11/03/11 - 2011 MASFAA Elections are open! The nominating committee is happy to announce the slate for MASFAA elected positions. (more...)
11/01/11 - The MASFAA Conference is on! The power is on at Showcase Live and both conference hotels, so the conference will go on as scheduled. Power is out in some areas of Foxboro, so please drive carefully. (more...)
06/07/11 - 2011 Fall Conference The Conference Committee is thrilled to announce our 2011 conference is being held at Showcase Live at Patriot Place from November 2-3, 2011. It's that time of year again when the Conference Committee is looking for your ideas not only to submit session proposals but also to submit session topic and speaker ideas that you would like to see presented at this year's conference.
We would love your input so please visit the link below to send us your ideas:http://masfaa.org/events/conference/conference2011/session_proposal.php
You can submit your ideas and conference session proposals through July 8, 2011. All ideas and session proposals will be reviewed in July by the conference committee.
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05/18/11 - News from the EASFAA Conference Two MASFAA members were recently recognized with awards at the EASFAA Conference. Yvonne Gittens was given the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Gail Holt was recognized as the Outstanding State Representative. Congratulations Yvonne and Gail!
04/21/11 - How the FY2011 Spending Bill Impacts Student Aid Programs Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) on April 14 to fund the Federal government for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2011. This long-term FY2011 CR cuts a total of $38.5 billion from non-defense FY2010 spending levels, but maintains the $5,550 maximum Pell Grant for the 2011-12 award year and gives campuses the ability to offer eligible students a second Pell Grant award this summer. However, the cuts do impact many large student aid programs for the 2011-12 academic year, including the Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal Work Study (FWS). (more...)
04/21/11 - Guidance Issued on State Authorization The Department of Education has issued guidance on State authorization in the context of distance learning under the Program Integrity regulations. The Department will not initiate any action to establish repayment liabilities or limit student eligibility for distance education activities undertaken before July 1, 2014, so long as the institution is making good faith efforts to identify and obtain necessary State authorizations before that date.
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04/21/11 - Guidance Issued on Gainful Employment The Department of Education has issued guidance on new requirements for institutions that offer educational programs that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.
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12/15/10 - 2011 MASFAA Election Results Dear MASFAA Members,
Our annual elections have closed, the votes have been counted and I am very pleased to announce the results.
Iris Godes, President
Migdalia Gomez, Secretary
Robert Coughlin, Executive Council At-large
Catherine Nelson, Executive Council At-large
Catherine Ryan, Executive Council At-large
Kathy Anderson, Associate Member At-large
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12/13/10 - FSA Conference Recorded Sessions and Handouts Couldn't make it to the FSA conference? The handouts and recorded sessions have been posted to their website. (more...)
12/07/10 - Half day training on Federal Methodology and Professional Judgment The MASFAA Professional Development and Training Committee is pleased to announce a half day training on Federal Methodology and Professional Judgment.
This workshop will be offered from 9:30 to 1:30 in Boston (12/7) and in Western MA (12/8).
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11/03/10 - 2011 MASFAA Elections are now open Click here to review candidate statements and submit your vote today! (more...)
10/29/10 - 2011 MASFAA Elections! On behalf of MASFAA's Nominating Committee, I am thrilled to announce this year's slate for MASFAA Officer elections. Please join me in congratulating these enthusiastic MASFAA volunteers on their willingness to run for office. Voting will begin online at 2pm on Wednesday, November 3rd. Candidate statements will be available when voting opens. The President-Elect candidates will address the membership during the Conference at lunch on Wednesday. Don't miss it! (more...)
10/25/10 - Full day training on Institutional Methodology MASFAA's Just the FACTS! and PD&T committees are pleased to announce a full day training on Institutional Methodology on Tuesday, November 9th, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, at Wellesley College, in Tishman Commons, Wang Campus Center.
Sally Donahue, Harvard University, and Julia Benz, MIT, will go over Institutional Methodology at this hands-on informative event. Make sure to bring a calculator.
There will be an hour-break for lunch. Wellesley has an amazing cafeteria with an all-you-can-eat buffet for $6.00.
You must be a MASFAA member to attend.
Please note that this will be the only IM training of the year and space is limited, so please sign up fast.
10/04/10 - Just the Facts! Fall Training Series MASFAA's Just the FACTS! 2010 Fall Training Series is right around the corner. This Series is dedicated to training our newest financial aid administrators on the fundamentals of financial aid. This five-day workshop series will meet on the following dates - October 26 and November 2, 9, 16, 30. Registrants MUST commit to attending all five days of the training workshop as each week builds on the week prior. (more...)
09/21/10 - MASFAA Award Nominations Reminder and Update Dear MASFAA Members,
This is a reminder and an update on the MASFAA Award Nominations.
First, the reminder, please take a moment to read the information below and take a few moments to nominate deserving candidates.
Now, the update, the submission deadline has been moved to Tuesday, October 5th.
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09/21/10 - President's Welcome for 2010-2011 Dear MASFAA Members,
Welcome to MASFAA 2010-2011!
MASFAA is moving into a new chapter of our history. The Executive Council met twice over the summer to plan for the 2010-2011 academic year. (more...)
07/01/10 - Submit your Conference session proposals! Attention MASFAA Members! We have extended the deadline for submitting a session proposal for the MASFAA conference Refueling for the Future (Nov. 3 -4) to July 8th. We need your participation! Please go to http://www.masfaa.org/events/conference/conference2010/index.php to complete the online submission form.
