This article is the first of a three-part series based on the book, Basic Guide to Financial Aid. The contents within are abridged from the publication, with additional emphasis on the impact federal student aid administration has on non-financial aid professionals in higher education today. It should be noted that this information is not…

This article is the third of a three-part series based on the book, "Basic Guide to Financial Aid," which recently won NASFAA's Robert P. Huff Golden Quill Award. The contents within are adapted from the publication, with additional emphasis on the impact federal student aid administration has on non-financial aid professionals in higher…

The violence of incarceration creates greater responsibility for higher education administrators in supporting students who are in prison. Using focus group data with incarcerated students and formerly incarcerated alumni who participated in or are actively participating in Second Chance Pell, we explore their perceptions and understandings of the…

The Administrative Capability Task Force was convened by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) to deliver a report containing recommendations that could provide better support for financial aid offices, ensuring they are able to meet administrative capability standards. The task force comprised a geographically…

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) convened the Examining Software Providers' Compliance With the NASFAA Code of Conduct Working Group in September 2019 to research and analyze the role that student financial aid management software plays in institutions' ability to provide accurate and clear aid offers. The…

Financial aid programs are supposed to improve access and affordability in higher education (Gillen, 2009). The effectiveness of these programs is increasingly being questioned as college attainment figures stagnate and the financial burden on students and families continues to climb year after year. The purpose of this study was to examine the…

Financial aid officers play a vital role in assisting prospective and current college students in enrolling and graduating from college. This study explores the competencies that financial aid officers need to be successful in their jobs. A survey of thirty competencies was distributed to 508 practicing financial aid officers in the Western United…

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) recently conducted a survey on the 2009-10 award year Administrative Cost Allowances (ACA), which are funds used by colleges and universities to support operations and professional development. Specifically, ACA is often used in essential areas that support the day-to-day…

In recent months, some legislators, government agency officials, segments of the media, and campus administrators have called attention to perceived and proven instances of abuse of the federal student financial assistance programs. Concerns have focused on students enrolling in courses primarily to secure student financial aid funds rather than…

The majority of college financial aid offices have seen cuts to their operating budgets this year compared to the 2007-08 academic year when the recession began, according to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator's latest QuickScan Survey. Sixty-two percent of financial aid offices reported operating budget cuts this year…

Colleges would be required to give students information to help them shop around among loan providers under proposed changes in student-loan programs announced by the U.S. Department of Education. The proposed regulations represent the department's most significant response to date to the continuing controversy over conflicts of interest in the…

Drawing on results of a Florida project, it is argued that statewide evaluation of college student financial aid programs, involving institutional aid officers, system-level administrators, and others may promote change beneficial to students and administrators. Emphasis is on the role institutional aid administrators can play in such a…

The growing sense of professionalism within the financial aid community has led to the development of professional associations gathering periodically to talk about standards and procedures. Ethics related to the management of financial aid are discussed. (MLW)

It will be easier for financial aid offices to have automated interfaces with federal systems than to maintain manual, paper-based exchanges. Guidance on how to structure a planning process that will take advantage of this new environment are provided. Institutional decisions will depend on past and current practice. (MLW)

Before a sound and cost-effective aid program can be developed in a community college, its importance must be understood by the college's administration. Steps to be taken and the aid officer's role in administering and promoting an effective program are outlined. (Author/MSE)