2025 WFAA Conference Sessions

NASFAA Inside the Beltway Update, In Person General Session

Presented by Sarah Austin, NASFAA Policy Analyst

This NASFAA Federal Update will provide an overview of the latest happenings in Washington, including a high-level landscape of the current political climate in D.C. with a focus on federal financial aid policy and how it has impacted students and institutions in recent years. Overall trends in student aid will be discussed including recent legislative and regulatory activity, reauthorization proposals and predictions for how student aid funding will fare in upcoming budget negotiations. Movement within the Department of Education concerning negotiated rulemaking and updates from Federal Student Aid (FSA) will also be discussed. The session will also provide an overview of NASFAA-led projects, services, and advocacy efforts.

Student Aid Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Key Changes and Impacts (Breakout Session)

Presented by Sarah Austin, NASFAA Policy Analyst

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduces sweeping changes to federal student aid programs, impacting everything from Pell Grants and student loans to institutional accountability measures. In this webinar, NASFAA policy experts will break down the bill's key student aid provisions, explain what they mean for institutions and students, and highlight areas requiring further guidance from the Department of Education. The session will also cover any updates to the negotiated rulemaking process concerning the OB3 provisions. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the legislative changes and anticipated timelines for implementation.

Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) Updates- In Person General Session

Presenter: Marla Skelley, Associate Director for Compliance, WSAC

WSAC will be providing an overview of the 2025 Legislative Session, preview of the 2026 Legislative session, a review of the 2024-2025 award year and program update.

Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (WASFAA) Updates- In Person General Session

Presenter: Bronwyn Garrison, University of California, San Diego and WASFAA President

Join us as WASFAA President, Bronwyn Garrison, updates the Financial Aid Community with WASFAA and how to become involved with the organization.

Internal and External Threats Facing Title IV Institutions

Presenter: OIG Special Agent in Charge, Adam Shanedling

Special agents from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) will discuss internal and external financial aid fraud and cyber security threats currently facing institutions of higher education. The presenters will discuss real case examples of these threats, and how OIG's investigative mission to combat fraud and abuse in federal student aid programs can help your organization safeguard those programs by identifying and detecting fraud. The presenters will illustrate complex and common fraud schemes, brief you on indicators that can help you detect internal and external fraud, discuss the criminal and civil remedies sought by the OIG, and inform you concerning how to report potential fraud to the OIG.  A question-and-answer period is planned as part of this presentation.

Future-Ready Financial Aid: Navigating the Crossroads of Technology, Policy, and Staffing

Presenter: April Tovar, Lower Columbia College, Kelsey Haney, Central Washington University, and Dr. Brian Dixon, Oracle Higher Education Industry Lead at Accenture  

Washington institutions are navigating a perfect storm—shrinking budgets, declining enrollment, increased federal complexity, and critical staffing shortages in financial aid. This session brings together three seasoned leaders for a timely and practical conversation about modernizing financial aid operations in this shifting landscape.

Yellow Brick Roadblocks: Clearing the Path to Student-Friendly Communications and Internal Workflow Improvements in the Financial Aid Office

Presenter: Sarah Kirton, Lower Columbia College; Jon Jacobs, Lower Columbia College; and Jessica Harris, Lower Columbia College

Stuck somewhere between a maze of federal and state regulations and a pile of outdated forms, one financial aid office decided it was time for a full-scale overhaul—both student-facing and behind the scenes. This session shares the journey of reimagining everything—from appeal forms to text message scripts, email templates to web pages, and even internal worksheets and workflow processes—into a cohesive, compliant, and student-friendly system. Learn practical strategies for aligning your messaging and refining your internal operations, even when you’re short on staff, time, or the resilience to survive one more internal doc labeled ‘FINAL_FINAL2_RealFinal.docx.’ You’ll leave with ideas, template suggestions, and just maybe…the courage to finally retire that appeal form from 1998...

Defying Gravi-AI: Soaring Into the Future of Financial Aid with AI

Presenter: Carlie Curlee, WSAC and Dawn Cypriano-McAftery, WSAC

Grab your broomsticks and buckle up, because we’re flying high above the Emerald City to explore how AI tools can revolutionize your work in financial aid! Whether you're buried in emails like Elphaba’s spellbooks or trying to make sense of regulatory jargon faster than Glinda can sparkle, this session will show you how to use AI tools like ChatGPT to work smarter—not harder.

