Certification maintenance is required for all FAACs to encourage continued learning and professional development, and to promote continued advancement of knowledge and higher levels of excellence in financial aid administration. A minimum of 60 Recertification Points (RPs) must be earned within the three-year recertification period, unless the candidate is approved for inactive status. Candidates must be prepared to submit documentation to validate qualifying recertification points, as outlined below.
The RP activity categories are outlined below:
Remember to track your RPs in your Dashboard. Keep in mind, RPs are approved after an activity has occurred, based on the end date of the activity or service term. This timing is important, especially since it could make a difference to the three-year recertification period to which an activity applies. Consider these recertification strategies, as there are many factors to consider to make the process work best for you.
The following serves as a key for the various activity statuses within the Dashboard:
Financial Aid Related Training |
Point Value |
Required Documentation |
NASFAA U Specialist Designation | 12/designation | Specialist Certificate |
NASFAA Credential Earned (during the re-certification period) | 10/credential | Credential Certificate |
Institute/Bootcamp (Federal/State/Regional/Industry week-long immersive training) | 10/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
FSA Basic Training for New Staff | 10/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
FSA Coach Fundamentals (online portion of Fundamentals Training Series) | 10/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
FSA Coach Fundamentals Workshop (in-person portion of Fundamentals Training Series) | 10/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NASFAA U Online Courses 8-Week Course (successful completion required) | 10/course | Results tracked within NASFAA database |
NASFAA U Online Courses 4 to 5-Week Courses (successful completion required) | 8/course | Results tracked within NASFAA database |
FSA FISAP Training | 6/course | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
FSA Training for Foreign Schools | 6/course | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NASFAA's Blue Icon Advisors New Director Group Coaching and Aspiring Director Group Coaching | 5/course | Results tracked within NASFAA database |
AACRAO SEM Online Course | 4/course | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
FAFSAA Clock-Hour Workshop | 4/workshop | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NASFAA Authorized Event Workshop (independent of an Institute/Bootcamp) | 3/topic | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Attendance at a Pre-Conference Workshop at National, State, or Regional Association Conferences | 3/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
PowerFAIDS Virtual Basics Training | 3/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
AIR's IPEDS Courses & Workshops | 3/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Crucial Conversations Online Course | 3/course | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Workforce Professional Development Course or Workshop | 3/course | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Audit-Related Course or Workshop | 3/course | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
FSA Learning Track - Online Self-Paced Tutorials | 2/tutorial | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
ICAN FAFSA Completion Assistance Certification Program | 2/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
FSA Partner Connect Online Course | 1/course | Certificate of Attendance |
Financial Aid Training or Policy Webinars (FSA/NASFAA/Regions/States) | 1/webinar | Webinar Registration and/or Certificate of Attendance (if available) |
Workforce Professional Development Training Session or Webinar | 1/webinar | Webinar Registration and/or Certificate of Attendance (if available) |
Audit-Related Training Session or Webinar | 1/webinar | Webinar Registration and/or Certificate of Attendance (if available) |
Other - Subject to Commission review and approval (refer to Policy #21) | Varies | Varies |
Attendance at Professional Conferences |
||
Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Conference (In-Person or Virtual) | 10/conference | Certificate of Attendance/Other Proof of Participation |
NASFAA National Conference (in-person) | 10/conference | Attendance automatically tracked within NASFAA database |
NASFAA Virtual Conference | 10/conference | Certificate of Attendance/Other Proof of Participation |
NASFAA Leadership and Legislative Conference | 8/conference | Attendance automatically tracked within NASFAA database |
NASFAA Executive Roundtable | 7/event | Attendance automatically tracked within NASFAA database |
Professional Management Training (multi-day intensive leadership/management course or event)* | 7/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Regional Association Annual Conference | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Coalition of State University Aid Administrators (COSUAA) Annual Conference | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
College Board Annual Forum | 6/forum | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NACUBO (National Association of Colleges and University Business Officers) National Conference | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) National Conference | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NACAC (National Association of College Admissions Counseling) National Conference | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) National Conference | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) National Conference | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NASSGAP (National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs) Annual Conference | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Student Financial Aid Audit Seminar | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
APC (Association of Proprietary Colleges) Innovation Summit | 6/summit | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NCAN (National College Access Network) Annual Conference | 6/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Regional Leadership/Management Training | 5/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
State Association Annual or Bi-Annual Conference | 4/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
AVECO (Association of Veterans Education Certifying Officials) Conference | 4/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
College Board Colloquium | 4/colloquium | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
College Board: Campus Need Analysis Roundtable: CNAR | 4/roundtable | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NACUBO Student Financial Services Conference | 4/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) Conference | 4/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Student Financial Aid Research Network Annual (SFARN) Conference | 4/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Workforce Professional Development Conference | 4/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Audit-Related Training Conference | 4/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Higher Education Financial Wellness Summit | 3/summit | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
