Spring - NCASFAA

Spring 2005
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT:
Members,
Through NCASFAA’s Executive Board, committees, website and members, we strive to develop and strengthen the professional
competency of student financial aid administrators. Members should take advantage of the training opportunities and services
available.
The Executive Board worked extremely hard to deliver new services that are beneficial to our members. The greatest benefit is
when our members are actually utilizing the services and offering suggestions for additional services.
Please explore NCASFAA’s website and take advantage of the services available. A few of the frequently used services are
indicated below:
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Email members through NCASFAA list serve (ncasfaa@ncasfaa.com)
Volunteer Forms
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
President’s Message
2
Fall & Spring Conferences, 2005-2006
4
Professional Development/Support Staff Update
5
8
FAFSA Day
Bright Ideas: Tips to Help Students Establish and
Maintain Good Credit
9
A note of Thanks
10
Agencies
12
We’re "Wastin' Away in Financial Aid-ville" Pictures
14
Movers and Shakers
NCASFAA NEWSLETTER 1
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Legislative Updates
Conference Sites, Dates and Registration Forms
Neophyte List Serve
Register for a Mentor
Pocket Directory
Search for member addresses, telephone
numbers
Job Announcements
Fall Training Workshop
Newsletters
Conference Presentations
Officers
Presentations for Financial Aid Nights
Evaluation Forms
New Aid Officers and Support Staff Workshops
We encourage our members to select www.ncasfaa.com as their home page to ensure that it is viewed daily. This will allow you to
quickly view the most recent regulations, interact with experienced financial aid professionals, resolve thought provoking student
issues and questions, volunteer for a committee, and much, much, more. Please take advantage of the services that are provided.
FALL & Spring Conferences, 2005-2006
Dear NCASFAA Colleagues,
I hope all of you enjoyed the 2005 We’re "Wastin' Away in Financial Aid-ville"
Spring NCASFAA Conference at the Hilton-Riverside in Wilmington!
This is just a reminder that our Fall 2005 NCASFAA Conference will be held November
7-9, 2005 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Charlotte and the Spring 2006 NCASFAA
Conference will be held April 24-26, 2006 at the Holiday Inn Sunspree at Wrightsville Beach in
Wilmington.
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LET’S JOIN SHERRY IN CONGRATULATING SHARON FOR A SUPERB YEAR
AS NCASFAA’S PRESIDENT!!!!!
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Professional Development /Support Staff Update
NCASFAA sponsored two workshops during the month of November. The theme for this year’s workshop was, “Diversity,
Communication & Attitude-Go hand in Hand”. The Professional Development Support Staff workshops were both fun and
informative. They provided an opportunity for support staff personnel to interact with their colleagues from different campuses,
while gaining valuable knowledge.
The workshops, which were held at North Carolina Central University and Winston Salem State University, were well attended
and very lively. Presenters for this year’s workshops were Dr. James Seymour, Head of the Philosophy & Religion Department
at Saint Augustine’s College, Michael O’Grady, Vice President of College Loan Corporation and Liza Bruce of ECMC.
A special thank you is in order to the Support Staff Committee Members and Barbara McQueen who worked hard to make this
year’s workshop successful. Also a special thank you to Richard Burt, Diversity Chairperson, for providing diversity speakers,
Sharon Oliver (North Carolina Central University) and Theodore Hindsman (Winston Salem State University) for agreeing to
host this year’s workshop, and all the lenders and agencies for providing items for our goodie bags and door prizes.
2004-2005 Support Staff Committee Members
Rochelle King, Chair
Saint Augustine’s College
Nichole Faulkner
Cape Fear Community College
Brenda Mercer
North Carolina Wesleyan College
Andrean Dixon
North Carolina Central University
Linda Sledge
Saint Augustine’s College
Debra Colbert
Winston-Salem State
Shawn Henderson
Peace College
Barbara McQueen
Citibank
Keisha Ragsdale
Bennett College for Women
Robbie Schultz
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
Wanda White
North Carolina Community College System
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FAFSA DAY-February 19,2005
Submitted by Elizabeth V. McDuffie
FAFSA Day Has Record Attendance
FAFSA Day was held on Saturday, February 19, 2005 with over 1350 students attending to complete their FAFSA’s. Robbie Schultz,
FAFSA Day Coordinator at SEAA, worked diligently with community groups in the weeks leading up to the event to increase the
number of low-income and first-generation college students participating. In addition, many of the host campuses mailed notices to
students in their areas to increase awareness of the event. With a 40% increase in attendance over the last year’s number of
approximately 950 students, the extra effort paid off!
