-- Winter Newsletter posted
-- 2010 Super Saturday Preview posted
-- 2010 Conference Mini-Site and Preview Information posted

Welcome to the Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (VASFAA) website. VASFAA is an organization of individuals who assist students who are searching for funds with which to pay for their post-secondary educations and others who are active in a financial aid-related profession.

The actress Jenifer Lewis once said about her career, “You have to be a star to be in this business”. The same holds true for our profession. It is our responsibility to help people achieve their dreams of a better job, a better life, of success. We have to reach out and take that extra step, not only for our students and their families, but also for our own professional development.

Our mission is to maintain an organization that promotes the professional growth and collaboration of our members in order to fairly serve the needs of students, families, and institutions in matters related to financial and informational resources that support students’ post-secondary educational goals. Our organization is determined to help students pursue and attain their educational goals.

VASFAA’s vision includes the concepts of access and equity. We believe that every qualified student should be afforded the opportunity to attend the institution of his/her choice, regardless of the student’s economic background. Every Virginia student should be confident that sufficient financial aid is available. Yes, Virginia, you can go to school beyond high school. There are opportunities for each and every person who wants to pursue post-secondary education. Public, private, two-year, four-year, trade and technical schools all open doors to the success of our students and our Commonwealth.  Financial aid programs should reflect the principle of equity. Individuals from similar economic circumstances should receive similar benefits and the least advantaged individuals should receive the greatest benefit from need-based programs.

Members of our association can enter the Member Services link, which includes our current membership roster as well as other special features. Members also have the prospect for professional training, growth and networking. 

Over the upcoming year, VASFAA will be conducting multi-level training opportunities on the web and at various locations around the state. Training and teaching will be made available to students and their families through our various high school financial aid nights in the fall and our Super Saturday presentations in February. High School Guidance Counselors across the state will again be invited to our annual Guidance Counselor Workshops this fall. Our members will be offered training via webcasts and in person. Our annual training conference will be held in May 2009 at the Embassy Suites in Hampton, VA.

I hope that as a student, a parent, a guidance counselor or a financial aid administrator, you will find helpful information on this website. Thank you for taking the time to explore and for your interest in our Association. VASFAA is a resource that can benefit you. I encourage your participation and feedback.

Sheila M. Nelson-Hensley
VASFAA President, 2009-10
shensley@bluefield.edu