NJASFAA Selected as a Recipient of a NASFAA
State Award at Annual Conference

Submitted by David Sheridan, Stevens Institute of Technology and NJASFAA Past President

At this year’s NASFAA Conference in Minneapolis, MN, the New Jersey Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NJASFAA) won its first-ever NASFAA State Award. The project submitted by NJASFAA was entitled “WARNING! Financial Aid Consultants – Proceed With Caution!” NJASFAA won the award in the category of Service to Parents, Students and Families.

NJASFAA undertook this project when it became apparent that there was at least one well-traveled for-profit consultant spreading what we believed to be very erroneous and deliberately misleading information about the aid application and awarding processes as well as how members of our profession do their jobs. Over the President’s signature, the Association sent a letter to every high school Principal and Guidance Director in the state (approximately 500 high schools) explaining what we believe to be the differences between these groups, and what families should watch out for if considering the services of a for-profit consultant. We felt that the word needed to be spread to more than only the guidance counselors. Many consultants give their “free seminars” at high schools through the auspices of the PTA, evening adult school or other entity affiliated with the school. So the decision was made to send the letter to principals as well.

A local Mercer County newspaper ran an article advertising a presentation at a public library by such a consultant, who has been known to use the motto “Financial Aid Nights can be Hazardous to your Wealth” and make other misrepresentations about our profession, the aid process and how we serve students. NASFAA picked up on this article in their “Financial Aid in the News” service, and NJASFAA members quickly took action by sending letters to the editor and the head of the library at which the event was to take place. One letter, from then-NJASFAA President David Sheridan, was printed in the following edition as a guest editorial. NASFAA highlighted our efforts a few weeks later as a follow up after members from around the country were outraged at the remarks in the original article. One NJASFAA member attended the event and respected the consultant’s right to make his presentation, but made sure that families in attendance understood when he gave advice that was inaccurate or misleading.

Another NJASFAA member, Reginald Page, Director of Financial Aid at Mercer County College, wrote an article that appeared in the NASFAA Student Aid Transcript entitled “Looking for Mr. Goodpackage.” In this article, he told of his experience with consultants discrediting financial aid professionals and giving erroneous information to families. Although this article was not shared with students, families and guidance professionals, we felt that it was important to also explain NJASFAA initiatives to keep our financial aid colleagues informed on this issue and how we have dealt with it.

The prior year, NJASFAA formed a Speakers Bureau, made up of members of the Association willing to offer their expertise and time to high schools for Financial Aid Night presentations. This was made into an online directory and advertised to the high school guidance community through an annual series of workshops presented by the New Jersey Higher Education Assistance Authority, for which NJASFAA members serve as trainers and are attended by over 1200 guidance counselors annually. To encourage more members to get involved in this activity, NJASFAA created a set of Power Point slides that members could download and use in their presentations. Topics addressed in the slides include warnings about free seminar and scholarship scams and why the so-called “secret strategies” consultants often sell their customers rarely result in more financial aid. Future plans may include a “resource kit” that can be shared with other state and regional associations, including a list of known consultants, sample letters to high schools and the media, a sample press release, Power Point slides and other information.

The members of NJASFAA also salute our colleagues in New York and North Carolina, recipients of NASFAA State Awards for 2004 in the categories of Service to Other Constituencies and Service to the Financial Aid Profession.