A visit to WCTC

The WASFAA President was in attendance at the 2008 Fall NASFAA Training "Aspects of Student Eligibility" held at Waukesha Technical College on November 18, 2009. This was the last in a state wide series of trainings held throughout the month of November. NASFAA trainings are traditional fall financial aid gathering places. In attendance were about 100 financial aid professionals.

Thanks go out to Melissa Haberman from UW-Colleges and Ed Schroeder from Great Lakes. They were our trainers.

Presidential visit

Never one to miss an opportunity to make an unannounced visit, WCTC's fine financial aid operation was briefly observed by the WASFAA President. The "one stop shop" WCTC has developed is something we all could learn from.

MASFAA 2008

I had the privilege to represent WASFAA at the annual conference of the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators October 12-15 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The conference theme was "MASFAA Aboveground: Overcoming Ignorance Through Education."

The conference was attended by about 450 financial aid professionals from across the Midwest.





As WASFAA President I am a member of the MASFAA Executive Board. The board has elected representation from the nine MASFAA states: Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Being on the board provides insight into what others are doing regionally. All financial aid organizations state, regional and national are facing tough decisions as the world of financial aid evolves around us. Membership in our organizations must be maintained, value must be delivered to members, and the major focus of helping all of us make financial aid available to students must not be forgotten.




Cincinnati is a beautiful place to hold a major conference. The city sits on the banks of the beautiful Ohio River.

Kathy's new son!

The Presidents blog has not been used for a while. Now is the opportunity to really put something on it.

I have to say, financial aid can be a wonderful experience. We get to know those we work with. Students and co-workers. They become our extended family. It gives me great pleasure to tell the WASFAA community some truly good news about my friend and colleague Kathy Peterburs.

On Sunday September 7th, around 7 PM, Carson Jacob Peterburs was born. 8.5 pounds. 21 inches. I had the opportunity to talk to Kathy at about 8:30 Sunday night. Kathy, her husband Craig, and their beautiful new son were doing well.

Do I see the look of a financial aid administrator on his face?

NASFAA 2008

A National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Conference is a mix of many things. Meetings, seminars, eating, socializing, vendor/donor visits, theorizing, sleep deprivation, and way too many other things to even remember. I attended the conference held in Orlando on July 7-9 as the Wisconsin State President. This was a wonderful experience. I had a special ribbon on my name badge. This may not sound like a lot but it meant a lot to me.

On Tuesday July 8th I was invited to a 7:00 AM breakfast with the other state and regional presidents. The breakfast had been a fixture at past NASFAA conferences but had not been held for several years. It was hosted by the new NASFAA CEO Dr. Phillip Day and NASFAA President Michael Bennett. This was a working breakfast. Dr. Day told us about a new NASFAA initiative “"National Conversation on Access and Aid for Student Success." Financial aid professionals must participate as leaders in all aspects of the decision making process involving financial aid. Decisions will be made with or without us. We can not be afraid to be part of the process.

After breakfast, it was right to the NASFAA business meeting. The business meeting is an annual event with many things happening. National awards are made in many categories. I was truly caught off guard when the State of Wisconsin was announced as a winner of the “State Award”. Wow! The State Awards are presented each year to state associations that submit projects to be evaluated by NASFAA's Awards Committee. The awards recognize individual state associations for outstanding projects that contribute to the financial aid profession. The association offering the winning project receives a banner to reside with the state association and a $500 prize check. Its hard to describe how proud I was to be representing WASFAA.

Here is what NASFAA had to say about our project.

“Service to the Financial Aid Profession: The Wisconsin associations "Student Employees in the Financial Aid Office: Capitalizing on our Resources" recognizes that many financial aid officers got their start in financial aid as work study students in the financial aid office. Member institutions were asked to offer a one-day registration to work study students in their office to attend the association's conference. The students had an opportunity to attend sessions which took them through some of the basics of financial aid, to hear some of the issues of concern to the profession, and to witness the camaraderie throughout the membership. The association realizes that this is an underutilized opportunity with great potential to encourage and educate work-study students, and to promote the financial aid profession as a career path, and to grow and secure the future of the financial aid profession. Our congratulations to the Wisconsin association!”

Sara Beth Holman submitted the project which was conducted at the fall 2007 WASFAA conference in the Dells.

2009 WASFAA Presidents Retreat & Campus Visit

One of the duties of the WASFAA President is to facilitate a yearly retreat. Whew! How could I pull this off? I was thinking lots about this. Way lots!

