About

Mission

The Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators empowers its members to be educated, engaged, and effective professionals.

Vision

To be recognized as a model for leadership in financial aid.

Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan seeks to address the needs of the Association so that MASFAA can empower its members to be educated, engaged, and effective professionals and be recognized as a model for leadership and innovation in financial aid.

The 2017-2020 MASFAA Strategic Plan states that the direction for the next three years should focus on identifying how the organization can increase membership, and improve diversity and engagement, while using technology to enhance communication with its members and provide more frequent training opportunities that meet a variety of needs.  The Plan also affirms that MASFAA should continue its state and federal legislative advocacy on behalf of its members and use its healthy financial reserves to support innovative capital investments in the organization’s future.

President’s Welcome

Dear MASFAA Colleagues,

I am extremely honored to serve as your MASFAA President for the 2020-2021 academic year.  This past year as President-Elect, I learned a great deal from my colleagues on MASFAA’s Executive Council as well as from my presidential mentors Kevin Deruosi (MASFAA President 2019-2020) and Melissa Metcalf (Past MASFAA President 2019-2020).   Working with individuals who give their heart and soul to this organization has truly been and continues to be awe inspiring!

The year of 2020 has certainly proven to be a challenging year for all of us working in financial aid and higher education.  COVID-19 has turned our world upside down as we grapple with remote work environments, social distancing, and travel and budget restrictions just to name a few.  Being able to stay connected with folks is important more than ever as we try to find ways to stay on top of ever-changing financial aid polices and regulations as a result of this pandemic.

Along with everyone else, MASFAA has learned to pivot to the changing needs of the organization.  While we have not seen one another in person, your elected MASFAA officials and committee chairs attended its first virtual retreat in August and are busy planning training and professional development events for the upcoming year which will help you stay abreast of financial aid policies as well as provide you with a format to help you stay connected with your peers in our social distanced world right now!

I encourage you to check out our new MASFAA website to view upcoming events including our Financial Wellness Symposium being held on October 15th and our annual MASFAA Conference being held November 9th – 13th.

As we embark on the start of the new academic year, which I am sure looks and feels very different for many of us than in past years, I want to thank everyone who has volunteered their time to make our association what it is today.  It is easy to get lost in our day to day responsibilities especially in today’s environment.  Being able to be part of an organization that cares and helps one another is truly amazing.

I know these are stressful and challenging times right now, but I encourage you to find ways to stay connected.  With so many of us working remotely, it is easier than ever to join a MASFAA committee!  I encourage you to look at the various committees within MASFAA and join one that peeks your interests by completing the MASFAA Volunteer Form.  I guarantee you that the work you do and the friendships you make by volunteering your time will be worthwhile!

I look forward to working with all of you and the members of the Executive Council during the upcoming academic year.

All my best,

Monica M. Blondin

MASFAA President 2020-2021

Statement of Ethical Principles

The primary goal of the financial aid professional is to help students achieve their educational goals through financial support and resources. To this end, this Statement provides the Financial Aid Professional with a set of principles that serves as a common foundation for accepted standards of conduct.

The Financial Aid Professional shall:
Advocate for students
  • Remain aware of issues affecting students and continually advocate for their interests at the institutional, state and federal levels.
  • Support federal, state and institutional efforts to encourage students, as early as the elementary grades, to aspire to and plan for education beyond high school.
Manifest the highest level of integrity
  • Commit to the highest level of ethical behavior and refrain from conflict of interest or the perception thereof.
  • Deal with others honestly and fairly, abiding by our commitments and always acting in a manner that merits the trust and confidence others have placed in us.
  • Protect the privacy of individual student financial records.
  • Promote the free expression of ideas and opinions, and foster respect for diverse viewpoints within the profession.
Support student access and success
  • Commit to removing financial barriers for those who want to pursue postsecondary learning and support each student admitted to our institution.
  • Without charge, assist students in applying for financial aid funds.
  • Provide services and apply principles that do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or economic status.
  • Understand the need for financial education and commit to educate students and families on how to responsibly manage expenses and debt.
Comply with federal and state laws
  • Adhere to all applicable laws and regulations governing federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs.
  • Actively participate in ongoing professional development and continuing education programs to ensure ample understanding of statutes, regulations, and best practices governing the financial aid programs.
  • Encourage colleagues to participate in the financial aid professional associations available to them at the state, regional, or national level and offer assistance to other aid professionals as needed.
Strive for transparency and clarity
  • Provide our students and parents with the information they need to make good decisions about attending and paying for college.
  • Educate students and families through quality information that is consumer-tested when possible. This includes (but is not limited to) transparency and full disclosure on award notices.
  • Ensure equity by applying all need-analysis formulas consistently across the institution’s full population of student financial aid applicants.
  • Inform institutions, students, and parents of any changes in financial aid programs that could affect their student aid eligibility.
  • Strive to ensure that cost of attendance components are developed using resources that represent realistic expenses.
Protect the privacy of financial aid applicants
  • Ensure that student and parent private information provided to the financial aid office by financial aid applicants is protected in accordance with all state and federal statutes and regulations, including FERPA and the Higher Education Act, Section 483(a)(3)(E) (20 U.S.C. 1090).
  • Protect the information on the FAFSA from inappropriate use by ensuring that this information is only used for the application, award, and administration of aid awarded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, state aid, or aid awarded by eligible institutions.

These guidelines last updated by NASFAA‘s Board of Directors 11/21/2017. Used by Permission.