The fall travel season for your National Chair has begun. This past week I attended the Colorado Association of Financial Aid Administrators (CAFAA) fall conference in Steamboat Springs. The two-hour drive over from Laramie was spectacular – the aspen trees were in their full golden glory. Such was the start of an exceptional experience. The CAFAA folks held a silent auction throughout the conference to raise funds for the Yampa Valley Autism Program (YVAP). At the opening session of the conference, James Broscheit, the CAFAA President allowed LuEtta Loeber, the Executive Director of the YVAP, and me an opportunity to discuss autism. I am very excited to say that CAFAA ‘Cowboy-ed Up!’ and raised $1,250 that will be used to assist autistic children in the Steamboat Springs area (the Yampa River valley) with approximately 40 hours of therapy.

Soon after my election last spring, I contacted each of the state and regional presidents indicating that I wanted to use my ‘bully pulpit’ to educate and raise awareness of autism. I reiterated my intent again at the NASFAA conference. At next July’s NASFAA conference in San Antonio, there will be an autism fundraising event. In addition, NASFAA is in the process of bringing a nationally recognized champion of the autism battles to speak at the National Conference.

I challenged each of the state and regional associations to join with me and consider making autism the focus of any charity event they may be considering for their conferences. I am very pleased to say that CAFAA was among the first to accept my challenge and I couldn’t be more pleased and thankful with their outpouring of support – both emotionally and financially.

As you may be aware, my interest in autism is very personal. My 4-year old grandson, Cale, is autistic. I now know how true it is that until something hits you where you live, you wonder how you could have ever ignored it. Such is the case with autism. Until Cale was diagnosed, I was under the impression that autism was rare. I was unaware that this disorder affects one in every 150 children being born today. Or, that boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to be diagnosed as autistic, one in every 94. After learning about Cale’s diagnosis I wanted to learn more. At that time Jenny McCarthy’s book, Louder Than Words, concerning her autistic son, Evan, became popular. I encourage any of you wishing to learn more about autism to read the book. It’s an eye opener.

So, all of you take notice. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Help me in getting your state and regional associations’ conferences to get involved and join with me in raising funds for this growing issue. Let’s see if your association can meet or exceed the enthusiasm and generosity displayed by the fine members of CAFAA. Their acts are truly ‘Louder Than Words’.

With the College Board’s recent release of the report “Fulfilling the Commitment: Recommendations for Reforming Federal Student Aid” a panel of researchers, policy experts and higher education wonks deserve credit for igniting discussion on simplifying and reforming the student aid processes and programs.

NASFAA itself will shortly release findings from a simplification survey from members conducted earlier this summer. And, Phil Day has been in discussions with the College Board and others about moving this agenda forward as part of NASFAA‘s access initiative – the National Conversation Initiative (NCI). You will hear more about NCI in the coming months. If you plan to attend one of the regional association meetings, town halls have been set up for you to give NASFAA feedback on the issues that most concern you.

Here’s a short list of topics raised by the Rethinking Student Aid Group that I’m throwing out for discussion:

·         FAFSA -  Eliminate and obtain all information from the IRS;

·         Pell Grants – Based on family size and AGI; families receiving means-tested benefits would automatically qualify; link increases to the CPI; and, fold ACG, SMART and TEACH back in to Pell;

·         Tax Credits – Maintain, but consolidate into one program;

·         Loans – End in-school subsidy, directing the savings toward helping students repay their loans;

·         College savings accounts – Establish tax-free accounts for low-income children (potentially Pell Grant qualified);

·         Aid Programs – Eventually replacing the federal campus based programs, schools would receive block grants based on their proportion of Pell-eligible students enrolled and retained for a second year.

So put on your thinking caps.  Let’s call school into session and raise our voices on what reforms are necessary to simplify the process and the programs we work with.  Give NASFAA your feedback on the panel’s recommendations as well as other ideas you may have. You may contact NASFAA directly, your board representative, or come prepared to discuss these topics at your upcoming regional association meeting.  As financial aid practitioners our voices need to be heard.  By using NASFAA as the conduit for change, we will help students and families achieve increased levels of access and choice.

Those of you attending NASFAA’s National Conference this past week possibly heard my remarks at the Business Meeting, but I thought I would share some of them again.

I come from the Cowboy state of Wyoming and have lived and worked in Oklahoma - another Cowboy state. And, as you are aware, next year’s NASFAA Conference is in Texas – another Cowboy state. So, I’m warning you now that we are going to ‘Cowboy Up!!’ this year. For those who have never heard this phrase, the simplest explanation for ‘Cowboy Up!!’ is that it’s the ‘Cowboy Spirit’ - to give it all you’ve got; don’t give up; do the best you can with the hand you’re dealt.

The Western ethos is alive and well where I live. In the West there is an unwritten Cowboy ‘Code of the West’. Although we hear much about change, these days, I believe that basic truths never change and that the Code is still applicable in today’s world and to how we, as financial aid professionals, do business. While NASFAA has developed a written code, we also live by an unwritten code within our profession. While there are many platitudes in the Code, there are two that are especially significant and applicable to us in financial aid: 1) be proud of your occupation, and; 2) be loyal to your brand and those you ride with.

Like you, I am very proud of what we do. I can’t think of a more dedicated and inspiring group of folks than those in the trenches assisting students and families every day. We are the champions for the under-privileged seeking education and pursuing a better life. We work long and hard often under some very exacting and perplexing regulations to serve our students and institutions. Volunteering is one way to demonstrate pride for your occupation. We have a moral duty to each other, to our institutions and especially to our students to be involved professionally. Without volunteers, we cannot achieve the necessary level of training and good works that our associations thrive on. Show your pride by supporting NASFAA and your state and regional associations by volunteering your knowledge, thoughts and time. It’s your duty, so ‘Cowboy Up!!’

The ongoing Direct Loan vs. FFELP debate provides a great avenue to demonstrate loyalty to ‘those we ride with.’ This debate has been going on for 15 years! Isn’t it time to put aside our differences? Let’s trust one another to make the best decision for our students and institution. So ‘Cowboy Up!!’ and refrain from personal attacks and remember our loyalty to each other and to our students. As long as the two programs are supported by the government, NASFAA will continue to support both, providing good information and training for both so that institutions can make the right decision for their students.

We have had a rough couple of years, but through the strong leadership of past Chairs Janet Dodson and Michael Bennett we have persevered. But, let’s not dwell on the past. Let’s look forward, to where NASFAA will lead in providing students with access, choice and success in higher education. I know that at times we can get mired down with regulations making it easy to forget why we do what we do. That’s when we need to ‘Cowboy Up!!’ Attorney General Cuomo’s investigations provide an opportunity to demonstrate our loyalty to our students and our profession. I challenge Mr. Cuomo to join with NASFAA to efficiently use the funds he has accumulated to educate students and families about financial aid and financial literacy. Who better for him to work with than the professionals most trusted by college-going students? Mr. Cuomo, let’s ‘Cowboy Up!!’ and work together.

This is such a rewarding profession. For many of us financial aid is more than a job, it’s a career, it’s a cause. Like many of you, we give our personal time to be involved in our professional associations. My involvement has given me so much more than I have ever put in. Like you, I’ve met and assisted many fantastic students – students who would not have been successful without our counseling and assistance. And, like you, I’ve visited places I never would have gone, I’ve met people that I never would have met, and I’ve established friendships that have endured many years and will last a lifetime. I hope that when you take a deep breath and can look back over your career that you will feel, like me, that you feel truly blessed to have chosen financial aid as your career.

So, are you ready to ride with me? ‘Cowboy Up!!’