On June 19th and 20th the WASFAA Presidents Retreat was held on the campus of Saint Norberts College in De Pere. The retreat is an annual WASFAA event held to bring together WASFAA elected officials and committee chairs. This year the event was used to acquire information about and discuss two critically important issues. The ever growing loan crisis and WASFAA outreach activities, specifically College Goal Sunday.

Saint Norberts is a wonderful place for a gathering of working professionals. Facilities are excellent. We stayed and met on campus. Housing was great. Food was very good. The campus beautiful. The surrounding area hospitable. For further information on St. Norberts College, St. Norbert (who was St. Norbert?), or the Abbey please click on one of the links below.

http://www.snc.edu/

http://www.abbeybar.com/

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11100b.htm

The Retreat

Dick George, President and CEO of Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation was our guest on Thursday afternoon. Dick gave us an overview of how the problems in the world of student lending started, where we are now, and the possibilities of what will happen in the future. Dick's insights into the industry are profound. Contemporary financial aid is tied to student lending. Most financial aid we work with is some form of loan. The more we know about what is occurring around us the better we are able to serve our students.

Friday morning was devoted to College Goal Sunday. CGS is a major component of WASFAA. Funded by a grant from the Lumina Foundation, CGS reaches out to low income, first generation, college bound students and families with assistance in completing the FAFSA. The CGS committee was invited to the retreat and was asked to make a presentation on all aspects of what CGS is. The presentation was comprehensive. Many questions and much discussion happened during and after the presentation.

I would like to thank Dick George and the WASFAA College Goal Sunday Committee for participating in this years retreat. Their contributions can't be appreciated enough.

A special thanks and many hugs go out to Michelle Hermes. She was invaluable in all aspects of planning the retreat. In fact the retreat could not have happened without her.

Dick George's presentation on the current loan crisis and the CGS PowerPoint presentation are available. Please contact me through my blog if you would like a copy.

The Visit

What WASFAA Presidents activity would be complete without a campus visit?

Jeff Zahn, St. Norberts financial aid director graciously invited the President to come to the "Green Knights" financial aid office. So after the retreat on Friday afternoon, Bill Henderson and I took a leisurely walk over to John Minahan Hall. I have to say I was impressed. It seems that Jeff, Renee, and Karen have taken student financial aid to a whole new level.

WASFAA President visits Department of Education

On Friday, June 6th, along with other WASFAA colleagues I ventured down to the regional offices of the U.S. Department of Education in Chicago. We participated in a "Regulatory And Legislative Update". The update gave us the opportunity to hear in person the many changes brought about by past and recent legislative actions.

I personally had hoped to hear more about the current state of affairs in the student loan industry and the Departments response. The training did not address this. Interacting with those in attendance provided a snapshot of the troubles that are occurring all around us. Many in attendance had "horror stories" involving lender partners, or should I say past lender partners. It seems "Dear John" letters/emails/phone calls are becoming all to common.

The update provided in depth coverage of the TEACH Grant. The complexity of its administration became obvious to all in attendance.

Not a bad day. Much information.

The following photographs are; The only way to go to Chicago, Bob Mercer (UW-Parkside) listening to a security guard telling me pictures are not allowed. Danielle Kupkovits (MSOE) and Ben Dobner (WCTC) anxiously awaiting the start of the update, and TEACH handouts.

My first real visit.

A Presidential visit was past due. I really haven't gone to an FA office since the spring conference. The MIAD office doesn't count.

Cardinal Stritch. May 21st, 2008. The opportunity to do two thing with a single visit won't happen often. Stritch provided just such an opportunity.

I looked around the Stritch financial aid office. Paid my respects to all present. Very nice place. A well oiled machine. Things were in order.

A meeting of the Fall 2008 WASFAA conference committee was also being held. I was invited. The conference will be a good one. The location in Door County is beautiful. The Landmark Resort is very good, http://www.thelandmarkresort.com/ Nice rooms. The conference facilities will provide much opportunity for interaction among all who attend. I'm especially interested in the Presidents reception. It will be held at the Door Peninsula Winery, http://www.dcwine.com/ A trolley ride there. A tour of the place. Wine and food. What else could we want? Maybe a fish boil. A fish boil will held on one of the nights. Hmm....... I wonder. Fish boils are good. A Door County Tradition. What kind of fish? There will be beer.

I almost forgot. The conference committee members in attendance were Amy Hoss, April Newburg, Susan Teerink, Steve Taylor, Debbie Murphy, Kevin McShane , Bill Henderson, and me. By the way. It was Bill's birthday. Oh man. A cake. A home made cake. Nice. Presents. How old was Bill? You have to ask him.