A Letter from NASFAA's Chair & President/CEO

March 10, 2022

Last month, NASFAA successfully concluded our first in-person conference in more than two years, in Washington D.C. We are excited to build on this momentum this June and want to extend a personal invitation to each financial aid office to join your colleagues, our exhibitors, and the U.S. Department of Education this summer in Austin, Texas.

Nothing can replicate the networking and community-building that comes from an in-person conference, and strengthening our community is more important now than ever.

However, we also understand that due to budget limitations, staffing shortages, and ongoing uncertainty with COVID-19, some members may not be able to attend in person. That’s why NASFAA has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to hybrid conferences, with virtual conference offerings dating back to 2018. This extensive experience has taught us what works and what doesn’t in a virtual environment — and it’s why we planned two separate and distinct (but complementary!) events for summer 2022:

NASFAA 2022 in Austin

Cognizant of institutional budgets, for the first time in NASFAA history, we have decreased the cost of the in-person NASFAA conference registration from $699 per person to $599. In addition to our outstanding conference programming, we will be making several other exciting announcements at the annual meeting about steps we are taking to keep NASFAA products, services, and meetings accessible for aid offices on any budget.

Virtual NASFAA 2022

The virtual conference is being kept at a low price of $250 per institution to ensure access to the largest group of members seeking top quality training for the entire office.

Safety Measures

As with our in-person event in Washington D.C., NASFAA will follow CDC recommendations in Austin and will require attendees to be vaccinated. Requiring attendee vaccination is the best way to ensure there will be no disruptions at the conference due to changing health guidance and requirements, and allow attendees to safely unmask, as they are comfortable, in accordance with local community guidance.

We understand that some schools are prohibited by state law or institutional policies from asking employees about the vaccination status of their employees. NASFAA is not asking anyone to affirm the vaccination status of another in our registration process. NASFAA notifies each registrant to make them aware of all conference policies.

NASFAA will offer full refunds to anyone who needs to cancel due to a COVID-related illness, exposure, or concerns.

We understand that some cannot receive the vaccine, and others have chosen not to. Whatever anyone’s individual choice, we look forward to the day where all NASFAA members can reconvene outside the context of a global pandemic, and we sincerely hope that date is not too far in the future. Until then, we look forward to seeing many of you in Austin, or virtually, this summer.

 

Brent Tener, NASFAA National Chair
Justin Draeger, NASFAA President and CEO

Publication Date: 3/10/2022

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