Please consider sharing your wisdom and expertise with your fellow MASFAA members by presenting at the conference. If you have an idea for a session you would like to see, but are not prepared to DO the presentation yourself, please do not hesitate to forward the suggestion to either Lisa Talbot at lisa.talbot@salliemae.com or to Michele Kosboth at mkosboth@lasell.edu. (more...)
06/09/10 - MASFAA Update from the President Dear MASFAA Members,
MASFAA's Year-End Event was yesterday and we had a great day to close out the year and start a new one. If you weren't able to attend, here is a recap: (more...)
05/12/10 - MASFAA Update from the President Dear MASFAA Members,
Executive Council (EC) met Monday, May 10th, at Worcester State College for our last formal meeting of the year. I bring you updates from that meeting.
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03/16/10 - Spring 2010 Carnival of Learning Dear MASFAA Colleagues,
We are happy to write that due to the success of our fall Carnival of Learning we will, for the first time, hold a spring Carnival at the South Lawrence East Middle School on May 5th. We are very excited to have been invited to a second school this year and look forward to providing this fun, educational program. However, we need your help! (more...)
02/18/10 - MASFAA Update from the President Dear MASFAA Members,
Executive Council (EC) met last Friday, February 12th at College of the Holy Cross. I bring you the noteworthy updates from that meeting. As we enter the busiest time in the financial aid season, the updates are a bit more brief. (more...)
01/22/10 - MASFAA Update from the President Dear MASFAA Members,
I write to you with an update from the January meeting of the Executive Council (EC), which was held Friday, January 15th at College of the Holy Cross.
On January 4, 2010, Susan Sullivan notified Executive Council that she had resigned from her position as Director of Financial Aid at North Shore Community College to accept a position as a Doctoral Research Fellow with The Education Alliance. Since she will no longer be working in a college financial aid office and considered an Active member, she is resigning as MASFAA Secretary. Susan is looking forward to continuing her participation in the association as an Associate member. Please join me in congratulating Susan on her new challenge and thank her for all her enthusiasm and effort on behalf of MASFAA. I know she will still be active in many other MASFAA activities.
Per the By-Laws, I submitted a nomination to Executive Council for a replacement to finish out Susan's elected term (through 10-11). Executive Council voted unanimously to approve the nomination of Catherine Ryan, Director of Financial Aid, Westfield State College, as the next Secretary of MASFAA. Please join me in welcoming Catherine as an officer of the Association. Catherine's appointment is effective January 30, 2010 and will last through June 30, 2011.
Sincerely,
Gail Holt
01/05/10 - Election Results Bernie Pekala, BC, President
Leah Barry, BU, Treasurer
Pam McCafferty, Fitchburg State, Executive Council at Large
Melissa Metcalf, BC, Executive Council at Large
Ray ORourke, Roxbury CC, Executive Council at Large
12/23/09 - The 2009 Conference Newsletter is now online. Please visit the newsletter webpage to find some of this quarters important highlights. http://newsletter.masfaa.org/
12/14/09 - College Goal Sunday is still looking for Volunteers If you are available January 31 and would like to assist students with filling out their 2010-2011 FAFSA, please consider volunteering your time. See the link under Upcoming Events for more information. (more...)
12/03/09 - MASFAA By-Law Vote Now Open The voting of the proposed amendment to the MASFAA By-Laws is now open. The vote on this proposal will be available until December 10th at 5pm.
Vote now at http://www.masfaa.org/evoter2/. Please don't delay and submit your vote today. It will only take a few minutes.
In addition, if you haven't yet voted for MASFAA Officers, please take the time to do so.
And for the triple play, you can also complete your conference evaluation if you have not done so already.
Feel free to contact me by email, phone or in person at the conference with any questions or concerns.
Best,
Gail Holt
11/20/09 - 2009 MASFAA Conference Evaluation Your feedback is needed! Please take a moment and complete the 2009 MASFAA Conference evaluation and entered into a drawing for a free registration to next year's MASFAA conference. (more...)
11/09/09 - 2009 MASFAA Conference Presentations - *AVAILABLE* 2009 MASFAA Conference presentations, including the Federal Update from David Bergeron from the US Dept. of Education, are available online under "Conference Documents" on the MASFAA conference website. (more...)
11/05/09 - MASFAA Voting is open! MASFAA voting is open now until December 10, 2009.
You will need your MASFAA user ID (your email address) and password to vote. To view candidate profiles and vote, (more...)
10/30/09 - Proposal of MASFAA By-Law Change The MASFAA Executive Council has proposed a change in the by-laws that currently govern the duties of MASFAA officers. This information sheet explains both the current law and the changes proposed by the Council. A subsequent online ballot will be open to voting members beginning December 1, 2009 and ending December 10, 2009. (more...)
10/16/09 - Fall 2009 MASFAA Newsletter - *AVAILABLE* The 2009 Fall edition of the MASFAA Online Newsletter is now available for your reading pleasure. (more...)
10/01/09 - President's Welcome It is my pleasure to welcome you to MASFAA for 2009-2010, whether this is your first year as part of the financial aid community or your 40th. If you are not yet a member of MASFAA, I invite you to join us. This year represents MASFAA’s 40th anniversary and one in which we will celebrate 40 years of vision, change and hope. Our Association has been strong for 40 years due to the commitment of long-time members and the youthful energy of our newest members.
