Questions & Answers
Q. What is LearnStudentAid?
Q. Who develops the training materials?
Q. How is LearnStudentAid different from other online training?
Q. What is the difference between LearnStudentAid and FSA
Coach?
Q. Does NASFAA offer Continuing Education Credits or any type
of Certification?
Q. Who should take LearnStudentAid courses?
Q. What courses are currently offered?
Q. Do I have to take all of the courses?
Q. What is included with each course?
Q. Do I have to participate in discussions or chat rooms?
Q. How many people are in a course together?
Q. Can my co-workers and I take courses together?
Q. If I sign up for more than one course, how long do I have
to complete them all?
Q. I signed up for two courses this month, but I only finished
one. Can I move the second course to next month?
Q. Can I register for a course that has already begun?
Q. How do I register for a course or get more information?
Q. What is LearnStudentAid?
LearnStudentAid is the first and only learning community on the Web for financial
aid professionals. Each member of your staff can participate from their office
or home computer, which eliminates travel time and expenses and allows new
staff to be trained as soon as they are hired. Courses begin the first of
every month.
Q. Who develops the training materials?
All the coursework is developed by NASFAA, which brings more than 30 years
of experience in training student financial aid administrators to the table.
Q. How is LearnStudentAid different from
other online training?
LearnStudentAid is an interactive "classroom" without the classroom. Each learner
has an individual account which enables them to track their own progress. The
training is structured so learners know what is needed to move forward. Learners
learn independently, but also study together as part of a class. Classes are
small and made up of aid administrators from across the country, which enables
even the newest aid administrators to establish a peer network for interaction
and to gain broader perspectives.
Q. What is the difference between LearnStudentAid
and FSA Coach?
The major difference between LearnStudentAid and FSA Coach is that LearnStudentAid
participants communicate and interact with each other. FSA Coach is strictly
an independent study. The interaction with other financial aid professionals
is a great introduction to the collegial atmosphere of the aid community, especially
for those who cannot attend in-person workshops due to budget or time constraints.
In addition, LearnStudentAid lessons are written and updated by NASFAA staff.
As with all of our training, NASFAA presents information in clear, easy-to-understand
language.
Q. Does NASFAA offer Continuing Education
Credits or any type of Certification?
While NASFAA does not offer Continuing Education Credits at this time, we do
provide learners who successfully complete all of the course requirements,
a LearnStudentAid Certificate of Completion.
Q. Who should take LearnStudentAid courses?
The Financial Aid Fundamentals Course Series, which includes five separate
courses, is designed for new aid administrators (e.g., with zero to three
years of experience) and support staff who need to know the basics of financial
aid. These courses are also ideal for more experienced aid administrators
who want a refresher, and for those who simply do not have the time or funds
to attend in-person training. The Financial Aid Advanced Concepts Course
Series is designed for more experienced aid administrators.
Q. What courses are currently offered?
LearnStudentAid offers a total of eight courses. The first five courses are
apart of the Financial Aid Fundamentals Courses Series. The remaining
three courses are in the Financial Aid Advanced Concepts Course Series.
Track 1: Financial Aid Fundamentals Course Series
FA 101 - Overview of the Student Financial Aid Programs
FA 102 - Application Processing
FA 103 - Cost of Attendance
FA 104 - Need Analysis
FA 105 - Packaging
Track 2: Financial Aid Advanced Concepts Course Series
Q. Do I have to take all of the courses?
You can sign up for one course at a time. Courses do not have to be taken in
any particular order, but we do recommend that you finish one course before
beginning another. Each course takes approximately one month to complete.
Q. What is included with each course?
Each course includes:
Several Web-based guided lessons
Examples or case studies
Assignments completed on-line
Web-based discussion forums
Quizzes on the content in each lesson
Small class size
Upon completion, learners are awarded a certificate of completion
Q. Do I have to participate in discussions
or chat rooms?
If the course requires participation, you will be required to participate in
discussions and/or chat rooms. If the course says participation is optional,
you are not required to participate. However, you'll get much more from your
LearnStudentAid experience if you do participate - and our students tell us
it is fun!
Q. How many people are in a course together?
Anywhere from 15 to 50 participate in each course. It depends on the time of
year and which course you select.
Q. Can my co-workers and I take courses
together?
If you and your co-workers enroll in the same course in the same month, you
can request to be in a course together. However, you cannot have one person
sign up for a course and then have everyone in your office go through the lessons
with a single login. Our system is not set up to handle multiple individuals
on the same account. Please send group requests to Chris McInnis at LearnStudentAid@NASFAA.org.
Q. If I sign up for more than one course,
how long do I have to complete them all?
You must complete each course in the month you enroll in that course. Courses
run from the first of the month to last day of the month. We recommend one
course per month, which means you would sign up for your first course in January,
the second course in February, the third in March, etc.
Q. I signed up for two courses this month,
but I only finished one. Can I move the second course to next month?
Unfortunately, we cannot move an unfinished course to the next month.
Q. Can I register for a course that has
already begun?
Registration ends the day that the course has begun. For example, the February courses begin on February 1, 2009.
If the registration is completed on January 31, then the individual will be enrolled into that course. However,
at 12:01 AM EST on February 1, 2009, the February courses are no longer available for registration. Note, however,
that while you must register by January 31 in this example, you do not have to begin your class on that date; you have
all month to begin and complete the course.
Q. How do I register for a course or get
more information?
You can read more about LearnStudentAid and register for courses at LearnStudentAid.org.
Please direct all questions and comments about
NASFAA's LearnStudentAid to LearnStudentAid@NASFAA.org.
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