The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) provides professional development for financial aid administrators; advocates for public policies that increase student access and success; nurtures community and belonging throughout the financial aid profession; and is committed to diversity throughout all activities.
In support of its mission, NASFAA will pursue and promote, in principle and practice, the diversity and inclusion of its membership to represent the profession and the students we serve. NASFAA promotes a culture of diversity and inclusion by encouraging involvement and access regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, appearance, geographic location, professional level or institution type.
The Diversity Officer supervises the organization's diversity and inclusion efforts, and sits on the NASFAA Board as a voting member. The Diversity Officer is responsible for guiding efforts to conceptualize, define, assess, nurture, and cultivate diversity as an institutional and educational resource. This individual, a volunteer appointed from among the NASFAA membership, is responsible for monitoring the board-sponsored strategic plan for diversity-building opportunities, for providing key input to the board on issues related to diversity and inclusivity, and for reporting on these efforts to the membership.
NASFAA's award-winning Diversity Leadership Program (DLP) provides selectees from a wide range of diverse backgrounds with a robust portfolio of benefits, mentorship, and guidance on how to develop as a financial aid association leader and contribute to the profession at the state, regional, and national level. Applications are reviewed annually and six institutional members of NASFAA, one from each region, are selected by a group of their colleagues.
This toolkit of resources intended to support diversity initiatives at the national, regional, and state levels was envisioned by the Board and the Association Governance Committee and created by a special task force of NASFAA members with experience in state and regional diversity efforts.
NASFAA convened a task force to assist with identifying and reducing bias in the administration of financial aid. Within the following toolkit, there are policies and procedural suggestions that begin to establish a neutral basis from which to build policies and deploy procedures in the administration of financial aid that reduce the operational influence of implicit bias.
Send your thoughts, questions, and comments regarding NASFAA's Diversity & Inclusion efforts. We'd love to hear what you think.