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08/31/09 - Registration for Just the Facts! Training Series is now open! This Series is dedicated to training our newest financial aid administrators on the fundamentals of financial aid. This five-day workshop series will meet once weekly on the following Tuesdays: October 6, 13, 20, 27 and November 3. Registrants MUST commit to attending all five days of the training workshop as each week builds on the week prior.
Taught by some of Massachusetts' most seasoned financial aid professionals, this FREE workshop series uses NASFAA's CORE training materials and is designed to provide a comprehensive aid overview for aid professionals with less than 2 years experience in financial aid. In addition to this training workshop, all attendees will be provided with a reference binder full of materials designed to be an ongoing resource.
This year, the workshop series will be held at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA. The College has ample on-site garaged parking and is also conveniently located within walking distance to public transportation.
Please note: Attendance is free, but all attendees must be MASFAA members. If you have new staff in your office, now is the time to have them join MASFAA so that they may be able to take advantage of this solid training opportunity!
Registration will be open until September 25th. Registrants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that space is limited; priority will be given to aid professionals currently working at academic institutions, and to individuals who have not previously attended the Just the FACTS! Workshop Series. Attendance will be limited to two participants per educational institution; additional participants from the same institution/school will be placed on a wait-list until the registration period has closed and will be admitted if space permits. Associate members are also welcome to participate if space permits.
We look forward to welcoming our newest members to what promises to be an informative and worthwhile training event!! If you have any questions, please email me so that I can assist you!
Thank you!
Jan Marie Combs,
MASFAA’s Just the FACTS! Committee.
Click on more to register. (more...)
08/26/09 - NASFAA Mourns the Loss of Sen. Kennedy, a Tireless Advocate for Student Aid When Senator Edward Kennedy passed away early this morning, the student financial aid community and students across the nation lost a tireless advocate for educational opportunity and college access. His commitment to making higher education accessible for all students was just one way Kennedy championed equal rights for all U.S. citizens.
For nearly half a century, Kennedy served his country in the Senate by pushing policies that provide the nation's less privileged with the means to better themselves. No issue better reflects his commitment to helping the nation's disadvantaged and underserved populations than his continual efforts to tear down the financial barriers keeping students from pursuing and achieving higher education goals.
"Kennedy's commitment to education has benefited countless students who now have better opportunities to maximize their potential," Joan Crissman, NASFAA's interim president and CEO said. "Part of Kennedy's legacy will be a stronger nation, because the success of America is highly dependent on the success of its students."
Kennedy helped shape the major federal student aid programs, including Pell Grants in 1972, the Direct Loan program in the 1990s, and the Academic Competitiveness and SMART Grants in 2006. After the creation of aid programs, Kennedy constantly fought to increase funding for student aid and oppose efforts to eliminate or cut funding.
Beyond his public role fighting for the nation's students, Kennedy was also a family man -- a husband, father, brother and uncle. NASFAA extends its thoughts and prayers to the Kennedy family, which has given so much to better our country.
NASFAA encourages you to express your thoughts on the passing of Sen. Edward Kennedy by leaving comments on the national chair blog.
06/18/09 - MASFAA’s Year End Training Event Registration is now open for MASFAA’s Year End Training Event. The afternoon promises to be a top-notch training event. Afterwards, we will recognize the MASFAA Volunteer of the Year, volunteer recognition, and the passing of the gavel from Kathy Osmond to Gail Holt. There will also be light refreshments! (more...)
05/27/09 - MASFAA Conference Proposals It’s that time of year again when the MASFAA Conference Committee is looking for your ideas and session proposals for the upcoming MASFAA Conference being held November 4-6, 2009. This year we will be celebrating MASFAA's 40th Anniversary! We need your help - Please send us your session ideas so the conference will be educational and informative.
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02/23/09 - Verification and Tax Workshop Announced Registration is now closed for the PD&T Committee's Verification & Tax workshop which will be held on March 4th at Quinsigamond Community College. (more...)
02/18/09 - The Results Are In! President-Elect: Christine McGuire; Secretary: Susan Sullivan; Executive Council At Large: Jennifer English, Karen Grant and Cheryl Constantine; Associate EC at Large: Jeff Bentley. Thank you to everyone who ran for office and to the Nominations and Technology Committees for their hard work to make the election possible.
01/21/09 - MASFAA Elections Are Now Underway! Voting is now taking place for MASFAA Officers and Representatives! Click more to see who is running and to vote! (more...)
01/06/09 - The GPCC's Graduate Aid Symposium, held on December 11, was a great success! The guest speakers were not only informative and entertaining, but their presentations were extremely timely and relevant given the current trends in the aid industry. Click on "more" and scroll down to the "Events" section of the GPCC webpage to read more about the event, and link to the Debt Levels and Wellness PowerPoint Presentation. (more...)
12/17/08 - Conference Session Handouts Are Now Online! Handouts from many of the conference break-out sessions can now be found online. You may access them at the following web page. (more...)
11/25/08 - MASFAA Award Recipients President Kathy Osmond presented the annual MASFAA awards on Wednesday, November 19th. Carla DeLucia from Fisher College received the Charles E. Jones Achievement Award. Sherri Avery from Brandies University received the Presidential Award. Bernie Pekala from Boston College received the Charles "Jack" Sheehan Distinguished Service Award. Click "more" to read President Kathy Osmond's remarks. (more...)
