South Carolina State Report (SCASFAA)
Keith Reeves, President

Fall Conference
The 37th annual Fall Conference was held October 20-21, 2003 at the Embassy Suites in Columbia. Total attendance for the conference was 165, which included 20 first-time attendees. The theme for the conference was "In Pursuit of Excellence." In addition to federal and state updates, there were sessions regarding citizenship issues, loan consolidations, DSS and Foster Care, and using various software products in the office. Liza Bruce provided an inspiring diversity speech during the closing luncheon. Kim Jenerette (USC-Spartanburg) and the Program Committee received high marks on the conference evaluations.

Decentralized Training
SCASFAA's version of NASFAA Decentralized Training was held on the campus of Midlands Technical College in Columbia on November 13th. Hank Fuller (The Citadel) served as the trainer.

New Aid Officer Training
SCASFAA will provide New Aid Officer Training on December 1-2 at the AmeriSuites in Columbia. Faculty for this event is Meg Hurt (Coastal Carolina) and Jeff Holladay (Anderson College).

Change in the Executive Board
Due to a change in employment and residency, the Vice President, Nancy Garmroth, was required to resign her position. SCASFAA by-laws allow the President to appoint a member to complete the term with approval from the Executive

Board. Sandra Rhyne (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary) has been appointed to complete the Vice President term for 2003-04.

Peer Support
Ed Miller (USC-Columbia) and the Peer Support Committee are nearing completion of the initial phase of a peer support network. The committee is currently soliciting volunteers who will serve as "mentors" and/or as resource persons to the membership. A "Peer Support Provider" form has been mailed to the membership (and is available on our web site) where individuals can choose to be listed as an "expert" in various facets of financial aid. Once this phase is complete, a Peer Support area will be created on our web site that will list individuals who have agreed to provide "expert" help in various categories (ex. COD, State scholarship programs, student eligibility issues, etc).

Newsletter Information
Guy Gibbs, Newsletter Editor

SASFAA Newsletter Publication Schedule

Quarterly Newsletters: October, December, April and June. Articles and advertisement are to be delivered to the Newsletter Editor no later than the 15th of the month preceding publication of the newsletter.

Information should be sent as a Word attachment, Times New Roman, 10 Pitch, to Guy Gibbs at ggibbs@nvcc.edu. Contact Guy Gibbs at 703-323-3085 if additional information is needed.