This year, we expect several hundred first-time NASFAA conference attendees, and whether it is your first or fifteenth year as a financial aid professional, we know it can be a bit overwhelming to attend a conference for the first time! The NASFAA staff and NASFAA 2026 Conference First-Time Attendee Task Force want to make your first NASFAA conference a welcoming, enjoyable, and educational experience. With that goal in mind, we have developed this page as a central hub for first-timers to stay up to date on important information and events!
Curious what your first NASFAA National Conference experience will be like? Read one attendee's perspective on the connections, insights, and unexpected moments that made their first conference experience last year at NASFAA 2025 unforgettable.
Download the NASFAA Conference App
We encourage you to register for these helpful webinars:
From First Conference to Lasting Connections: Navigating NASFAA 2026
NASFAA 2026 National Conference: Your Insider's Guide and AMA Session
Join our NASFAA 2026 National Conference Community, powered by Slack, dedicated to connecting, sharing, and networking. You can use the channel to find someone to share a ride to and from the airport, participate in the Charity 5K together, ask questions to the organizers, and meet new people. This channel will be dedicated to preparing for the conference, sharing pictures, and more.
Check out the Conference Schedule
This exclusive gathering is designed to provide a warm, inviting environment for individuals joining us for the first time. Enjoy some food, network with mentors and colleagues, and have fun!
Monday, June 29, from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland AC
Included with registration fee.
Note: The RSVP window for this event is now closed.
A conference mentor is a fellow financial aid professional who has attended the NASFAA National Conference before and is ready to help you make the most of your first time here. Whether you've been in financial aid for two years or twenty, navigating a new conference, the sessions, the networking, the layout, the unofficial "don't miss" moments, is its own learning curve.
This year, first-time attendees will be connected in small groups, or "pods," each guided by an experienced mentor. That means you'll not only have an insider to help you find your footing, you'll also arrive at the conference already knowing a handful of fellow first-timers to look for in the crowd.
Your mentor can help you think through your session schedule, introduce you to colleagues in your corner of the field, and point you toward the best spots to connect between sessions. Your pod is a ready-made network from day one.
This isn't about being new to financial aid. It's about having an insider — and a crew — for your first NASFAA.
Note: If you missed the deadline to request a conference mentor, we are still happy to get you matched with someone! Please email Charlotte Etier, director of research at NASFAA: [email protected] for assistance.
New this year! Make sure to stop by Innovation Hall and visit the First-Time Attendee booth! Join us at the booth for some fun games and prizes. Also, if you can’t make it to the kick-off reception, stop by to pick up your button and connect with a mentor!
For any questions on the First-Time Attendee Booth, contact Christine Attardo at [email protected].