11/25/08 - National Conversation Initiative Listening Session with Dr. Day On Friday, November 21st, MASFAA members had the opportunity to engage in conversation with Dr. Philip Day, President of NASFAA. Dr. Day facilitated a listening session for NASFAA's National Conversation Initiative. Click more for information about the initiative and notes from the listening session. (more...)
10/16/08 - College Goal Sunday-Lumina Grant Report Please take the time to read this letter from the Lumina Foundation. Gail Holt and the Massachusetts College Goal Sunday task force are recognized for all of their efforts. Quote: "Massachusetts is one of the most progressive College Goal Sunday programs in the nation." (more...)
10/03/08 - MASFAA Conference registration is live!! MASFAA's 2008 Conference will be held November 19th – 21st at the Cape Codder Hotel in Hyannis, MA.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to gain the tools to build bridges in your students’ lives! Please click the following link to register for this year’s conference!
(Agenda coming soon…)
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09/24/08 - Just the FACTS is full! Registration is now closed.
09/17/08 - Greetings from the President I write this note as classes begin for the new academic year. I have the honor of being the President of MASFAA for 2008-2009. (more...)
09/17/08 - Call for Nominations for MASFAA Officers and Executive Council Members It is time to nominate a colleage or yourself to run for a MASFAA office! Nominations are open for President-Elect, Secretary, three Executive Council at Large seats, and the Associate Executive Council at Large seat. For more information and to complete a nomination, please click "more." If you have questions about running for office, please contact Tony Erwin (a.erwin@neu.edu). (more...)
09/08/08 - 2008 MASFAA Award nominations now being accepted Please take a few minutes to recognize your colleagues for their dedication, integrity, support, leadership, patience, humor, service to students and outstanding skills. Nominate them for a MASFAA Award. Honor fellow colleagues whose tireless work deserves MASFAA's appreciation. All nominations must be received by October 16, 2008. Current officers and Executive Council members are not eligible to receive an award. Click "more" for descriptions and qualifications of the MASFAA Awards and submit your nomination online. Questions or submissions via email can be directed to Gail Holt at gholt@mtholyoke.edu. (more...)
08/25/08 - Just the FACTS is back! MASFAA’S Just the FACTS Fall Training Series – Registration is now OPEN! Taught by some of Massachusetts’ most senior financial aid professionals, this FREE workshop series is designed to provide a comprehensive background for aid professionals with less than 2 years experience in financial aid. Hurry…registration is only open until September 24th! Click here for more information…
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06/19/08 - Volunteer of the Year Awards Announced Sheila Hoffstedt of Tufts University and Jonathan Wiersma of Campus Door were both honored as MASFAA Volunteers of the Year for 2007-08.
06/12/08 - Have you ever wanted to present a session at MASFAA? This year's conference will be at the Cape Codder Hotel in Hyannis, MA November 19-21. We are looking for session proposals and presenters for this year’s conference. If you have a session idea you have always wanted to see presented or if you would like to present a session yourself, please click below.
The deadline for submissions is Friday July 18th, so start putting that amazing brain of yours to work and send us those sessions!
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06/11/08 - MASFAA annual membership renewal It is that time of the year again...time to renew your MASFAA membership! The website is ready to accept your 2008-2009 membership updates and dues. Please see instructions at the bottom of this e-mail regarding how to renew your membership for next year. Dues are still just $50 a year.
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05/21/08 - MASFAA's End of Year Workshop MASFAA's Summer Excursion on the Federal Express was held at Northeastern University on June 18, 2008. 125 attendees learned about the Office of the Inspector General, TEACH Grants, met Dr. Phillip Day, and learned about H.R. 5715 and Lender of Last Resort. The day ended with a receiption to thank MASFAA's many volunteers and the passing of the gavel to President-Elect, Kathy Osmond. To view the agenda click "more" below. Pictures will be posted soon! (more...)
04/29/08 - NASFAA Issues White Paper on Student Loan Credit Crunch NASFAA White Paper: The Student Loan Credit Crunch was issued today to respond to the countless queries and requests for information NASFAA has received from members, the media, and others with a vested interest in higher education. (more...)
03/10/08 - Loan RFI Documents Now Available Templates from the Loan RFI Best Practices Workshop, given at the College of Holy Cross, on February 11, 2008 by the Government Relations Committee are now available. Click on the link and scroll down to "Current Resources" in the "Committee Links" section.
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03/06/08 - Tony Erwin talks loan issues on WBUR MASFAA President, Tony Erwin spoke with Bob Oakes of WBUR’s Morning Edition today on the topic of student loans and the current credit markets. With the tightening credit markets affecting the loan industry Tony responds to questions on the impact to students and parents in the coming year. Click on the link below to hear Tony’s interview.
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03/05/08 - MEFA Executive Director, Thomas Graf on WBUR On Wednesday, Bob Oakes spoke with MEFA’s Executive Director Thomas Graf on the tightening credit market’s and MEFA’s ability to secure credit for student loans. Click on the link below to hear Thomas Graf’s interview. (more...)
