Here are the topics available for NASFAA Speaking engagements. Learn more about the speakers, review our Tips for Hosting a NASFAA Representative, and request a speaker for your upcoming event.

• Advocacy and You
• Aid at the SEM Table: Leadership, Data, and Impact
• Ask Me (Almost) Anything: A Conversation with NASFAA's President & CEO
• Beyond the Classroom: Holistic Support to Address Students' Basic Needs
• Beyond the Office: Leading Forward in Enrollment and Financial Aid
• Bloom Through Change: Building Resilience and Finding Support in Uncertain Times
• Building your Skills as a Leader: Emotional Intelligence 101
• Career Path Awareness for Financial Aid
• Driving with Data
• Empowering Student Success Through Student-Centered Evaluative Processes
• From Enrollment to Engagement: Scaling Retention and Belonging Across a Multi-Campus System
• From Story to Strategy: Navigating the Policy Process Through Advocacy
• Higher Education in the Public Eye: Historical Trends on the Role of U.S. Colleges and Universities
• "I'm Just a Bill, and I'm Sitting Here on Capitol Hill": How a Bill Really Becomes a Law
• Inside the Beltway Update
• Leading Through Change: A Cross-College Approach to Student Success
• NASFAA Spotlight
• One Big Beautiful Bill Act Updates
• Professional Judgment Best Practices
• Promoting Financial Wellness for First-Generation College Students
• The Federal Budget and Student Aid
• The Light of a Leader
• Top AskRegs Questions
• Unlocking Access: Partnering with Financial Aid for FAFSA Success
• Using NASFAA Tools
• What's New in Administrative Capability

Advocacy and You

This session will touch on the main principles of successful advocacy strategies. An overview will be given of how NASFAA enacts those strategies at the federal level through relationships with congressional staffers, the Department of Education, and the presidential administration. In addition to highlighting useful NASFAA tools and resources, the session will cover tips and strategies on how to successfully advocate at the grassroots level. 

Speaker Options: Karen McCarthy, Nalia Medina, Rachel Rotunda, Jill Desjean, or Sarah Austin

Aid at the SEM Table: Leadership, Data, and Impact

Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) is most effective when financial aid leadership is fully integrated into institutional planning and decision-making. This session explores how financial aid leaders can drive enrollment outcomes by using data to inform strategies, improve the learner experience, and align resources with institutional goals. Participants will gain insight into the critical role of executive leadership in shaping, supporting, and sustaining SEM efforts.

The session will highlight how to connect financial aid strategies with broader enrollment and student success initiatives, linking existing institutional plans and aligning tactics for maximum impact. Presenters will share practical approaches to embedding SEM as an institutional connector—bridging cross-functional teams and unifying departmental goals.

Whether you're building a SEM foundation or refining your current model, this session offers actionable insights for positioning financial aid leadership as a catalyst for enrollment, equity, and student success.

Speaker: Dr. Angela Johnson

Ask Me (Almost) Anything: A Conversation with NASFAA's President & CEO

No slides, no script - bring your questions and join Melanie for an open and engaging "Ask Me Anything" session. This is your opportunity to hear directly from NASFAA's president & CEO about her vision, priorities, and insights on the future of financial aid policy and administration. Whether you're curious about leadership goals, advocacy strategies, 'what was Congress thinking', or ways NASFAA plans to support the financial aid community, bring your questions and be part of this open and candid conversation. 

Speaker: Melanie Storey

Beyond the Classroom: Holistic Support to Address Students' Basic Needs

College students often face challenges beyond academics, particularly food and housing insecurity, which can significantly impact their ability to stay enrolled and succeed. This session explores how creative and practical strategies can address these basic needs through targeted programs and collaborative partnerships. This session highlights innovative approaches to provide students with access to food, stable housing, and other essential resources and shares how cross-functional teams and community partnerships were leveraged to build a sustainable support system, remove barriers, foster student well-being, and enhance retention through a more holistic approach. Whether you're beginning to address basic needs or looking to expand existing efforts, this session offers inspiration and strategies to help students thrive.

