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 in Washington, Utah, Florida, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, and the Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (WASFAA).

Melanie Ruiz, president of WFAA (Washington), shared that the association held a special election to fill the President-elect vacancy. Molly Walsh from DigiPen Institute of Technology will serve as President-elect through September 30 and will assume the role of WFAA president on October 1, 2025. 

Christina Ayres, past president of UASFAA (Utah), shares that the association’s March conference was a success, and brought together over 100 financial aid professionals from across Utah.”The energy, collaboration, and shared expertise made it a truly memorable event — and provided a strong foundation for what’s ahead,” Christina writes. She adds that the association is excited to continue building on that momentum with new initiatives and opportunities to support the community. 

Christina concluded her term as UASFAA president on April 30 and has begun her role as past president. Jayson Matlock will step into the role of UASFAA president on May 1. “We look forward to his leadership and the continued progress of our association under his guidance,” Christina writes. 

Kamia Mwango, president of FASFAA (Florida), shares that the association’s annual conference will be held May 28-30 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Florida. Embracing this year’s theme – Guardians of Access: Care, Innovation, Advocacy – the event will feature tracks for new and intermediate professionals, directors, and FAAC^® candidates, along with a Director’s Summit on May 27. Additionally, a first-time attendee event welcomes newcomers. The agenda for the conference is now live. Conference attendees will also get a #FASFAAFirstLook at a newly unveiled feature designed to take FASFAA membership to the next level, Kamia writes. 

Dustin Davidson, president of OASFAA (Oklahoma), shares that the association held its annual conference on April 9-11, with 150 attendees, of which 50 attended a pre-conference NASFAA U Credential for Professional Judgement. “We were fortunate to have Karen McCarthy in person with us and provide two fantastic presentations,” Dustin writes. The conference theme was “Embrace the Wild of Financial Aid,” which even had a petting zoo one afternoon. 

Vanessa Wiest, co-chair of IASFAA’s (Iowa) program committee, shares that the association held its spring conference from April 9-11 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Under the new institutional membership model launched for 2024-25, the event drew the highest number of attendees since 2010, featuring a dynamic lineup of sessions, panels, and networking opportunities, Vanessa writes. 

Conference highlights included a charity partnership with Horizons Family Services, a tailgate-themed engagement night, and a beloved PIE fundraiser, where six IASFAA attendees, exhibitors, and leaders threw or took a pie to the face in support of a good cause. This year also marked IASFAA’s return to offering a one-day track designed for business officers. Sessions focused on collaboration between financial aid and student accounts, while still maintaining a full program of relevant sessions for financial aid professionals across all levels and institution types. 

Looking ahead, IASFAA is excited to host the MASFAA Annual Conference in October 2026. “We are eager to welcome colleagues from across the Midwest to Iowa, promising a conference filled with innovation, collaboration, and Iowa hospitality,” Vanessa writes. 

Tanya McGee, past president of KASFAA (Kansas), shares that the association’s spring conference was held April 2-4 in Manhattan, Kansas. The conference included great sessions and opportunities for networking. 

“We escaped reality for a few days on an Island Getaway that helped us return to our offices refreshed and relaxed post-conference, as seen in the photo where Dori Roth had to explain to the TSA agent (Tony Tanking) what was in her suitcase,” Tanya writes.

The association especially enjoyed meeting our RMASFAA State Swap attendee, Becky McAllister, who traveled from Eastern Wyoming College to the conference. She’s captured in the photo as she was enjoying conversation with Justin Chase Brown, RMASFAA President, and Brenda Hicks from Southwestern College, Tanya writes. 

Additionally, Tanya writes that the association is committed to providing training and professional development opportunities to members, and one of the ways KASFAA fosters this is by providing scholarship opportunities to attend RMAFSAA’s Summer Institute. This year KASFAA is able to provide four scholarships, which includes Ryan Hernandez from Kansas State University, William Rombach II from Benedictine College, Leslie Dull from Haskell Indian Nations University, and Antonio Hernandez-Reynoso from Wichita State University. 

Tanya adds that the association is currently seeking volunteers to serve on committees for next year. 

Jared Menghini, president of PASFAA (Pennsylvania), shares that the association held Spring Training sessions. These sessions focused on key topics like FAFSA simplification, state grant processing, and compliance updates. Members can access the materials through the PASFAA website. 

Jared also shared upcoming association events, including the 2025 Don Raley Institute. Registration is open for the in-person institute, a professional development event tailored for financial aid professionals. 

The 2025 PASFAA Conference is also scheduled for October 13-15 at the Marriott Lancaster Penn Square. The annual conference will feature sessions on financial aid policy, leadership development, and networking opportunities. 

PASFAA has also announced the revival of its NextPAGE newsletter, aiming to enhance communication and provide timely updates to members. Jared writes that this initiative reflects PASFAA's commitment to keeping members informed about developments in financial aid administration. 

Lastly, Jared shares that the application period for the PASFAA Student Scholarship is open from January 1 through May 15, 2025. Eligible Pennsylvania residents enrolled at least half-time in post-secondary programs are encouraged to apply. Seven scholarships of $1,000 each will be awarded, with recipients announced in July.  

Debbie O'Dea, president of OASFAA (Oregon), shares that the association held its first quarterly Executive Council (EC) meeting for the 2025-26 cycle. “It was a productive gathering, welcoming our new EC members, planning upcoming events for our members, and discussing the final year of our strategic plan,” Debbie writes. 

Heather Dearman, president of MASFAA (Mississippi), shares that the association hosted its annual conference with the theme “Finding our Oasis in the Midst of Chaos" on April 23-24. The conference included speakers such as NASFAA’s Dana Kelly, SASFAA’s Joan Bailey and Tracy Rapp, and numerous business partners and members who spoke on relevant topics related to the profession. She adds to save the date for next year's conference at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson, Mississippi, on April 22-24, 2026. 

Carmen Rivera Laboy, EASFAA representative for PRASFAA (Puerto Rico), shares that the association hosted its spring training at the UPR-Bayamon, with over 170 PRASFAA members. Some of the topics at the training include verification, immigration, the audit process, and a presentation about the Puerto Rico population profile. 

Bronwyn Garrison, president of WASFAA, shares that its upcoming Sister Dale Brown Summer Institute will take place on June 9-13 at the University of San Diego. With beginner, intermediate, and advanced tracks, all attendees will participate in general sessions aligned with NASFAA’s financial aid competency framework, including topics like laws and regulations, customer service, career development, technological proficiency, leadership skills, and the business of education, Bronwyn writes. The institute will also have multiple NASFAA U credential opportunities, including application processing, cost of attendance, need analysis, packaging, and Pell Grant.

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: 5/20/2025

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