Mississippi State Report
Laura Diven-Brown, MASFAA President

Members of MASFAA fully enjoyed the SASFAA Conference in Atlanta last February. At last count, 58 of the 67 Mississippi SASFAA members were in attendance, which is a great turn-out from the state! Congratulations all around to Janet, Brent, and the Conference Committee for a wonderful event.

MASFAA is looking forward to its 5th annual “Financial Aid 101”. It will be held at the Duncan Gray Conference Center in Canton, Mississippi on April 4-6, 2005. Designed for new staff members, this program is also appropriate as a refresher course, or for those who want to increase their knowledge base. Seasoned MASFAA professionals serve as trainers. A variety of topics are covered, including: The FAFSA Application Process, Campus-based Programs, “C” Flags and Verification, Cost of Attendance/Packaging/Overawards, SAP and Professional Judgment, Tax Law, VA Benefits, Return of Title IV Funds, Loans, Counseling Techniques, Customer Service, and FERPA. This event has proven to be a very cost-effective way to provide comprehensive training. Typically, the program enrolls 30-40 participants. The cost per person is $150 ($165 for non-members), which includes registration, housing, and meals. Participants network and have a great time. This year, “Financial Aid 101” will feature a MASH theme.

H.S. Relations Committee Chair Donna O’Quinn and her committee have implemented a series of “High School Financial Aid Nights” and training sessions with a special focus this year on the Mississippi Delta region. The group is strongly committed to outreach throughout the state, but particularly in areas where financial aid awareness and information about higher education opportunities may not be strong. Recently, this committee mailed a MASFAA brochure to all Mississippi superintendents. The committee’s strategy is to contact top administrators (rather than counselors) in an effort to see if MASFAA mailings get higher exposure this year.

Electronic Services Chair Debbi Braswell and her committee have investigated problems with posting emails to the listserv. Our servicer, ATAC (which also provides website and listserv capabilities to SASFAA), had been scanning all messages for viruses manually, resulting in delays and the occasional lost transmission. A new method of listserv posting has been developed. All email submissions now have to be launched via the website. The new method of posting is immediate. The association will explore whether it wants to limit listserv participation to current members only. Previously, the listserv had remained open to members past and present.

The Archives Committee completed categorization of MASFAA’s historical documents. Chair Louanne Langston delivered these records to an imaging company so they could be scanned onto a CD. It is expected that copies of the CD will be distributed to the Board in April.

Now that the federal election outcomes are known, interest in reauthorization is rising again. Legislative Chair Ron Gambill has been asked to revisit a position paper that MASFAA prepared several years ago. Its continued relevance will be determined. In the meantime, Ron provided summaries of current Congressional bills and the President’s proposed FY2006 budget to MASFAA’s leadership and the membership to brief everyone about key issues right now.

MASFAA President-Elect Soraya Weldon and Vice President Lori Ball attended the NASFAA Leadership Conference in Washington D.C., which was held March 6-8, 2005. Soraya represented the association on Capitol Hill to advocate for financial aid issues with Senator Trent Lott and Senator Thad Cochran’s offices.

The State Aid Committee is working with the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Assistance (MOSFA) to conduct a meeting with the MASFAA membership in April. The purpose of the gathering would be to update schools on the state grant and loan programs. In addition, MASFAA and the state agency are in discussions about sending state funds via EFT for the first time, perhaps using Common Record format for the roster.

Patrick James, Past President, is collecting feedback from Board Members and Chairs regarding committee composition. At the November Board meeting, a motion was passed to limit members to participation on only one committee per year (unless the person holds an office where multiple duties are specified in the Bylaws and P&P.) The Board plans to discuss possible limits on committee size as well.

Lastly, the Conference Committee is in full swing. This year, the Annual Conference will be held during the month of May for the first time. The theme, “MASFAA in May”, features a festival atmosphere. To be held on the Mississippi coast in Biloxi, it will be a celebration of music, food and the beach. The group is planning substantive sessions for the membership. SASFAA guests are encouraged to join their Mississippi neighbors. The dates are May 18-20, 2005. No one will want to miss it!