Thank you for tuning in once again for the spring edition of your VASFAA Voice. We may have our names on here as editors, but it is all of your thoughts, contributions, and suggestions that make the VASFAA Voice the great resource it is.

Our spring edition is traditionally focused on our upcoming Annual Conference. Hopefully you can draw on the renewing energy of this time of year as we approach our spring graduations seeing all of the hope and excitement on the faces of our graduates, and the influx of new students with all of the FAFSA questions and bright smiling enthusiasm that they bring.

Are you debating whether or not to attend VASFAA’s Annual Conference for 2009 during these times of smaller budgets and increased regulations? Have you already been chosen to represent your school at Annual Conference and are wondering what’s in store for you? Maybe this is even your first Annual Conference. Your Conference Committee has gone above and beyond to secure general session speakers and offer concurrent session topics that will surely be relevant for every VASFAA member. Annual Conference will include a general session update on recent legislative changes, a federal update from the Department of Education, an update from NASFAA, an update from SCHEV, and inspirational messages from Matthew Jones and Shaunna Payne. Concurrent session topics include “Ask a Fed”, “Post-9/11 GI Bill Information”, “Professional Judgment”, “Verification”, “Understanding Money Personalities”, and “First Generation College Students”. Throw in additional opportunities for networking with your colleagues, by school type and by FAMS system, and we know you’ll finish this year’s Annual Conference prepared and excited to return to your school and share with the rest of your colleagues there.

So read on! We hope you enjoy the various articles and informational pieces here. As we continue “Building Successful Futures” together, we encourage you to check out the Annual Conference website at http://www.vasfaa.org/docs/conferences/2009/index.html.

Article Guidelines
The editorial staff will review all articles submitted for publication. Submissions should be of a professional interest to the association and not include marketing and/or advertising of products, services, websites, or personnel.

Full articles should be no longer than two single-spaced, typed pages. It is requested that all submissions be provided in plain text format or as Microsoft Word files to save time and energy.

Picture Guidelines
The online newsletter flows best with pictures and graphics submitted in .jpeg, .jpg, or .gif format. You may submit pictures and graphics in either full color or black & white, according to your preference.

Editors’ Contact Information

Editors’ Background Information (or “How We Got Here”)
Eloise Turner is an alumna of the University of South Carolina and the Virginia Tech Graduate School and began her financial aid career at Radford University in 2004 as a financial aid counselor before joining VCOM in 2006 where she serves as the Financial Aid Coordinator. She has been a member of VASFAA since 2007 and this is her first VASFAA committee service.

Daniel Hewitt is an alumnus of Virginia Tech and began his financial aid career at Virginia Tech in 2001 as an assistant financial aid counselor. He moved to Ferrum College in 2004 and finally landed at VCOM in 2005 where he serves as the Director of Financial Aid. He has been a member of VASFAA since 2002 and has served on the Electronic Services and Newsletter committees.