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Turning Challenges Into Opportunities: Positioning Financial Aid as a Strategic Leader in Enrollment Management

Session Type:

Concurrent Session

Tracks:

In the evolving higher education landscape, financial aid is more than just a support service; it’s a strategic asset directly impacting enrollment outcomes. While FAFSA simplification brought unique challenges, it also provided us the opportunity to take a proactive approach and use challenge as a catalyst for change. This session will explore how financial aid and enrollment leaders can navigate current challenges such as FAFSA, shifting demographics, and economic changes to integrate financial aid into the enrollment strategy and reposition our institutions. Panelists will discuss innovative approaches to aligning financial aid with institutional goals, maintaining or reconsidering timelines despite FAFSA delays, and leveraging data to inform decision-making. Attendees will gain insights on moving beyond transactional roles and embracing strategic leadership by enhancing their ability to influence enrollment management and institutional sustainability. We will discuss how to maintain the attention and momentum financial aid received on campuses due to FAFSA simplification and how enrollment managers can best support and partner with financial aid teams. This session will offer practical tools and case studies to help financial aid professionals and enrollment managers transform challenges into opportunities for growth and impact that move our students toward graduation.

Thursday, June 26

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

204 AB

Session Speakers

Rodrick Andrews

Assistant Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid
State University of New York at Oswego

Sector: Unspecified

Joffery Gaymon

Vice President
Auburn University

Sector: Unspecified

Shana Gore

Associate Vice President, Enrollment
Ithaca College

Sector: Nonprofit

Chuck Knepfle

Independent Enrollment Management Consultant
Portland State University

Sector: Unspecified

Celena Tulloss, FAAC

Asst VP and Executive Director
Auburn University

Sector: Public 4-Yr

Celena Tulloss, FAAC®, currently serves as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Executive Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Auburn University. She has over 20 years’ experience in financial aid, having served as the Executive Director of Financial Aid at Lincoln Memorial University, the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the Director of Scholarship Integration & Operations at the University of Utah . Her personal experience, as the child of a first-generation college student from rural Appalachia, resulted in a passion for access and a mission to help others experience the transformative change that comes from education. Celena is actively involved in leading professional organizations dedicated to the advancement of student financial aid, through training and advocacy. She has served in many roles, including the President of the Tennessee Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (TASFAA), and the only 2 term President of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA). Celena also volunteers with NASFAA as a member of the Rapid Response Network, a frequent conference and webinar presenter, and will serve on the NASFAA Board of Directors as Representative at Large.

Session Moderator

David Alexander

Director Financial Assistance Compliance
ECPI University

Sector: Unspecified

David Alexander is the Director of Financial Assistance Compliance at ECPI University. He brings over 18 years of leadership experience in financial aid, having held positions such as Financial Aid Manager, Financial Aid Director, and Director of Financial Assistance Compliance throughout his career. David earned both his bachelor's degree and MBA from Kaplan University, now known as Purdue University Global. David has held prominent roles in several professional organizations. He served as President of the Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (FASFAA) for two consecutive terms from 2017 to 2019. He has also actively contributed to the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA) and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) in a variety of capacities. His roles have included member of the Electronics Committee, NASFAA Program Task Force (2021–22), SASFAA Director’s Summit Chair (2022–23), SASFAA GAP Committee member (2022–23), and Rep-at-large for the NASFAA Board of Directors (2023–25). Throughout his career, David has been a frequent presenter and moderator at conferences across state, regional, and national levels. Beyond his professional work, he enjoys spending quality time with his wife and four children, writing and adapting children's educational books into film, and pursuing his passion for investing.

Please note: Session titles, descriptions, speakers, and dates/times are subject to change.