September State & Regional Association Updates
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
This month, we have the opportunity to hear from our colleagues from the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) and Pennsylvania about upcoming conferences in October.
Additionally, we get to hear from members in Illinois, the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and Massachusetts about recent training events.
Upcoming Conferences
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Vanessa Wiest, 2026 conference program chair of MASFAA, shares that the association is preparing for its 2026 annual conference on October 18-21 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The theme of this year’s conference is “Where We Gather, Greatness Happens,” which is designed to create space for financial aid professionals to work through what’s changing, think creatively about the challenges ahead, and strengthen new and existing connections across the region.
Vanessa adds that the conference will also focus on elevating the role of financial aid by creating conversations that highlight the expertise, leadership, and institutional impact financial aid professionals bring to their campuses. The conference’s tentative agenda offers an early look at how that vision is taking shape.
A few conference highlights include Sunday preconference opportunities, an expanded Leadership Experience, a dedicated Business Officer Track, and Wednesday Capstone Learning Labs designed to move beyond traditional breakout sessions into more focused and applied learning.
“After a year of navigating OB3 implementation alongside so many other changes across higher education, I hope this conference gives people a chance to reconnect with colleagues who understand the work, exchange ideas, and gain a fresh perspective on what comes next,” Vanessa writes. “More than anything, I hope people leave Cedar Rapids feeling energized, supported, and confident in the expertise and leadership financial aid professionals bring to their institutions and the students they serve.”
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Robin Walker, president of PASFAA (Pennsylvania), shares that the association will be holding its annual conference on October 26-28 at The Penn State Hotel and Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania. There will be professional development opportunities for all levels, from new financial aid members to more experienced financial aid members. "We Are Student Access" is this year's theme, Robin adds.
Recent Conferences
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Dawn Kamphaus, president of ILASFAA (Illinois), shares that the association was well represented at the 2026 NASFAA National Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. ILASFAA members enjoyed the opportunity to learn, network, and connect with financial aid colleagues from across the country, she adds.
Trainings
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Dawn Kamphaus, president of ILASFAA (Illinois), shares that the association brought members together online in August for the “OB3 Brown Bag”, providing another opportunity to learn and connect regarding the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
Additionally, the association is busy planning its fall workshops, with the association looking forward to offering opportunities for financial aid professionals to stay current, share ideas, and strengthen their professional knowledge as we head into another busy academic year.
“We’re excited for what’s ahead and look forward to continuing to learn, connect, and grow together with our members this fall!” Dawn writes.
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Sarah Baumhoff, communications and outreach chair of SASFAA, shares that the association held its first webinar, and has a full lineup of webinar topics for this year. She writes that anyone who joins SASFAA can join and participate in the association’s webinars.SASFAA is also busy planning its SASFAA Management Institution, which will be held October 12-14 in Lexington, Kentucky.
“We would love to have you join us,” Sarah writes.
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James McGehee, president of MASFAA (Massachusetts), shares that the association held a day-long workshop for first time managers at Endicott College. Participants took a DiSC assessment prior to the workshop. During the event, a DiSC expert walked participants through learning about their own work style and provided strategies for working with colleagues with differing work styles.
Additional topics covered during the workshop included managing up, understanding institutional dynamics, providing clear communication and feedback to employees, conflict management, and delegation.
“The participants now have a support group of other new managers from across the state that they can reach out to for advice,” James writes.
Looking ahead, MASFAA has webinars planned from several committees, including the annual FISAP Workshop from the association’s Professional Development & Training Committee, a session on pipeline programs from the association’s Access, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee, and a session on financial wellness education for international students from the association’s Financial Wellness Education Committee. MASFAA’s Early Awareness & Outreach committee also plans to attend a GearUp College Fair to provide students with advice on how to afford college.
Additional Updates
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Sarah Baumhoff, communications and outreach chair of SASFAA, shares that the SASFAA Board held their transitional board meeting in Jacksonville, Florida on July 18-19.
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: 9/15/2026
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