North Dakota Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

NORTH DAKOTA ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTRATORS

RMASFAA Board of Directors Meeting Submitted by Shelley Blome, 2012-2013 NDASFAA State Delegate October 19, 2013

NDASFAA Leadership 2013-2014 President Kathy Lowe (Dickinson State University) President-Elect Val Heilman (Dakota College) Past President Shelley Blome (NDSCS) Secretary Merri Jo Connole (Minot State University) Treasurer Bethany Vincent (North Dakota State University) Associate at Large Tom Ternes (Bank of North Dakota)

College Goal Sunday The North Dakota College Goal Sunday committee decided not to renew the grant from USA Funds. North Dakota will no longer sponsor an annual College Goal Sunday event. The number of students we were reaching was dwindling and the financial aid resources have been pulled thin. Sponsored by Lumina and USA Funds, and facilitated by the North Dakota Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the FAFSA completion event has served more than 2,200 students since 2008. The goal was to reach low income, first generation, minority students. NDASFAA financial aid professionals will continue to be available to assist with financial aid and FAFSA completion nights.

2013 Fall Training The 2013 Fall Professional Development Training will be held in Bismarck at the University of Mary campus on November 12-13. Sessions planned include: Federal and Regulatory Updates, 2014-15 Verification, 150% Subsidized Loan Limit, Communication with Key Offices, and The Future of Alternative Loans.

High School Counselor Workshops NDASFAA has scheduled Financial Aid Workshops for Counselors at six different sites across the state throughout November. Anyone interested in learning more about financial aid or brushing up on FAFSA changes is welcome to attend. Each workshop will cover a variety of topics which may include federal financial aid programs, scholarships, Vocational Rehabilitation, financial literacy, and more (topics may vary by workshop). There is a $10 fee for the workshop.

NDASFAA Membership For the ‘13-‘14 membership drive, 14 out of 22 institutions have renewed and 6 out of 9 associates have renewed so far. Spring Conference 2013 NASFAA National Chair Ron Day attended the NDASFAA conference in Minot on April 10 – 12, 2013. Topics included: NASFAA Policy Initiatives, including Reauthorization Task Force & Award Letter/Consumer Information, Student Loan Indebtedness, a student diversity panel on College and the Fin Aid Experience, Program Reviews, Federal Update, Inside the Beltway Update, Leadership Secrets, Loan Repayment Options, Communication Plans, Student Retention, State Programs and ND Legislative Update, and Breakout Sessions. Several years of service awards were given out along with our Rookie of the Year award going to Tom Ternes from the Bank of North Dakota and the Lifetime Achievement award to Dale Gehring who recently retired from Minot State University. Also, NDASFAA was invited to the SDASFAA conference to take part in Clark Wold’s Retirement and Recognition banquet where we honored him with the NDASFAA Founder’s Award. The Spring 2014 conference will be held in Wahpeton, April 9 - 11.