12/20/07 - 2007-2008 MASFAA Election Results We are pleased to share the results of MASFAA’s recent election. These talented individuals will take office on July 1, 2008:
President-Elect
Gail Holt, Mt. Holyoke College
Treasurer
Jill Desjean, Tufts University School of Medicine
Executive Council Member at Large
Susan Beard, Wheaton College
Christine McGuire, Boston University
Michael Silvernail, Harvard JFK School of Government College
The by-law change proposing a new category of membership for retirees was passed by a "yes" vote of 95.4% of those voting.
12/20/07 - MASFAA Elections Results Congratulations to all of our elected officers and Council members! President: Gail Holt, Mt. Holyoke College
Treasurer: Jill Desjean, Tufts University School of Medicine
Executive Council: Susan Beard, Wheaton College; Christine McGuire, Boston University; Michael Silvernail, Harvard JFK School of Government.
The by-law change proposing a new category of membership for retirees was passed by a "yes" vote of 95.4% of those voting.
12/14/07 - Conference Newsletter The Conference edition of the MASFAA Newsletter is now available for viewing. Happy reading! (more...)
12/06/07 - 2007 MASFAA Conference Presentations Now Available for Download We have begun posting conference presentations from the 2007 MASFAA conference. Please continue to check back as we have not yet received all presentations. (more...)
12/06/07 - One Day Remaining to Vote The polls will close at 5 p.m. tomorrow, so vote now before it’s too late! (more...)
11/19/07 - Conference Evaluation Available If you attended the Annual Conference and did not complete an evaluation, you can complete it now online. You will need your MASFAA username and password. All responses are anonymous. (more...)
11/13/07 - Annual Award Recipients Announced President Tony Erwin announced the Annual MASFAA Awards at the Conference. Janice Dorian was awarded the Charles "Jack" Sheehan Award, Carla Berg and Leah Barry were awarded the MASFAA Presidential Award and Catherine Nelson was awarded the Charles E. Jones Award.
11/07/07 - Financial Aid 101 on Fox News This week Fox News is featuring a 5 day news piece titled, "College Week." Today featured a segment on Financial Aid 101. Click the link titled "more" to see the interview with Cathy Kedski of Bridgewater State College. (more...)
11/07/07 - The Election Polls are Officially Open Voting has officially begun. Please take a few minutes to cast your vote for our 2008-2009 officers. (more...)
10/31/07 - Registration for the MASFAA Conference is now CLOSED. You may still register at the conference for an additional fee.
10/12/07 - Fall Newsletter The Fall edition of the MASFAA Newsletter is now available for viewing. Happy reading!
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09/24/07 - Registration for the MASFAA Conference is now OPEN! The Conference will be held from November 7-9 at the Boston Marriott Newton. Room reservations can be made online through the link provided. The Conference Committee has put together a program of speakers, sessions and events that will truly empower us all to be educated, engaged and effective financial aid professionals. (more...)
09/11/07 - Nominations for MASFAA Fall 2007 Awards Every year, your President-Elect writes to you at about this point in time, asking for nominations for the awards announced at the Fall Conference. This year is no exception. It has been a difficult year for the profession, as our integrity and ethics have been questioned by public officials and the media. Now is the time put that behind us and acknowledge some outstanding colleagues in an outstanding profession. (more...)
09/07/07 - President's Welcome (more...)
09/04/07 - Check out the amazing people who will be speaking at the MASFAA conference! (more...)
09/04/07 - Just the Facts! The MASFAA Executive Council and Just the FACTS Planning Committee are pleased to announce the details of the 2007-08 Just the FACTS! Training. Building on the success of prior years, MASFAA is pleased to once again offer comprehensive, fundamental and inexpensive training to our newest members. Registration will close on September 17th. (more...)
06/25/07 - Summer 2007 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to bring you to the Newsletter webpage. (more...)
06/06/07 - It is that time of the year again...time to renew your MASFAA membership! (more...)
03/07/07 - Spring 2007 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to bring you to the Newsletter webpage. (more...)
01/17/07 - LearnStudentAid.org MASFAA is pleased to announce a new partnership with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and its Web-based training program, LearnStudentAid.org.
One of NASFAA’s primary missions is to provide training to financial aid administrators at all experience levels. Since September 2004, LearnStudentAid.org has been offering on-line courses for those who are new to the profession.
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01/04/07 - Conference 2006 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to bring you to the Newsletter web page. (more...)
12/11/06 - MASFAA 2007 Election Results We are pleased to share the results of MASFAA’s recent election. These talented individuals will take office on July 1, 2007:
President-Elect
Kathryn Osmond, Wellesley College
Secretary
Shawn Bennett, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Executive Council Member at Large
David Janey, Boston University
Jason Shumaker, MIT
Susan Sullivan, Bunker Hill Community College
Associate Executive Council Member at Large
Joseph Lahoud, American Student Assistance
Congratulations to everyone and thanks to all who ran this year. Thanks also to the members of this year’s Nomination Committee: Kathy Austin, Harvard Graduate School of Public Health; Dadizi Baker Cummings, American Student Assistance; Tony Erwin, Northeastern University; Iris Godes, Quinsigamond Community College.
11/15/06 - Voting Voting has officially begun. Please take a few minutes to to cast your vote for our 2007-2008 officers. Voting will officially close at 5:00 pm on December 1st. Before voting, feel free to review each candidate's credentials on the voting page.
Results will be posted in early December.
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11/10/06 - MASFAA Elections For the first time, we will be opening the polls at our annual Conference next week. Voting will run through December 1st. For those of you who will be at the conference, you will have the opportunity to vote on site. If you would prefer, and for those of you unable to attend this year's conference, on line voting will continue for two weeks following the conference.
