Falling Back Into Our Groove
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It’s been a minute since the A.M. News was last published, but that certainly doesn’t mean you haven’t been hearing from me! I like to think that my semi-regular appearances in your email inbox have kept you stitched in and connected to NASFAA news. With the start of a new academic year, it seems like now is a good time to get back to this format for sharing updates specific to you, our associate members.
So sit back with your favorite fall blanket, put on that new T-Swift album, grab a PSL, and let’s dive into what’s going on in your world.
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In this edition:
- NASFAA 2025 by the Numbers
- Onboarding the New Board
- Private Loans Get Some Guidance
- Sweet Charity
- Conference Corner
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Welcome New Associate Members!
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For our new and rejoining associate members, we extend a very warm NASFAA welcome! We’re happy to have you with us:
- FATSTAF Third Party Servicing
- GradBridge Inc.
- LeverEdge Association
- Rhode Island Student Loan Authority
- Visa
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California Dreaming, NASFAA Style
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What a time it was at the NASFAA 2025 National Conference! This year’s event in Anaheim was one of the most highly attended in recent history, and for good reason: guest speaker LeVar Burton, NASFAA Night at Disneyland, numerous great sessions, and, did I mention, it was in California?
Thank you to all of you who made the conference a success by attending, exhibiting, and/or sponsoring. We hope you enjoyed your time at NASFAA 2025!
- Total Registrants: 2,684
- Total Exhibitors/Sponsors: 65
- Survey responses:
- 78% of respondents spoke with exhibitors about products and services
- 79% of respondents attended events in the Innovation Hall (opening reception, breaks, etc.)
- 61% of respondents used the lounges (Coffee, Gaming, etc) in the Innovation Hall
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Welcome 2025-26 NAMAB Members!
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The NASFAA Associate Member Advisory Board (NAMAB) began the charter year in July with a mix of new and returning members under the leadership of new NAMAB Chair Stephanie Wells. Joe Garzillo, who led the group through a two-year term as chair, will continue to serve in the role of past chair.
The board’s 2025-26 charter outlines team objectives for the year ahead with a focus on increasing associate member connection and engagement. Look for NAMAB members at regional meetings throughout the year to share your ideas and learn about the work being done on your behalf.
NAMAB is a volunteer committee composed of associate members who, along with NASFAA staff, meet monthly to shape the associate member experience within the broader NASFAA community. Learn more about the NASFAA Associate Member Advisory Board.
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Private Loan Guidance Goes Public
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That NAMAB update is the perfect segue to introduce the group’s new publication, “Private Education Loans Administrator Reference & Best Practices.”
As previously mentioned in Today’s News, this guide was co-developed by NAMAB members and NASFAA staff to provide much-needed guidance in response to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s anticipated impact on private loan utilization. This resource addresses the need for “quick, practical direction on compliance, lender communications, and best practices — backed by direct regulatory references.”
Feel free to include this guide in your private loan toolkit and share it with schools that may benefit from this information.
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Whole Lotta Love for NASFAA’s Charity Initiative
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I love working on the NASFAA National Conference. I truly mean that. It’s such a fun time to catch up with many of you in person, to see our staff’s many months of hard work come to fruition, and to hit my daily step count (and then some!) by noon every day. And let’s not forget added perks like visiting the Harley-Davidson Museum and Disney World - I mean, what’s not to love?
However, if I had to pick one thing about the conference that has my heart, the one thing that makes me both excited and proud, it would be working on our charity initiatives and collaborating with charity sponsors.
This year was especially meaningful as I got to see our charity sponsors go above and beyond, not just monetarily, but also in generously giving their time and energy throughout our charity events. Whether it was bright and early at the Charity 5K or dancing into the night at our Silent Disco, our charity sponsors brought a seemingly endless supply of positive vibes and infectious enthusiasm – not an easy feat after those long conference days!
Their contributions enabled us to raise over $15,000 for the wonderful folks at Higher Ground Youth and Family Services, who share in our gratitude for the support and commitment of our charity sponsors to the local community.
With all that in mind, it’s pretty easy to see why I love being involved with our charity initiative and why I’m pretty sure our sponsors enjoy it, too. If you’d also like to be involved, watch this video to relive this year’s best moments and learn how to sign up for 2026.
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- Conference registration and hotel block reservations open this month. Look for the announcement in Today’s News.
- All associate members, exhibitors, and sponsors attending the conference are welcome and encouraged to participate in Capitol Hill visits. Visit our website for information and look for additional details in the coming months.
- If you are an exhibitor, you may choose a new registration option this year: “exhibitor only.” This option allows exhibitors to attend general sessions and events but not pathway sessions.
- The new “exhibitor only” registration is completely optional. You may still register under a pathway of your choosing, based on availability.
- There is no price difference for an exhibitor-only registration.
- The exhibitor-only option will appear during the registration process under “Registration Fees” for those who are included on an exhibitor organization’s NASFAA staff roster.
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