Speaker: Dr. Angela Johnson

Beyond the Office: Leading Forward in Enrollment and Financial Aid

Leadership in higher education is evolving—and so are the roles of financial aid professionals and enrollment managers. This session explores how financial aid experts can expand their influence, drive strategic decisions, and transition into broader institutional leadership. Learn how to leverage your expertise, data fluency, and cross-campus collaborations to lead beyond compliance and contribute to mission-critical priorities such as student success, equity, and strategic enrollment. Whether you're an emerging leader or a seasoned administrator seeking your next move, this session offers practical strategies to elevate your leadership, strengthen your voice at the table, and chart your path forward.

Speaker: Dr. Angela Johnson

Bloom Through Change: Building Resilience and Finding Support in Uncertain Times

As financial aid professionals navigate ongoing policy shifts, operational challenges, enrollment pressures, and evolving student needs, resilience has become an essential leadership competency. In environments where uncertainty is constant, sustaining effectiveness requires more than perseverance—it requires intentional strategies, strong partnerships, and a supportive professional network.

This session explores how individuals and teams can build resilience while maintaining focus on student success and institutional priorities. Participants will examine practical approaches for strengthening cross-campus relationships, leveraging professional associations and peer networks, fostering collaboration during times of change, and creating support systems that reduce isolation and increase organizational capacity. Through reflection and discussion, attendees will identify strategies for managing uncertainty, leading through disruption, and remaining grounded in purpose as they adapt to a rapidly changing higher education landscape.

Attendees will leave with a resilience framework, relationship-building strategies, and actionable practices they can apply immediately to support personal effectiveness, team success, and institutional goals.

Speaker: Dr. Angela Johnson

Building your Skills as a Leader: Emotional Intelligence 101

Want to learn more about Emotional Intelligence and how to regulate your own emotions and help to cheer up or calm down another person? You will gain skills to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. Learn how to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking, behavior and problem solving. Be prepared to participate by taking your own Emotional Intelligence Assessment and sharing with others as we learn together.

Speaker: Heidi Carl

Career Path Awareness for Financial Aid

Who are we as a profession, and why do we do the work we do? Hear some of the work of the recent NASFAA Career Path Awareness Thought Force and learn how to fall in love with financial aid all over again. Recognize that change in our profession is constant, so how do you survive and build your stories that lead to your WHY! The work of a financial aid professional is wide and varied, so how do we find something for everyone to be satisfied and fulfilled and become lifelong financial aid professionals? Learn how to tell your story using the newly released Career Awareness Toolkit.

Speaker: Heidi Carl

Driving with Data

Data surrounds us in everything we do. How do you begin to measure what is important? It begins with deciding your goals. What do you want to know or build or improve? Is it your student service metrics that could help tell your service story? Is it building the enrollment characteristics of your students who enroll, retain, and graduate? Do you want to build goals for your staff team that are measurable and attainable? Come learn some of the ways to aggregate your data and begin to tell the story of your office and the ways you serve students. 

Speaker: Heidi Carl

Empowering Student Success Through Student-Centered Evaluative Processes

Learn from Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology to evaluate and improve student onboarding. A cross-functional team of administrators, faculty, and staff thoroughly reviewed the enrollment process to identify and eliminate barriers to student access. This involved assessing the entire student onboarding journey—from marketing and outreach to application, financial aid, registration, and payment—focusing on process efficiency, communication gaps, and technology use. This strategic change management effort revealed opportunities to realign enrollment and student affairs functions to better support students and streamline services. The presenter will share moving from evaluation to implementation, redesigning the recruitment and retention models, and enhancing the student-centered experience.