We have candidates from all segments of our organization running this year: both Active members and Associate members. This means that everyone can vote this year.
You will need your MASFAA user ID and password to vote. Please be sure to bring this information (or memorize itļ) to the conference. Your User ID is your email address. If you do not remember your password, please visit
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11/09/06 - Fall 2006 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to bring you to the Newsletter web page. (more...)
11/02/06 - MASFAA has established a new Archive Committee The purpose of the Committee is to collect, research and organize the historical documents of the Association. To fulfill these goals, we are requesting your help. If you have any pictures from past MASFAA events could you please send them to Shawn Morrissey either electronically or by mail (Shawn Morrissey, Associate Director of Financial Aid, Framingham State College, 100 State St., Framingham MA, 01701). If you have any newsletters before 1995 or older conference programs please forward those to me as well.
09/20/06 - Just the FACTS Training is back! MASFAA is pleased to offer the Just the FACTS basic training series for new aid officers again this fall. The training is offered free of charge to MASFAA members. New aid officers (those with 2 years of experience or less) are encouraged to attend this informativeon series. The training consists of five full day sessions, offered one day per week over a five week period starting in October. Registration for the Eastern site is now closed, however space is still available at our western training site, Springfield College.The registration deadline for the west has been extended to is September 29th. For further details click on more link.
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07/27/06 - Summer 2006 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to bring you to the Newsletter web page. There are now two versions to choose (High Res and Low Res) depending on your internet connection. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
06/05/06 - It is that time of the year again...time to renew your MASFAA membership! The website is ready to accept your 2006-2007 membership updates and dues. Dues are still just $50 a year. Please continue to be part of this dynamic group by renewing your membership on-line starting Monday, June 5th. Click on more to link directly to membership page.
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06/01/06 - Kill some trees - print the directory! The membership database is now available in PDF format. The PDF is generated from the current directory, so it is always up-to-date. (more...)
05/05/06 - March / April 2006 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to bring you to the Newsletter web page. There are now two versions to choose (High Res and Low Res) depending on your internet connection. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
04/28/06 - MASFAA 2006 Election Results Congratulations to the winners of the 2006 MASFAA Election and thank you to all the members who voted.
President-Elect: Tony Erwin, Stonehill College
Treasurer: Pam McCafferty, Fitchburg State College
Executive Council Members at Large:
Ina Frye, BU School of Social Work
Elayne Peloquin, MGH Institute of Health Professions
Nick Zinser, Northeastern University
These positions become effective July 1, 2006.
03/09/06 - January / February 2006 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to bring you to the Newsletter web page. There are now two versions to choose (High Res and Low Res) depending on your internet connection. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
03/07/06 - MASFAA Elections - Vote Now! Members,
Please take a moment to review the candidates and submit your vote for President-Elect, Treasurer, and three Executive Members-at-Large at www.masfaa.org/evoter.
You will need your MASFAA login and password. If you cannot locate it, there is a link for you on the voting page.
The ballot will be available to you from March 8 through March 22.
I urge you to take the time to vote in this election. The candidates you elect will be your membership voice for the duration of their term and your participation is vital to the Association.
Thank you,
Sherry Andersen
MASFAA Past President (more...)
02/25/06 - New Legislations Updates On Friday February 24, 2006, The Government Relations committee presented on new legislation, in particular, new legislation that effects, Need Analysis, Grants, and Loans. Please visit the Government Relations page to view these presentations. (more...)
02/01/06 - FSA Student D.C. Internship Info & MASFAA Scholarship Applications Available! Now is your chance to mentor your students, encourage their entrance into the career field of financial aid administration and provide them with an opportunity for a terrific summer internship experience with Federal Student Aid in Washington D.C. Download the Application Packet for the FSA Student Internship Program and MASFAA Scholarship for FSA Interns today!
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12/19/05 - November / December 2005 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to access the on-line copy. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
11/15/05 - Higher Education Act Update The Higher Education Act (HEA) has passed in the Senate, as part of that chamber's FY06 budget reconciliation package. The House version of the HEA has passed committee but has not yet been considered on the floor. No schedule has been set to consider the HEA in the House. Given that the House may not act on reconciliation either, it is unclear whether the HEA will be reauthorized this year at all. Reauthorization is already a year overdue, and was originally scheduled to be completed in 2004. If it is not completed, the 1998 reauthorization will be extended for another year.
11/15/05 - House Drops Budget Proposal For Now On Monday, November 14, House leadership announced that they did not have the votes to proceed with the fiscal year 2006 budget proposal that would cut billions of dollars from the student loan programs, among other domestic programs like Medicaid and food stamps. The leadership vows to try again, possibly some time this week or next week.
11/07/05 - Complete the MASFAA Conference Evaluation! If you didn't get a chance to complete the conference evaluation please take a couple minutes to download the evaluation and fax it to number indicated on the form. Download by clicking on "more" (more...)
11/01/05 - September / October 2005 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) The September/ October MASFAA Newsletter is available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to access the on-line copy. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter.
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10/27/05 - Newly Redesigned 06/07 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet Available to students in late November at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
For a sneak preview... (more...)
