Fall 2026 NJASFAA Conference Agenda

Ocean Casino Resort

Atlantic City, NJ

November 4th - 6th, 2026

Day 1

Wednesday, November 4th

Time Session Type Presenter Session Title Room

8:30am - 4:00pm

    

Registration Open

 Registration Desk

10:00am - 5:30pm

    

Exhibit Area Open

  

9:00am - 12:00pm

 Pre-Conference Tammi Hussey, Seton Hall University

NASFAA Credential Training - Professional Judgement

Sign Up HERE!!

 Tank 7
9:00am - 12:00pm Pre-Conference Asia Taj, FAAC®, NJIT

NASFAA Credential Training - Cost of Attendance

Sign Up HERE!

 Tank 8
11:30am - 12:45pm Concurrent Peter Collazo and Hema Patel, NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education EOF Update Tank 3
11:30am - 12:45pm Concurrent Alejandro Guiral, FAAC®, Berkeley College
NJASFAA Past-President		 The Importance of YOUR Role in Advocacy Tank 4
11:30am - 12:45pm Concurrent Patrick Ziegler, Earnest Fears, Features and Futures: Findings from a National Study on Private Student Loan Borrowers Tank 2
11:15am - 12:15pm     Grab N Go Lunch  
1:00pm - 1:15pm General Emily Grant, FAAC®, Drew University, NJASFAA President Welcoming & Opening Remarks OCEAN ABCD
1:15pm - 2:15pm General

NJ Assemblywoman Aura Dunn

Member of NJ Higher Education Committee

 A Conversation with Assemblywoman Dunn OCEAN ABCD
2:30pm - 3:45pm Concurrent Julie Lawton, Monogram The Borrower Journey: How Students Really Navigate Financial Decisions Today Tank 3
2:30pm - 3:45pm Concurrent Jenn Sommerman, College Ave

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

 Tank 7
2:30pm - 3:45pm Concurrent Heather Stith, Salem Community College Making Financial Aid Fun Tank 4
2:30pm - 3:45pm Concurrent

Panel Discussion

Karyn Arnold, FAAC®, Brookdale Community College

Sarah Carrero, Rutgers University-Camden, NJASFAA Vice President

Alejandro Guiral, FAAC®, Berkeley College
NJASFAA Past-President

Tammi Hussey, Seton Hall University

Moderator: Emily Grant, FAAC®, Drew University, NJASFAA President

 Dependency Override Panel Tank 8
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent Will McGinley, College Raptor Excel 101: Tips and Tricks Tank 4
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent

Lenny Mesonas, Raritan Valley Community College

 Fraudulent Students and How to Identify Them Tank 3
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent

Panel Discussion

Ed Hill, Citizens Bank

Hayato Suzuki, Financial Aid Consultant

Cathi Boscher-Murphy, CBM Enterprises

Wil Casaine, Executive Director of Financial Aid, TCNJ

Heidi Kovalick, FAAC®, Director of Financial Aid, Rowan University

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

 Tank 7
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent Rich Neilsen, Ascent Funding "FORE!"- Simple Strategies for Avoiding the Financial Aid Rough Tank 8
5:30pm - 6:30pm
 Sponsor Happy Hour! Join our sponsors for a cocktail (or mocktail) and networking! SKYVIEW

7:00pm 

 

Dinner on Your Own

Sign up for Sponsor-hosted dinner (Sign up here!)

Sign up for Novice/1st Time Attendee meet-up dinner (Sign up here!)

9:00pm - 11:00pm

NJASFAA IDOL (Sign up here!) Room OCEAN ABCD

 

Day 2

Thursday, November 5th

Time Session Type Presenter Session Title Room

7:30am - 8:30am

Breakfast

OCEAN ABCD

8:45am - 10:00am

 Concurrent Robert Weinerman, Iron Bridge Resources

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

 Tank 3

8:45am - 10:00am

 Concurrent

Panel Discussion

Eduardo Gonzalez, Sallie Mae

Heidi Kovalick, FAAC®, Director of Financial Aid, Rowan University

Emily Grant, FAAC®, Drew University, NJASFAA President

Bridging the Graduate Funding Gap: Lessons from 2026 Financing in a post Grad-Plus First Year Environment 

 		 Tank 7

8:45am - 10:00am

 Concurrent Andre Maglione & Sharon Austin, HESAA

All Things HESAA

 Tank 8
8:45am - 10:00am Concurrent Will McGinley, College Raptor

Excel 201: A Deeper Dive

 Tank 4
10:15am - 11:30am General Jerry Traino, HESAA HESAA State Update Ocean ABCD 
11:45am - 1:00pm Concurrent Melissa Vargas, Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing

Navigating Student Loan Repayment and Institutional Default Aversion


 Tank 4
11:45am - 1:00pm Concurrent Tayler Kreutter, FAAC®, Mount Holyoke College

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

 Tank 3
11:45am - 1:00pm Concurrent Rachel Mecca, FAAC®, Montclair State University, NJASFAA President-Elect Bridging SAP and Systems: Let's Talk Integrations Tank 7  
11:45am - 1:00pm Concurrent Andre Maglione & Sharon Austin, HESAA

Acceptable Documentation for State Aid

 Tank 8 
1:15pm - 2:30pm  Lunch Nick Prewett, FAAC®, Stony Brook University, EASFAA President EASFAA Update (15 min) OCEAN ABCD
2:30pm - 3:30pm  General Kate Nichols; Cycle Breakers Therapy

Mental Health Keynote

Staying Anchored: Strategies for Remaining Grounded During Rapid Change

 OCEAN ABCD
3:45pm
  Tricky Tray Winners Announced Tricky Tray Table
4:00pm - 5:15pm  Concurrent Robert Weinerman, Iron Bridge Resources

Guided Student Aid Index Hand Calculation

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

An Interactive Approach to Solving our Biggest Financial Aid Bottlenecks

 Tank 3
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent  Tayler Kreutter, FAAC®, Mount Holyoke College

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

 Tank 8
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent Jeff Bentley, Citizens Financial Aid Escape Room: Escape Default Island Tank 2
4:00pm - 5:15pm Concurrent  Nick Prewett, FAAC®, Stony Brook University, EASFAA President Mindful Leadership in Times of Crisis: Leading others without Burning Out Tank 7
6:00pm - 8:00pm
 President's Reception 
8:00pm - 10:00pm After Party w/ DJ  SKYVIEW

 

Day 3

Friday, November 6th

Time Session Type Presenter Session Title Room

9:00am - 10:00am

 Breakfast 
9:30am - 10:30am General Alejandro Guiral, FAAC®, Berkeley College, NJASFAA Past-President

Schedule of Reduction and your Fall Enrollment Changes

 OCEAN ABCD
10:30-10:35am    

FINANCIAL AID MVP Announced!

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

Federal Aid Conversation

 OCEAN ABCD