Thanks to all the site coordinators and other volunteers for their contributions to FAFSA Day. The impact of your work is truly
appreciated by the hundreds of students and their families that sought assistance. As one site coordinator stated, “FAFSA Day is a
labor of love.” Indeed, FAFSA Day is one of those events that is truly rewarding.
In addition to serving 40+ students, UNC-Asheville was the site of videotape filming to be used in future years as a public service
announcement to advertise FAFSA Day.
Fairly soon, NCSEAA will begin planning the 2006 FAFSA Day; please consider volunteering for next year’s event.
Benchmarks Study Published
The State Education Assistance Authority issued Benchmarks: Measures of College Affordability and Student Aid in North Carolina
in December. This annual study is a report on the state’s public postsecondary institutions and is intended to provide a longitudinal
view of affordability of higher education in our state and the availability of student aid through a variety of programs. The report,
including an Executive Summary is available at http://www.cfnc.org/Benchmarks.pdf.
NC Student Incentive Grant Reminder
If you are holding checks for funds for students who are not enrolled, please return the funds to College Foundation as soon as
possible.
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FAFSA DAY-ROCKINGHAM COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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FAFSA DAY-UNC WILMINGTON
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Bright Ideas: Tips to Help Students Establish and Maintain Good Credit
Submitted by: Richard Burt, USA Funds Services
As they deal with debt from holiday shopping and spring break adventures, your students already could be on the path to
establishing a poor credit history.
The USA Funds Life Skills financial-literacy program equips financial-aid administrators with information to help students
avoid unmanageable credit-card debt and the risk of a poor credit rating. Before your students accumulate unmanageable creditcard balances, share with them the following ways to “tame” credit-card debt:
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Make an effort to pay off the entire balance each month.
Stop using your credit cards. When your balance spills over into the next month, you should put away your cards.
If you don’t have the cash, don’t buy it. It doesn’t make sense to charge a sale item with your credit card, only to
have to pay it back at twenty one percent interest.
Beware of instant credit that some department stores are offering. Don’t be tempted. Just say no.
Some credit-card companies offer “teaser” interest rates. The rates are very low initially, but within a matter of
few months, you pay high interest rates on any unpaid balance. Be wary of such “deals”. Always read your creditcard statement carefully.
When all else fails, cancel your credit cards.
Financial-aid administrators can share with student’s information that USA Funds Life Skills provides about credit reports.
Explain to them that their credit history is a permanent record of every account they have either repaid as agreed or have failed
to pay on time. Since they first started buying things on credit, their credit habits have been documented. Emphasize to students
that poor credit habits today will stay on their credit record for many years to come.
Just as grade-point averages document your student’s academic achievement, their credit scores reflect their management of
credit. Higher scores indicate that they are good credit risks and will help ensure that they have access to credit for future
purchases like houses or cars. Lower ratings indicate that they are poor credit risks and they are denied credit or pay higher
interest rates on major purchases in the future.
Establishing and losing good credit
Financial Aid administrators also can offer these tips for establishing good credit:
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Pay off revolving credit balances (bank and store credit cards) in full.
If you can’t pay your balance in full, make at least the minimum payment.
Pay your bills on time.
Undercharge. Don’t charge as much as your limit allows.
Be sure to discuss some of the ways to lose good credit:
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Making late payments.
Exceeding the credit limit on your credit cards.
Writing bad checks.
Defaulting on a loan.