10/26/05 - MASFAA Conference 2005 On-Line Registration is now CLOSED
10/25/05 - Last day to Register for MASFAA Conference 2005 October 26! Registration for Conference will close at 5pm on Wednesday 10/26/05
10/21/05 - Nominations for MASFAA Executive Council - CLOSED November 18, 2005
10/18/05 - Check out the recently posted detailed MASFAA Conference Agenda! (more...)
10/17/05 - Don't forget to register for the MASFAA Conference! If you are planning on reserving a room at the conference hotel, Sheraton Ferncroft Resort, please call them at 978-777-2500. Be sure to mention that you are attending the MASFAA conference to get the $119 nightly rate. (more...)
10/16/05 - MASFAA Graduate Symposium 2005 brought to you by the MASFAA Graduate and Professional Concerns Committee (GPCC) will be held on December 1, 2005 8:30 am - 3:30 pm at Boston University School of Management. This seminar is designed to address the needs of the graduate and professional aid community. This year’s topics include presentations on Identity Theft, Debt Management/Life Skills, Ins & Outs of NSLDS and a panel discussion on Reauthorization and Consolidation. Please contact Julie Menendez at 617-268-3977 or Cheryl Constantine at 617-353-3160 with questions. RSVP to Beth Flaherty at bflahert@mail.lesley.edu by November 22. It's free to MASFAA members.
09/12/05 - MASFAA Just The FACTS! 2005-06 now accepting registrations Registration is now open for the 2005-06 training series for new financial aid administrators. Please sign up by October 1, 2005 in order to secure your spot. More information may be found by clicking on the link labelled "more". (more...)
09/09/05 - HEA Reauthorization Bill Introduced in Senate by Senators Enzi and Kennedy NASFAA reports Legislation reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA) was introduced Sept. 6 by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), that panel’s Ranking Minority Member. S. 1614, The Higher Education Amendments of 2005, is scheduled for a HELP Committee markup today, September 8. (more...)
08/29/05 - Constitution Day Guide On Behalf of the Government Relations Committee, please see the attached files for information regarding the new federal requirement regarding Constitutional Day. The most comprehensive piece was designed by The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) that has compiled a Constitution Day Implementation Guide to help institutions that receive federal funds comply with legislation that requires them to hold an educational program on the United States Constitution each September 17.
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06/13/05 - May / June 2005 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to access the on-line copy. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
06/08/05 - Conference Session Proposals It's time to start submitting session proposals for the 2005 MASFAA Conference. Deadline for submission is one month away, so get moving! Please follow this link for more info (more...)
05/20/05 - College Savings Times Survey Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. It will help the Early Awareness Committee make the "College Savings Times" the best that it can be. Thanks! (more...)
05/07/05 - Another year, a new Journey (more...)
04/06/05 - March / April 2005 Newsletter is now available (exclusively online) There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to access the on-line copy. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
04/05/05 - 2005 Election Results Congratulations to the 2005 MASFAA Election Winners.
And the winners are...
Sherri Culp, President
Michele Kosboth, Secretary
Executive Council Members-at-Large
Shawn Bennett
Carla Berg
Karen Derouin
Executive Council Associate Member-at-Large
Lori Seuch
Thank you to everyone who ran for office and a special thanks to those who voted. Best wishes to the new MASFAA leaders.
03/07/05 - MASFAA Elections Have Begun! Regular members (those actively adminstering aid in Massachusetts) will be electing candidates for President-Elect, Secretary and three Executive Members-At-Large. Associate members (those not actively adminstering aid in Massachusetts) will be electing an Associate Member-At-Large. To view the slate of candidates and begin your on-line voting session, click here (more...)
02/21/05 - January / February issue of the Newsletter online There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to access the on-line copy. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
01/25/05 - Congress shows concern about Federal Pell Grants This is in the form of a Sense of the Senate, thus, non-binding. But, it is the beginning of Sen. Collins' efforts on Pell grants. Does not mean that it will ever come to fruition but, at least there is concern.
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01/18/05 - President Bush Would Pay for Pell Grant Proposals by Making Student-Loan Program More 'Efficient' (more...)
12/08/04 - November / December issue of the Newsletter available. There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to access the on-line copy. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
12/08/04 - Eastern, MA site for the Just the FACTS! Training is now full. A wait-list is being compiled for this site or you can register to attend our Western, MA location. For more information, click on the link here ----> (more...)
12/07/04 - Colleges Would Be Required to Teach the Constitution Under Provision Tucked Into Spending Bill (more...)
11/23/04 - Thousands of Students Could Lose Pell Grants (more...)
11/12/04 - Register now for the Just the FACTS! Training Series If you are a new or neophyte financial aid administrator, don't miss your chance to register for MASFAA's 2005 Just the FACTS! Workshop series. Our Eastern MA site is now full. We will be taking names for a wait list or would be happy to register you for our Western, MA location. If you are logged into the web page, you can register online. If not, you can download a copy of the registration form. For more information, click on the link here ----> (more...)
11/09/04 - Nominate a colleague for a MASFAA Office The MASFAA Nominations Committee is seeking a robust and diverse slate of candidates for this year's elections in March. Please refer to the Leadership Brochure that was mailed to all MASFAA members. You may nominate yourself or a colleague by completing the nomination form linked below. The deadline for nominations is December 10th, 2004. (more...)