Speaker: Dr. Angela Johnson

From Enrollment to Engagement: Scaling Retention and Belonging Across a Multi-Campus System

This session explores a strategic, data-informed approach to scaling student retention efforts beyond enrollment by emphasizing belonging, integrated student support, and continuous improvement through Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM). Participants will learn how enrollment management, financial aid, student services, academic affairs, and institutional research can leverage real-time data on course completion, student engagement, and utilization of support services to identify barriers, target interventions, and improve student persistence. Drawing on practical examples and lessons learned, the session demonstrates how to develop retention playbooks and action plans that align with institutional priorities, guide resource allocation, and embed equity-focused measures into student success strategies. 

Speaker: Dr. Angela Johnson

From Story to Strategy: Navigating the Policy Process Through Advocacy

Advocacy is most powerful when it's personal—and effective when it's informed.  We'll review the building blocks of policy development, the legislative process, and regulatory implementation as a backdrop to how and when to turn your knowledge and experience into compelling advocacy that can influence outcomes.  You'll learn how to tell your story in a way that resonates with lawmakers and stakeholders, while also gaining a foundational understanding of how legislation is created, passed, and implemented.  Whether you're new to advocacy or looking to sharpen your skills, this session will equip you with tools to make your voice count at every stage of the process.

Speaker: Melanie Storey

Higher Education in the Public Eye: Historical Trends on the Role of U.S. Colleges and Universities

Explore the role of U.S. higher education as a public good—an essential driver of democratic participation, social mobility, and economic well-being.  Using data, we'll examine shifts in public opinion about the role of higher education, evolving policy priorities, trends in access and affordability, as well as long-term outcomes such as degree attainment, workforce development, and research leadership. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how higher education in the U.S. has shaped—and been shaped by—social, economic, and political forces, and what that means for its future as a public good.

Speaker: Melanie Storey

"I'm Just a Bill, and I'm Sitting Here on Capitol Hill": How a Bill Really Becomes a Law

Schoolhouse Rock!'s iconic "I'm Just a Bill" video only had it partially right. It didn't cover authorization vs. appropriation legislation, regulatory vs. statutory guidance, mandatory vs. discretionary spending, or negotiated rulemaking. In financial aid, how does a bill really become a law? And how do we implement it once it gets signed? To quote Schoolhouse Rock!, "While a few key congressmen discuss and debate whether they should let me be a law. How I hope and pray that they will, but today I am still just a bill." How do we help bills cross the finish line and, more importantly, what happens once they do?

Speaker Options: Karen McCarthy, Nalia Medina, or Rachel Rotunda

Inside the Beltway Update

This NASFAA Federal Update will provide an overview of the latest developments in Washington, including a high-level look at the current political climate in D.C., and will focus on federal financial aid policy and how it has impacted students and institutions in recent years. Topics include recent legislative and regulatory activity and predictions for how student aid funding will fare in upcoming budget negotiations. Movement within the Department of Education concerning negotiated rulemaking and updates from Federal Student Aid (FSA) will also be discussed. The session will also provide an overview of NASFAA-led projects, services, and advocacy efforts.

Speaker Options: Melanie Storey, Karen McCarthy, Jill Desjean, Rachel Rotunda, Nalia Medina, or Sarah Austin

Leading Through Change: A Cross-College Approach to Student Success

As colleges and universities prepare for significant regulatory, enrollment, and operational changes, institutional success will depend on more than compliance—it will require collaboration. This session explores how Financial Aid, Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and executive leadership can work together to strengthen institutional readiness and support students through uncertainty. Participants will examine strategies for breaking down silos, aligning priorities, preparing staff for change, and creating a more coordinated student experience. Through discussion and practical examples, attendees will explore how cross-functional partnerships can improve decision-making, enhance organizational agility, and advance student success. Join us as we consider what it takes to lead forward together in a rapidly evolving higher education landscape.

Speaker: Dr. Angela Johnson

NASFAA Spotlight

Get an update on association activities, professional development and training opportunities, and the association's volunteer and public policy work. Learn how you can get involved.

