Member Spotlight: Becoming an FAAC®, Career Growth, and Elevating the Financial Aid Profession
By Chloe Stanley, NASFAA Communications and Engagement Assistant
In a recent WASFAA article, Brittney Rosas-Lauderdale reflected on her FAAC® journey and described how her experience introduced her to financial aid professionals whose knowledge, passion, and commitment inspired her to pursue a larger role in the profession.
"They helped me see financial aid not simply as regulations and compliance, but as a career built on service, integrity, continuous learning, and helping students navigate one of the most important investments they'll ever make," said Brittney, who currently serves as a financial aid systems tech at Portland Community College.
Building on her story, Brittney shared with Today’s News how earning the FAAC® designation strengthened her sense of belonging within the professional community, affirmed her knowledge of the regulations and processes for administering Title IV aid, and reinforced her commitment to supporting student success.
Learn more about how Brittney’s experience with the Certified Financial Aid Administrator® Program changed her perspective on financial aid, the resources she used to prepare for the exam, and more in the Q&A below!
Considering earning the FAAC® designation? Register for the Fall CFAA® Exam Preparation Online Workshop, which starts September 22.
How did the CFAA Program affirm your knowledge and expertise as a financial aid professional?
Because it covers so many different topics, it pushed me out of my comfort zone. In my previous role as a senior financial aid counselor, I handled R2T4 calculations and SAP, and I expanded my knowledge to include all the components of being a financial aid administrator, even though I'm not currently in an associate director role. I've earned all of the credentials. I've earned most of my credentials multiple times over, just to make sure that I'm keeping up with updates to regulations and policy.
Even during my brief hiatus while working in student accounts, I remained committed to financial aid and knew I wanted to go back. Pursuing the FAAC designation kept me engaged within the profession.
How did the CFAA program change how you viewed financial aid as a career?
The CFAA program lends credibility and value to the role. It shows people that there is a pathway to advancement that doesn't necessarily require climbing the ladder within their office or institution. This growth and community building are essential to professional development and impactful for keeping people in the profession.
When you've built a community that makes you feel like you belong and that you're not only wanted but needed as a voice, it encourages you to put yourself out there in ways you never would have thought of. Just as we encourage our students to persevere, we encourage our colleagues to do the same within the financial aid community.
Yes, earning the FAAC is an honorable distinction, but really, it's about building that community and showing that people take this seriously, lending credibility to the profession. When a person feels they belong in a space, they are likely to stay and pursue it as a career path.
Did earning the FAAC change your perspective on your role as a financial aid professional?
A lot of the first FAAC’s I met were associate directors, directors, or people who had been in higher education for 10-plus years. I’d only been in financial aid for about three years.
These were all people I looked up to and respected, and I never thought that I would have a seat at the table. It can seem like this big, intimidating, and scary thing. But the FAAC designation is not reserved only for people who have worked in financial aid for years and years. I learned that you shouldn’t minimize your day-to-day experience working with the information.
How did pursuing the FAAC help expand your professional network and foster a sense of belonging?
Studying for the CFAA exam actually kept me engaged with the financial aid profession as well as my association work. Building those relationships makes all the difference for professional development and growth, and having people encourage you and make you feel welcome in the profession is especially important for new professionals.
I knew I loved the work, but it was the community that helped me find my way back to financial aid after my eight-month hiatus. Connecting with financial aid professionals who have the passion and mentors who poured into me allows me to now pour that passion back into the community. Having that network of support keeps people engaged with the profession.
What resources helped you prepare for and succeed in earning the FAAC designation?
WASFAA’s FAAC preparation workshop, the preparation guide, and NASFAA’s self-study guides were amazing. The preparation workshop connected me to other financial aid professionals, and being able to reach out to those resources and share knowledge and expertise was really valuable; we encouraged each other. Having that network and community helped build my confidence.
Additionally, I used the credentials as a tool to study. I tested myself on subjects I wasn’t as strong with by retaking some of the credentials. That was a huge part of my preparation, because the credentials go deeper into specific subjects, while the CFAA exam covers many different topics more broadly.
NASFAA's resources were honestly the best thing. When I reached out to NASFAA last year asking about the exam, the credentialing team responded immediately. They were kind and encouraging, and they really helped me. I think that is a testament to the program.
What advice would you give to fellow financial aid professionals?
As financial aid administrators, when we're talking to students about costs and financial impact, we are telling them to take a risk on themselves and invest in themselves. If we are not doing the same thing, what are we doing?
It's important to put yourself out there and take that risk to pursue professional development, even when there are barriers – whether it's self-doubt or feeling like you haven't been in the profession long enough. By the time I obtained my FAAC, I had been a financial aid counselor for only three years, and prior to that, I had been at the front desk for eight months.
If you don't feel like you're ready, take credentials, take those opportunities, and keep proving to yourself that you can do it.
Invest in yourself. Invest in your community, and it will pay off. Get involved in associations. Sometimes, especially when you're newer, it can feel hard, but push yourself out of your comfort zone because it does pay off, and it does build those relationships. Reach out to people and mentors you trust to talk things through, because you'll be surprised at the guidance they can offer you.
Publication Date: 9/4/2026
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