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A NOTE OF THANKS TO NCASFAA:
I wish to express my appreciation to the Executive Board and to my many colleagues and
friends for the Award of Merit recognition I received at the NCASFAA Spring Conference. I
was very surprised to receive this award because in my mind I have not done anything special
for the asociation over the years. I am just thankful that I was allowed many opportunites to
serve. I have made so many life long friends and have learned so much from many of you and
from others that have now retired. NCASFAA offers many opportunities to serve and work and
I highly recommend that you volunteer or run for office. The experiences make you a better
person. The knowledge you gain helps you help your students. I look forward to my retirement
but I will miss so much seeing my colleagues at the conferences. Thank you, NCASFAA, for
allowing me the opportunity to serve and to have the time of my life! Please keep in touch!!
Alan G. Whittington
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We’re "Wastin' Away in Financial Aid-ville"
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MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Loree Studevan, is the new Assistant Director
of Financial Aid at Shaw University, effective
April, 2005. Pamela Bowden, Linda Murphy
and Delphine Parker are the newest
counselors added to the team at Shaw
University.
Regina Huggins is now employed at Wake
Technical Community College as Director of
Financial Aid. Regina was previously
employed at North Carolina State University.
Regina Draughn is the Assistant Director of
Financial Aid at Surry Community College.
Kevin Lineberry is Interim Director of
Student Financial Services at Forsyth Tech.
Also, Jodi Dyson is Interim Financial Aid
Assistant and Martha Todd has been
promoted to Awards/Packaging Specialist at
Forsyth Tech.
Karen Statler has joined the staff at Wayne
Community College!
Dee Grissett is the Financial Aid Director at
Mount Olive College. Katrina Lee has been
promoted to Assistant Director and Tracy
Ward has been promoted to Senior Financial
Aid Counselor at Mount Olive College.
Sheila Gothard, William Mills and Timeka
Ruffin have joined the financial aid staff at
North Carolina A & T State University. Sheila
Gothard, Assistant Director, was previously
employed at Western MichiganUniversity in
Kalamazoo, Michigan. William Mills,
Enrollment Service Officer I, was previously
employed at Greensboro Jaycees and Timeka
Ruffin, Assistant Director, was previously
employed at Livingston College
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MOVERS AND SHAKERS continued…….
Betsy Spencer joins ECMC Marketing Team in North Carolina.
In maintaining our commitment to North Carolina, ECMS is excited to announce our first North Carolina
representative. ECMC welcomes Betsy Spencer as the newest member of its marketing team having joined the
company on April 1. Betsy lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and she will be developing new business
opportunities in her home state as ECMS expands it’s marketing footprint. She will also manage a number of
existing schools in North Carolina and the southwestern part of Virginia.
Betsy has a background in accounting and banking as well as ten years of sales experience. She worked for a
Perkins Loan Servicer, EFG Technologies, from 2000 to 2002. In that role Betsy marketed Perkins servicing to
schools throughout the United States. She joined Nelnet Loan Services, a lender/servicer, in 2002 as Business
Partner Support. In that role she provided customer support and training for schools as well as for lenders and
guarantors in her 10 state territory.
Betsy is a member of NCASFAA, VASFAA and SASFAA and she is excited about the opportunity to continue
working with school and lender partners in these associations as well as to volunteer on association committees.
Betsy enjoys traveling and she looks forward to her journeys throughout North Carolina and Virginia as a Senior
Client Account Manager.
Lori Meeker, Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Peace College, graduated May 14th, 2005 with a BA in English!
Mark S. Williams, President, Center for Higher Education Support Services, Inc., will graduate from law school in
a few weeks and then will practice law with an existing firm in Wilmington. He plans to continue to make Title IV
federal student aid part of his practice.
CONGRATS TO OUR MOVERS & SHAKERS!!!!
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“CHESTY IS REALLY SINGING HER HEART OUT! OOPS, I MEANT CHRISTY…..”
(SMILE)
KAMESIA EWING
NEWSLETTER CHAIR, SPRING 2005
SHAW UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID
118 EAST SOUTH STREET
RALEIGH, NC 27601
(919) 546-8565
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!!!!
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