PDG Student Loans & Financial Services Conference | 3/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Higher Education User Group Alliance Virtual Conference | 3/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Alliance for the Low-Income and First-Generation Narrative (AL1GN) Conference | 3/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Higher Learning Commission Conference | 3/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
State/Regional Association Single-Day Conference/Training | 2/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Campus Logic Shift Summit/CouchCon | 2/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Blackbaud Annual Conference (BBCON) | 2/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Association for the Study of Higher Education Conference | 2/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
College Board Fall Update Workshop | 2/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Student Information System (SIS), Ellucian – Elive Conference | 2/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NACUBO Bursar Fundamentals Conference | 2/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
FSA Partner Summit | 2/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
College Board PowerFAIDS Conference | 2/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Vendor-Sponsored One-Day Title IV Aid-Related Training** | 2/event | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
NCORE Conference | 1/conference | Registration Confirmation/Event Program/Certificate of Attendance |
Other - Subject to Commission review and approval (refer to Policy #21) | Varies | Varies |
Advanced Degree(s) and Coursework |
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Doctorate degree in a financial aid related discipline (for example, Higher Education Administration) | 40/degree conferred | Transcript (official or unofficial), copy of diploma |
Master's degree in a financial aid related discipline (for example, Higher Education Administration) | 20/degree conferred | Transcript (official or unofficial), copy of diploma |
AACRAO SEM-EP Endorsement | 4/endorsement | Copy of certificate/badge |
Post-baccalaureate course in a financial aid related discipline (successful completion required) | 3/course | Transcript (official or unofficial) |
Microsoft Office Specialist***** |
1/certificate |
Copy of certificate |
Lean Six Sigma Belt (any color) |
1/course + 1/certificate |
Transcript (official or unofficial), copy of certificate |
Obtain financial aid related certificates and certifications | Varies | Transcript (official or unofficial), or copy of certificate |
Other - Subject to Commission review and approval (refer to Policy #21) | Varies | Varies |
Leadership, Engagement and Recognition**** |
||
Elected leadership service at national level | 15/position/year | Proof of service from an official source*** |
Elected leadership service at the state/regional level | 10/position/year | Proof of service from an official source*** |
Committee or Task force appointment at the national level | 4/position/year | Proof of appointment from an official source*** |
Committee or Task force appointment at the state/regional level | 3/position/year | Proof of appointment from an official source*** |
Mentor appointed by a state/regional association | 3/position/year | Proof of service from an official source*** |
Awards or personal recognition given to individual | 5/award | Image of Award or Proof of appointment from an official source*** |
MVP/Spotlight at the national/regional/state level | 2/recognition | Image of Award or Proof of appointment from an official source*** |
Other - Subject to Commission review and approval (refer to Policy #21) | Varies | Varies |
Speaking and Instruction |
||
Instruction at Institute/Bootcamp | 15/event | Proof of presentation or instruction from an official source*** |
Instruction at a NASFAA Authorized Event Workshop | 5/topic | Proof of presentation or instruction from an official source*** |
Instruction at Pre-Conference Workshop | 5/event | Proof of presentation or instruction from an official source*** |
Conference presentation at national, state, or regional level | 2/presentation | Proof of presentation or instruction from an official source*** |
Webinar training presentation | 2/presentation | Proof of presentation or instruction from an official source*** |
"Off the Cuff" or other financial aid-related podcast speaker | 1/episode | Proof of presentation or instruction from an official source*** |
ICAN FAFSA Completion presentation | 1/presentation | Proof of presentation or instruction from an official source*** |
Financial Aid Night presentation | 1/presentation | Proof of presentation or instruction from an official source*** |
College Goal Sunday Volunteer | 1/event | Proof of presentation or instruction from an official source*** |
Other - Subject to Commission review and approval (refer to Policy #21) | Varies | Varies |
Authorship |
||
Author a peer-reviewed article on a financial aid related topic that is published | 3/article | Copy of published article |
Article published in a state/regional association newsletter | 1/article | Copy of published article |
Other - Subject to Commission review and approval (refer to Policy #21) | Varies | Varies |
Advocacy |
||
Negotiated Rulemaking Representative | 15/committee | Committee Roster |
Congressional Testimony at Federal or State Level | 10/testimony | Proof of visit from an official source*** |
Visit with federal legislators and policymakers | 3/visit | Proof of visit from an official source*** |
Visit with regional and/or state legislators and policymakers | 2/visit | Proof of visit from an official source*** |
Provide research and documentation on financial aid related issues to legislators and policymakers (state, regional or federal level) | 1/occurrence | Upload research provided |
Other - Subject to Commission review and approval (refer to Policy #21) | Varies | Varies |
* Examples of Professional Management Training: ATD (Association for Talent Development), Harvard Business Review, College/University Leadership Symposium, Disney Institute Leadership and Business Training, College Board’s Enrollment Leadership Academy, NASFAA's Executive Leadership Collective, etc.
** Examples of Vendor-Sponsored One-Day Title IV Aid-Related Training: CampusLogic User Conference, the College Board PowerFAIDS Conference with Advanced Training Workshop, etc.
*** Examples include: Completed Leadership, Engagement, and/or Recognition Confirmation Form (download form), public announcements, copies of emails, screenshots of webpages, letter from association/committee/task force representative, etc.
**** Remember to submit a separate activity for each year you were involved in a leadership role. For example, if you served as a President-Elect, President, and Past President, you should submit a separate activity each year, as soon as possible after your service term ends.
***** Valid for Word, Excel, and Access at the Associate or Expert levels only. Awarded once within the same three-year recertification period for the same topic at the same level (i.e., a maximum of 6 RPs).
Publication Date: 12/5/2024