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Citizens Scholarship Program

Patty Peterson

Vice President/Relationship Manager, Student Lending

College Ave Undergraduate Loans

College Ave Graduate Loans

College Ave Student Loans is a national lender with a mission to help students, graduates, and their families finance higher education. Solely focused on student loans, we’re dedicated to simplifying the private student loan experience for families when savings, scholarships, and federal student loans don’t cover the full cost of college. We deliver a best-in-class customer experience and offer the most consumer-friendly product suite in the industry, delivering on our brand promises of simple, clear, and personal.

At Discover® Student Loans, we help students and their families cover college costs with no fees and valuable cash rewards. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service and encourage students to maximize scholarships, grants and other free financial aid.

ELM Resources is a not-for-profit service organization focused on private loan processing.  We take the complexity out of gathering data and maximizing data.  ELMOne is your centralized hub to communicate with the many different loan providers you work with.  We are the answer to all your private loan certification and disbursement needs.

Laura is a Business Development Officer with First United Bank & Trust and has over 30 years of experience helping students and their families in financing their college education and also managing the repayment of their student loans.  Laura takes pride in offering quality customer services to her customers from the beginning of their college experience through repayment of their student loans.

Along with being the dedicated Student Loan Specialist with First United Bank & Trust, Laura is a Certified Credit Counselor and the Financial Literacy Coordinator for First United Bank & Trust.  In these roles Laura is able to also help students after graduation achieve their goals of owning a home and saving for retirement.

During her 30 years Laura has been involved with several state, regional and national associations and is currently serving on the WVASFAA Long-Range Planning Committee and on their Executive Board as the Associate Member Representative.

Matt built his professional career providing guidance on debt management, repayment solutions, and repayment counseling. His diverse background in higher education and financial aid makes him an ideal advisor for colleges and universities in the Midwest.

Before joining Inceptia, Matt was an administrator for Manchester University, a district manager with American Student Assistance and director of enrollment management with the University of Saint Francis where he earned his MBA. Being on all sides of student lending empowers Matt to better navigate the changing government guidelines, delineate specific repayment solutions as well as provide valuable financial education to students and staff.

Chester is a senior marketing representative at KHEAA, where he has worked 23 years. Before joining KHEAA, he spent eight years in admissions and financial aid at Union College in Barbourville, KY.  Chester has held positions in both state and regional associations, including serving as KASFAA President in 2009-2010.

He and his wife, Jennifer, who is the financial aid director at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, have been married for 12 years. Chester has one son, Tyler, who also lives and works in Lexington.

Sallie Mae is on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journeys—helping them understand their options and make smart choices. This includes free resources that make planning and paying for college simpler, and loan products for undergraduates and graduates.

As Director of Relationship Management at Sallie Mae, Joe works closely with colleges, universities, and high schools in West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky to help students plan and pay for school, earn their degrees, and feel ready for what’s next.

Joe’s been a WVASFAA member for nearly 20 years, presenting at a number of conferences and supporting association initiatives. He’s also an active member of the Ohio and Kentucky financial aid, bursar, and admissions associations. Joe holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati and a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife, Wini. Together they have three grown daughters.