Fall 2026 NJASFAA Conference Agenda

Ocean Casino Resort

Atlantic City; NJ

November 4-6; 2026

Day 1

Wednesday, November 4th

Time Session Type Presenter Session Title Room

9:00am - 12:00pm

 Pre-Conference Tammi Hussey; Seton Hall University NASFAA Credential Training - Professional Judgement (Registration Required - Coming Soon!) TBA
9:00am - 12:00pm Pre-Conference Asia Taj; NJIT NASFAA Credential Training - Cost of Attendance (Registration Required - Coming Soon!) TBA
11:30am - 12:45pm Concurrent Hasani Carter; NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education EOF Update TBA
11:30am - 12:45pm Concurrent Alejandro Guiral; Berkeley College The Importance of YOUR Role in Advocacy TBA
1:00pm - 1:15pm General Emily Grant; Drew University, NJASFAA President Welcoming & Opening Remarks TBA
1:15pm - 2:15pm General NJ Assemblywoman Aura Dunn A Conversation with Assemblywoman Dunn TBA
2:30pm - 3:45pm Concurrent Julie Lawton; Monogram The Borrower Journey: How Students Really Navigate Financial Decisions Today TBA
2:30pm - 3:45pm Concurrent Jenn Sommerman; College Ave

OB3 Changed the Rules: How to Prepare Students for Credit-Based Borrowing

 TBA
2:30pm - 3:45pm Concurrent Heather Stith; Salem Community College Making Financial Aid Fun TBA
2:30pm - 3:45pm Concurrent

Panel Discussion

Karyn Arnold; Brookdale Community College

Alejandro Guiral; Berkeley College

Tammi Hussey; Seton Hall University

Moderator: Emily Grant; Drew University, NJASFAA President

 Dependency Override Panel TBA
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent Will McGinley; College Raptor Excel 101: Tips and Tricks TBA
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent

Panel Discussion

Lenny Mesonas; Raritan Valley Community College

 Fraudulent Students and How to Identify Them TBA
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent

Panel Discussion

Ed Hill; Citizens Bank

Hayato Suzuki; Ellucian

Financial Aid Was Just the Beginning: The Paths That Brought Us Here

 TBA
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent Rich Neilsen; Ascent Funding "FORE!"- Simple Strategies for Avoiding the Financial Aid Rough TBA
5:30pm - 6:30pm
 Sponsor Happy Hour! Join our sponsors for a cocktail (or mocktail) and networking!

7:00pm 

 

Dinner on Your Own

Sign up for Sponsor-hosted dinner (Registration Coming Soon!)

Sign up for Novice/1st Time Attendee meet-up dinner (Registration Coming Soon)

9:00pm - 11:00pm

NJASFAA IDOL (details coming soon)

 

Day 2

Thursday, November 5th

Time Session Type Presenter Session Title Room

7:30am - 8:30am

Breakfast 

8:45am - 10:00am

 Concurrent Robert Weinerman; Iron Bridge Resources

What's new in Verification and Eligibility in 2027-2028

  

8:45am - 10:00am

 Concurrent Patrick Ziegler; Earnest

Fears; Features and Futures: Findings from a National Study on Private Student Loan Borrowers

 		  

8:45am - 10:00am

 Concurrent Andre Maglione & Sharon Austin; HESAA

All Things HESAA

 TBA
8:45am - 10:00am Concurrent Will McGinley; College Raptor

Excel 201: A Deeper Dive

 TBA
10:15am - 11:30am General HESAA HESAA State Update  
11:45am - 1:00pm Concurrent Melissa Vargas; Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing

Navigating Student Loan Repayment and Institutional Default Aversion


 TBA
11:45am - 1:00pm Concurrent Tayler Kreutter; Mount Holyoke College

From Financial Aid to Student Success: Building an Anti-Melt Strategy That Actually Works

 TBA
11:45am - 1:00pm Concurrent Rachel Mecca; Montclair State University, NJASFAA President-Elect From SAP to Success (part 2)  
11:45am - 1:00pm Concurrent Andre Maglione & Sharon Austin; HESAA

Using the Power of AI to Build Your Own Financial Aid Research Library

  
1:15pm - 2:30pm  Lunch Nick Prewett; Stony Brook University, EASFAA President EASFAA Update (15 min) TBA
2:30pm - 3:30pm  General Kate Nichols; Cycle Breakers Therapy Mental Health Keynote TBA
3:45pm
  Tricky Tray Winners Announced
4:00pm - 5:15pm  Concurrent Robert Weinerman; Iron Bridge Resources

Guided Student Aid Index Hand Calculation

 TBA
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent  Melissa Vargas; Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing

An Interactive Approach to Solving our Biggest Financial Aid Bottlenecks

 TBA
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent  Tayler Kreutter; Mount Holyoke College

Financial Aid as an Enrollment Strategy: Moving Beyond Compliance to Drive Institutional Success

 TBA
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent  Nick Prewett; Stony Brook University, EASFAA President Leadership Development TBA
6:00pm - 8:00pm
 President's Reception
8:00pm - 10:00pm After Party w/ DJ

 

Day 3

Friday, November 6th

Time Session Type Presenter Session Title Room

9:00am - 10:00am

 Breakfast 
9:30am - 10:30am General Alejandro Guiral; Berkeley College

Schedule of Reduction and your Fall Enrollment Changes

 TBA
10:40am - 11:40am General Jerome Townsend; Constituent Services Representative in the Office of United States Senator Andy Kim

Federal Aid Conversation

 TBA