Melanie Storey Named NASFAA's Next President & CEO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Allie Arcese
Sr. Director, Strategic Communications
(202) 785-6954
[email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH 25, 2025 — The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) today announced Melanie Storey as its new President & CEO, effective May 1, 2025. With decades of experience in federal higher education policy and implementation, Storey brings a depth of knowledge of financial aid operations, innovative leadership, and operational management to the position.
After a monthslong search and evaluation, NASFAA's Presidential Search Committee — comprised of a group of practicing financial aid professionals from the Board of Directors — chose Storey to take the helm of the association at a pivotal time for the financial aid profession. Storey comes to NASFAA after serving as Director of Policy Implementation and Oversight at the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). During her time at the Department, Storey led a team to provide policy development and implementation strategy on emerging proposals related to federal financial aid. She was active in the development and delivery of critical FSA initiatives, including federal student loan debt relief and implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act, and regularly represented the Department and FSA before congressional staff, administration leadership, and higher education leaders.
"I am thrilled to share this exciting news with our members. Many in the financial aid community are already familiar with Melanie and her unwavering support for financial aid professionals," said Sharon Oliver, chair of the Presidential Search Committee. "Throughout her career, Melanie has been a steadfast advocate for students and financial aid policy. I am confident she will bring this same dedication to our shared mission in her new role as President and CEO of NASFAA."
Prior to joining the Department, Storey spent several years at The College Board overseeing the organization's higher education policy priorities and providing financial aid policy expertise to higher education membership of more than 2,000 institutional leaders. Storey also held leadership roles at the American Council on Education, where she developed and led the implementation of three national public service campaigns, responded to federal legislative proposals impacting higher education, and authored and commissioned research on federal and national higher education policy issues.
She holds a master's degree in public affairs with a focus on higher education from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and bachelor's degrees in economics and public policy from Smith College.
Storey takes the reins of the association at a consequential time for the financial aid profession. As the Department of Education's workforce is diminished and the federal regulatory landscape evolves with the new presidential administration, the financial aid profession must continue to find ways to make higher education accessible to all students, while remaining good stewards of more than $1.5 trillion in federal and taxpayer funds.
"As a proud, first-generation graduate and financial aid recipient, I know the transformative power of higher education. I am excited to lead the organization that provides that opportunity for millions of students," Storey said. "It is no secret that it has been a challenging few years in higher education and financial aid specifically. The recent Covid and FAFSA crises have amplified the critical role financial aid administrators play in the broad landscape of higher education stability and sustainability. As we continue to see dramatic changes coming from Washington, NASFAA can build on that momentum and expand its strong voice for the profession and the students we serve. I look forward to bringing my experience and passion for higher education to a mission and a membership that I admire."
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About NASFAA
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership organization that represents more than 29,000 financial aid professionals at approximately 3,000 colleges, universities, and career schools across the country. NASFAA member institutions serve nine out of every 10 undergraduates in the U.S. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial aid administrators.
Publication Date: 3/25/2025