Speaker Options: National Chairs, NASFAA Board Members  

One Big Beautiful Bill Act Updates 

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduced sweeping changes to federal student aid programs, impacting everything from Pell Grants and student loans to institutional accountability measures. In this session, NASFAA policy experts will break down the key student aid provisions, explain what they mean for institutions and students, and highlight areas requiring further guidance from the Department of Education. This session will cover recent updates, including lawsuits, proposed legislative changes, and other implementation-related actions. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the legislative changes and anticipated timelines for implementation.

Speaker Options: Karen McCarthy, Jill Desjean, Dana Kelly, or Sarah Austin

Professional Judgment Best Practices

Professional judgment (PJ) is sometimes viewed as one of the more challenging aspects of Title IV program administration. In relation to other aspects of Title IV federal student aid administration, there are both explicit and implicit guidelines that must be followed. This session will explore guiding principles and best practices that can be applied on your campus.

Speaker: Dana Kelly, or another designated NASFAA Training & Regulatory Assistance  staff member, dependent on timing

Promoting Financial Wellness for First-Generation College Students

First-generation college students (FGCS) often navigate higher education without the benefit of family experience or insider knowledge, and they face unique academic, social, and financial challenges. This session offers a practical framework for supporting FGCS through holistic, equity-centered approaches that can be implemented or scaled at any institution. Participants will explore strategies that integrate social and emotional learning (SEL) with targeted financial guidance to strengthen students' belonging, well-being, and success. Presenters will share low-cost, high-impact practices to improve retention and graduation rates by fostering academic engagement, emotional resilience, and economic stability.

Speaker: Dr. Angela Johnson

The Federal Budget and Student Aid

Between fiscal years, sequestration, and continuing resolutions, the federal budget process can seem a bit overwhelming. This session will cover the nuts and bolts of the federal budget process, with special attention to how it affects funding of the federal student aid programs. In addition to highlighting the basics of budget and appropriations, the session will also feature predictions for future funding!

Speaker Options: Karen McCarthy, Rachel Rotunda, or Nalia Medina

The Light of a Leader

Great teams become great when they are led by a leader who shines their light and guides the team toward greatness. But working in the financial aid profession is ever-changing and often challenging. So how do you keep your light bright enough to maintain your vision as a leader and also have enough light left to lead your team? Learn about author Simon Sinek's theory on building an infinite mindset and become the lighthouse to lead your team through the storm.

Speaker: Heidi Carl

Top AskRegs Questions

Updated for 2026-27! NASFAA's AskRegs service fields thousands of questions from aid administrators each year. This session takes a look at the top questions submitted over the last year, as well as those rated as most useful by the NASFAA membership. Find out what your colleagues are asking and if your practices align with NASFAA responses.

Speaker: Dana Kelly or another designated NASFAA Training & Regulatory Assistance staff member, dependent on timing

Unlocking Access: Partnering with Financial Aid for FAFSA Success

Financial aid offices are more than processors of forms—they are critical partners in driving equity, access, and enrollment. This session explores how colleges can leverage financial aid administrators' expertise to strengthen partnerships with local access networks and community organizations. Learn how collaborative outreach, shared resources, and coordinated FAFSA support can remove barriers, build trust, and increase student participation—especially among first-generation and underrepresented students. Whether you're in student services, enrollment, academic affairs, or community engagement, discover how aligning efforts with financial aid can transform the student experience and advance institutional access goals.

Speaker: Dr. Angela Johnson

Using NASFAA Tools

Membership has its privileges! Remember this slogan from the '90s?  It is very applicable to the tools that NASFAA offers its members. From compliance and policy insights to training and "Beltway" insights, make sure you are making the most of your benefits and staying on top of what's happening in the aid community.

Speaker Options: Dana Kelly, or National Chairs

What's New in Administrative Capability

This session looks at administrative capability requirements with discussion on:

• Adequate Resources
• Automation and Electronic Processes
• Privacy and Security Safeguards
• Conflicting Information
• Consumer Information
• Separation of Functions
• Other Requirements
• General Evidence of Administrative Capability

Speaker: Dana Kelly

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