October State & Regional Association Updates
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
In this monthly round-up in Today's News, we would like to highlight what’s going on in your state and regional associations.
This month, we have the opportunity to hear from our colleagues from Texas, Ohio, Utah, North Carolina, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Oregon, the Pacific Financial Aid Association (PacFAA), the Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (WASFAA), and the Southwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SWASFAA).
Denise Welch, president of TASFAA (Texas), shares that the association is preparing to hold its annual conference on October 9-11. “We are so excited to be able to provide our members with an action-packed agenda,” Denise writes. More information on the annual conference can be found on TASFAA’s website.
Alexander Jordan, president of OASFAA (Ohio), shares that the association held its inaugural Intermediate Aid Officer Workshop event in September and is holding a Director's Day event on November 15. Both of these events are hosted at Franklin University. OASFAA also recently adopted a new official association logo earlier in August, Alexander writes.
Christina Ayres, president of UASFAA (Utah), shares that the association held its Fall Training in Cedar City, Utah, on September 27. This full-day event provided valuable updates and learning opportunities for financial aid professionals, Christina writes.
Lee Bray, president of NCASFAA (North Carolina), shares that registration is open for the association’s virtual conference, which will be held on November 6-7.
Kamia Mwango, president of FASFAA (Florida), shares that the association is holding its 2024-25 Clock Hour Workshop on November 4-6 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The workshop is designed for financial aid professionals looking to expand their knowledge of clock hours and non-standard term aid. Registration closes on October 28.
FASFAA also held a financial aid webinar in partnership with FCAN and Florida Shines, titled “Show Me The Money: How To Pay For College Without Breaking The Bank!” on September 24.
Jared Menghini, president of PASFAA (Pennsylvania), shares that the association is planning its yearly conference, which will be held at Kalahari Pocono Resorts on October 21-23. PASFAA is also continuing its work on creating a five-year strategic plan and updating its policy and procedures manual.
Jared shares that PASFAA is working on strengthening its relationships with business partners and ensuring the association’s long-term sustainability. PASFAA also continues its advocacy work, providing professional development resources for its members and promoting access to higher education funding for Pennsylvania students and families.
“October is the last month of my presidency which will be coming to an end with the conclusion of our annual conference,” Jared writes. “Serving in this role has been an honor and a privilege, and I am incredibly thankful for the support, collaboration, and dedication that this amazing community has demonstrated throughout my tenure.”
Rashinda Hutchinson, president of CASFAA (California), shares that the association launched “CASFAA Unfiltered,” a podcast designed to talk about financial aid in the state of California. “We've created a space to have candid conversations, and we've invited experts in the field to join us for future episodes as we dive into our state's many financial aid programs,” Rashinda writes.
Karen Ash, president of OASFAA (Oregon), shares that on October 12 in Salem Oregon, OASFAA is teaming up with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to walk with "Out Of The Darkness" in recognition of mental health awareness and with support from the association’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) Advisory board.
Additionally, OASFAA will hold its annual Financial Aid 101/201 events at Linn-Benton Community College on October 16, and at Mt. Hood Community College on October 22. This event offers an affordable, one-day training where participants can choose between the financial aid 101 and 201 tracks, Karen writes. Financial aid 101 is geared toward newer financial aid professionals with less than one year of experience. It is also a great primer course in financial aid for other student services professionals, such as academic advisors, TRIO advisors, business office staff, and high school counselors. Financial aid 201 is geared toward financial aid professionals who have some experience and are interested in advancing their skills.
Additionally, OASFAA is hosting a webinar, titled “The College Place: Paying for College/Pagar la Universidad,” which takes place on Wednesday, October 23, from 6 to 7:15 p.m. PT. The webinar will cover college costs, types of financial aid, and financial aid forms. The webinar will also feature an alumnus from The Ford Family Foundation’s Ford Scholar program, and financial aid professionals from around the state. This project is offered with help and support from OSAC, Oregon Goes to College, The Ford Family Foundation, and ECMC, Karen writes.
Sherrie Padilla, president of PacFAA, shares that Jeff Anderson, financial aid director at Kauaʻi Community College and past-president of the association, has just completed a “groundbreaking series of training sessions” across the Pacific Islands. This initiative marks the first time PacFAA has offered in-person support to our colleagues in this region, Sherrie writes.
Jeff visited Guam, Palau, and other key locations, including Palau Community College, the College of Micronesia - FSM, and the College of the Marshall Islands. While there, he held sessions covering updates and guidelines on the Pell Grant awarding process, Federal Work Study (FWS), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal Student Aid Application Processing (FISAP), among other 
topics. The training provided participants information on important financial aid processes and fostered a collaborative environment where they could exchange experiences and best practices, Sherrie adds.
“This exchange was pivotal in addressing shared challenges and developing strategies to support students effectively under the new FAFSA system,” Sherrie writes. “We are thrilled to see the positive impact of these sessions and look forward to continuing to support our partners in the Pacific Islands with further initiatives.”
Audra Main, president of SWASFAA, shares that the association is planning its SWASFAA/AASFAA A Few of Our Favorite Things Super Conference, happening in November in Little Rock, Arkansas. Audra noted that the super conference will have a Financial Aid Boot Camp, and will include presentations from Kristi Jovell, NASFAA’s national chair, Karen McCarthy, NASFAA’s vice president of public policy and federal relations, Melanie Storey from the Department of Education, and more. The association is also holding a 5K Jingle Bell Trot to raise money for the Logan Ware Professional Development Scholarship.
Bronwyn Garrison, president-elect of WASFAA, shares that the association is holding its Jerry R. Sims Management and Leadership Institute on October 22-24 in Portland, Oregon. Additionally, the association’s Virtual Training Series is in full swing with over a dozen sessions on a wide variety of topics, including FAFSA simplification, verification, taxes, professional judgement, mental health and more.
The association is also gearing up for several of the region’s state conferences, including IASFAA on October 3-4 at Boise State University, WFAA on October 16-18 in Spokane Valley, Washington, NAFAA on November 6-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and CASFAA on December 7-10 at Universal Studios, California.
Check back next month to see what your colleagues are doing across the country, and check out your colleagues’ updates from previous months!
Publication Date: 10/10/2024
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