An emphasis within the profession on early college awareness and refocusing on the time-honored goals of access and choice in higher education will be the primary objectives in the coming year for NASFAA 2005-06 National Chair David Gelinas, Director of Financial Aid for the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. In an interview for the NASFAA Web site, Gelinas gave some insight on his plans for the Association this year and his aspirations for the future of the financial aid profession.
Early awareness efforts, particular for the low-income and minority student populations most at risk of not enrolling in college, have begun to proliferate in recent years as more research has shown that failure to attend college is due to a series of decisions and missteps made during the elementary and secondary school years.
Gelinas advocated putting "boots on the ground" as the quickest way to instigate change in college-going behaviors.
"I'd like to see the NASFAA Membership going out into local grammar schools and middle schools and actually providing early awareness activities to students, talking to them about what preparations they should be making to look ahead to college and what resources they can expect by way of financial aid," Gelinas said. "I want us to say to these children, "There is such a thing as financial aid and there are certain things you can do to look ahead and prepare yourself for college."
Specifically, he urged the NASFAA membership to go to elementary and secondary school leaders and work together to plan early awareness programs that are appropriate for that community and that student body.
Gelinas also outlined a more philosophical goal for his tenure as National Chair--that NASFAA members become advocates for the traditional goals of student financial aid: access to college and choice of institution.
"I want us to speak for the people who are being left behind in the realm of college funding, and I think we should speak against aid allocation practices that prioritize funds to the less needy at the expense of the very needy," he said.
In practical terms, he urged Members to remember these goals when they become involved in campus discussions on funding practices. "I think we should be the voice that says "First and foremost, we should provide funding to those who most need it," he said.
Finally, Gelinas challenged Members to find some way to step away from the computer screen and reconnect with the aid community, families, early awareness efforts, and with the next generation of college students.
"I have been heartened by how many of my colleagues have wanted to do something tangible to help their colleagues in states affected by the hurricanes. To me, that sense of commitment is the essence of why we are in this profession and why NASFAA is the association that it is," he said. "We must continue that desire to be of service to constituents and to fellow professionals."
Posted October 21, 2005 on www.NASFAA.org, the Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
Copyright 2005. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited
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