentials is beneficial for all associations.

Submitted by:   Carrie Cooper
MASFAA President
Director of Financial Aid
University of Mississippi Medical Center

 

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