10/15/04 - September/October 2004 MASFAA Newsletter There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter available online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to access the on-line copy. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
09/20/04 - The Carnival is heading to town! Find out how to get involved. MASFAA’s Early Awareness and Outreach Committee promotes early college planning initiatives at the middle school and high school levels. The committee is excited to be hosting the second annual Carnival of Learning on Tuesday, November 16th from 3-6pm. The Carnival gives inner city students a chance to learn about the benefits of higher education in a fun, interactive and creative atmosphere. Approximately 75 seventh and eighth grade students will be invited to attend and make the connection between higher education and careers. Carnival activities include career activity centers, a motivational speaker, and games, all of them related in some way to the importance of education. Each student is also given a backpack filled with educational resources donated by Massachusetts colleges and lenders. (more...)
09/06/04 - Bush's Proposals Would Favor Community Colleges and the For-Profit Sector (more...)
08/26/04 - Easy Spirit Freedom Walk for Scholarship America Scholarship America (previously Citizens Scholarship Foundation) has teamed up with Easy Spirit for the Easy Spirit Freedom Walk for Scholarship America. This year, they are inviting colleges and universities to participate. Your financial aid office team or school team can walk together to raise pledges for scholarships for students at your school! You may even want to create a competition between your school and another, or one department on your campus and another. (more...)
08/26/04 - Sign up for the Ambassador Program The Ambassador Program is an initiative from the Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) sponsored by the Public Relations committee.
Under the Ambassador Program, new MASFAA members will have the opportunity to be paired with a seasoned MASFAA member for the purpose of introduction to MASFAA, its benefits, opportunities, as well as other members. Seasoned members may volunteer to serve as an Ambassador to new members.
Click here for more information.
07/16/04 - The graceful decline of higher education In statehouses all over America this spring, politicians once again wrestled with the vexing problem of how to fund higher education. (more...)
06/01/04 - New issue of the Newsletter -- May/June 2004 issue There is a new issue of the MASFAA Newsletter avaliable online exclusively. Please click on the following link (titled "more...") to access the on-line copy. Remember you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the newsletter. (more...)
05/26/04 - Winners and Losers if Congress Changes Formula to Allocate Campus-Based Aid
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05/26/04 - Student Loan Interest Rates Hit New Low! Stafford loan repayment rates will fall from 3.42% (in 2003-2004) to 3.37%.
Stafford in-school and grace period rates will fall from 2.82% to 2.77%.
PLUS loan rates will fall from 4.22% to 4.17%.
Consolidation loan repayment rates will fall from 3.5% to 3.38%.
Consolidation loan in-school and grace period rates remain at 2.88%. (more...)
05/07/04 - President Bush's proposals for FWS allocation of funds and community service (more...)
04/15/04 - Kerry Proposes Big Increase in National-Service Sen. John F. Kerry proposed on Wednesday an overhaul of the federal government's guaranteed-student-loan program, a step that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said would put an end to the "windfall" that lenders now receive and would pay for his plan to expand the AmeriCorps national-service program to help students afford college (more...)
04/08/04 - Admissions Preferences for the Poor Are Urged by Prominent Higher-Education Rese Selective colleges should consider giving preferences to low-income applicants to help level the playing field in admissions, William G. Bowen, a prominent higher-education researcher and former university president, urged in a speech on Wednesday.
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03/31/04 - THE ELECTION RESULTS ARE IN !! President Elect: Cathy Kedski
Treasurer: Shawn Morrissey
Executive Council: Ken Ferreira, Brian Hodge, Betsy Scola
By-law changes #1 and #2 were both accepted
Thanks to all who voted!
03/15/04 - 2004 ELECTIONS!! Voting for the 2004 MASFAA Elections will run March 15 through March 26, 2004. Full members can vote for President (elect), Treasurer, 3 members to the Executive Council as well as 2 changes to the by-laws. Click the link below (more...) for on-line voting. Please note that you must have a Username and Password to vote. If you do not have one or forgot it, click the LOGIN/LOGOUT link on the left-hand toolbar. (more...)
02/13/04 - 2004 Eastern Region Round Up Check out pictures in the photo album on the left!
01/29/04 - 2004 Western Region Round Up Check out pictures in the Photo Albums on the left!
01/12/04 - Newsletter Committee is looking for your response to our membership survey The MASFAA Newsletter Committee is currently conducting polls for the next editions of our newsletter. All we need from you is a simple "yes" or "no" answer to two questions. We hope to publish the results of these polls in the upcoming issues of the newsletter. This issue's polls can be found online at the following web address:
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12/16/03 - WELCOME! Welcome to the new and improved MASFAA website. We hope the changes that have been implemented help you more easily navigate through the website.
In addition to the easier method of navigating through this site, we have added a number of features. Under MEMBERSHIP, you can now add or delete yourself from the List Server (initially, all members will be added to the List Server automatically).
Under the Login/Logout link you'll now be able to make changes to your profile, such as change of name, institution, etc.
As we have made some major changes to the way this website looks and works, there may be a few glitches as we get underway. If you experience any problems, please feel free to e-mail us (click support@masfaa.org below).
We welcome your comments and enjoy!!
10/29/03 - FFELP Rates Stafford Loan rates for 2003-2004 are 2.82% (in school, grace & deferment) and 3.42% (in repayment). The PLUS loan rate for 2003-2004 is 4.22%. (more...)
10/05/03 - Conference 2003 The conference registration deadline has already passed, but it is not too late to register. You can still register online but will incur a $25 late fee. Hope to see you at the conference in Springfield.
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