March 19^th – 21^st

The Resort at Glade Springs

Daniels, WV

Wednesday, March 19^th

Registration will be open starting at 11:00am in the main hall

12:00pm Welcome by Aaron Staats, President of WVASFAA

12:15pm Lunch & Remarks from Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President of WVU Institute of Technology

1:30pm Rotating Session 1

WVASFAA 101: This session is intended for newer financial aid professionals to learn best practices and get connected with WVASFAA!

Homeless and Unaccompanied Youth: This session will focus on understanding unaccompanied youth/homeless circumstances and the documentation associated with them. We will review the various types of circumstances we've encountered over the past year, highlighting both straightforward and more complex documentation.

Cohort Default Rate Trends and Best Practices – Return to Repayment: This session will focus on trends with Cohort Default Rates (CDR), since the return to repayment.  What are we seeing with delinquencies with your borrowers? Especially  with those who may be unfamiliar with or have never know repayment. Can we expect to see some early spikes in defaults or delinquencies as people get re-adjusted to their repayment schedules? Additionally, we will discuss best practices, and the latest guidance from ED related to the Federal injunction on the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Income driven repayment plan.

2:30pm Break

3:00pm Rotating Session 2

Meditation and Calm: In this session, we’ll give you the CliffsNotes version of ABC news anchor Dan Harris’ best-selling book Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, along with an arsenal of tips and tricks to get your mind to stop racing, even if just for a little while.

Onboard Training: Discover WVU’s approach to onboard training for all new employees within our one-stop model and learn how you can use a similar  curricular approach no matter the organization of your office. 

Special and Unusual Circumstances: This session will address one of the most significant powers granted to the financial aid office: the ability to make case-by- case adjustments based on special circumstances. We will provide specific examples of scenarios that may require professional judgment, as well as the documentation that could support such decisions.

4:00 Birds of a Feather Networking Session: Join us for this roundtable session to connect with colleagues across the state. We’ll make time to discuss special topics which concern all of us and crowdsource ideas for special and timely topics.

5:00 Dinner on Your Own – please see our list of recommended local restaurants!

Thursday, March 20^th

Breakfast will be served in the rotunda starting at 7am

9:00am NASFAA Session with Dana Kelly – Top Ask Regs Questions: This session takes a   look at the top questions submitted over the last year, as well as those rated as most useful by the NASFAA membership. Find out what your colleagues are asking and if your practices align with NASFAA responses.

10:00am Break

10:30 Rotating Session 3

The Generational Workplace: This session will explore the challenges and strengths of a generational workplace and how to optimize the makeup of your office.

Audit Panel: Discussion on audit topics, what we’re learning from audits in the past 3 years, what findings we’re seeing and how to run internal audits. 

Second Chance Promise: WVHEPC presents the new regulations and process  surrounding the Second Chance Promise appeal and best practices.

11:30am – 1pm Lunch

12:00pm   Susan Turner: This presentation will provide information on childhood trauma and how generational trauma still affects the African American community today. This presentation incorporates the science, research resources, and teachings of numerous experts and organizations worldwide.  

1:00pm Rotating Session 4

Pell Calculations: This session offers financial aid administrators with practical knowledge and actionable insights. Let's explore some of the intricacies of  eligibility, compliance, and recent program updates that impact students and the institution.

Banner Bits & Bytes: A Banner session that will focus on best practices of system usage, CPoS implementation, and current Banner concerns.  

NASFAA Core Session: Professional Judgements (2 hour session)

2:00pm Rotating Session 5

OIG and Fraud: Representatives from the Office of the Inspector General will present on AI and Fraud in this interactive session.

Maximizing the Federal Work Study Program: Compliance, Community and Engagement, and Efficient Utilization : An insightful and comprehensive session that delves into the various facets of the Federal Work Study Program (FWS) including eligibility criteria, allocation formulas, and the roles of both schools and students in the program.

3:00pm Break

3:30pm Rotation Session 6

Veterans: This session will highlight veteran’s benefits and answer the most common questions about best practices and how to serve our veteran students.

Leadership: This session will cover leadership principles, leadership opportunities, and the importance of community in the financial aid profession.

Compliance, Policy, and Procedures: This session will focus on federal regulations and best practices with policies and procedures.

5:30pm Dinner

6:30pm WVASFAA Awards

Friday, March 21^st

Breakfast will be served in the rotunda starting at 7am

9:00am State Update: An update on state financial aid programs and initiatives at the state level to improve college affordability, access, retention, and graduation.

10:00am WVASFAA Business Meeting

11:00 Closing Remarks, Aaron Staats & Thank you from Conference Committee