With a little AI magic (and no monkey business), we’ll walk through practical use cases, real-time demos, and wickedly helpful tips that will have you saying, “What is this feeling?... Efficiency!”

The Emerald Guide to WASFA - From A to Z

Presenter: Leslie Gonzalez, WSAC and Victor Fernandez, WSAC

Training session and demo on navigating the new WASFA corrections process through Advisor Assist (Regent platform) and other related WASFA information in the WSAC portal. There will be time for Q&A throughout the session.

Wickedly New?  Navigating State Aid as a Beginner

Presenter: Carlie Curlee, WSAC

This session will be an introduction to Washington State financial aid. The audience will be those new to financial aid who want to learn more about state programs, resources, and the WSAC portal. There will be time for Q&A, with the goal of being interactive throughout.

Change Management in a Technologically Challenging World

Presenters: Victoria Hill, South Puget Sound Community College

This presentation incorporates three main types of change management;  Structural, Process and Cultural. We will share our journey of moving through these themes to realize our goals of minimizing the negative impacts of change, while ensuring desired outcomes. We begin by sharing how we overcame the distrust, fear and embarrassment inherent in the realization we needed the help of professional financial aid consultants to conduct a thorough review of our processes to help uncover inefficiencies (Structural). Then we discuss our process of moving to embrace the detailed and organized roadmap they provided for us to improve our compliance to federal/state policy, improve procedure and adapt to new technology (Process, Cultural). And finally, we’ll share how embarking on the journey sparked our determination and resolve to learn as much as possible, despite internal and external barriers, to achieve the desired results from the technology, including our initial fear of incorporating the use of Artificial Intelligence into our work, and learning when it is appropriate and safe to implement its use (Process, Cultural).

SAP: The Wizard's Guide to Staying on Track

Presenter: Jennifer Fetters, Bellevue College

Like Elphaba learning the rules of Oz, we need to master the rules of SAP. This session will cover how to evaluate, process, and support students through SAP — so you can stay compliant and help students stay eligible. Because when it comes to SAP, getting it right means no one mourns the paperwork.

Defying Norms: Communicating and collaborating with Play-Doh

Presenter: Christine Taylor, Bellevue College and Melanie Ruiz, Shoreline College

Like Elphaba and Glinda, great teamwork takes trust, understanding, and a little magic! In this playful, hands-on session, you'll use Play-Doh to explore how we communicate and collaborate—especially when styles clash. Get ready to build, laugh, and leave with stronger team skills (and maybe a flying monkey or two).

Wicked Healing: Empowering Every Step

Presenter: Thomas Lorendo, Renton Technical College

Financial aid offices are often the first point of contact for students navigating personal, academic, and financial challenges. This session will explore how adopting a trauma-informed approach can reshape these critical interactions into moments of meaningful support and empowerment. Whether you're new to trauma-informed care or looking to deepen your practice, this session offers practical tools to foster a more compassionate and supportive environment for all students.

From Guesswork to Game Plan: Using Pre-Bill Surveys to Empower Incoming Law Students 

Presenter: Cole Fairbairn, Gonzaga University and Sarah Everitt, Gonzaga University

Facing increasing uncertainty in enrollment and student financial readiness, Gonzaga University’s Student Financial Services Department and School of Law developed a Pre-Bill Survey to bridge the gap between aid packaging and tuition billing, with plans to expand the project to all new student populations over the course of the next year. This innovative tool collects real-time financial intent data from incoming students, helps identify those at risk of melt, and proactively connects students to aid resources, loan counseling, and payment strategies before the first bill drops. This session will walk attendees through the design, implementation, and practical outcomes of the Gonzaga Law Pre-Bill Survey, as well as how we plan to expand data collection 

What the PLUS is going on? Your Student Loan Options beyond Parent and GRAD PLUS

Presenters: Andrea Maison, BECU and Jerrick Macadangdang, Citizens Bank

With the elimination of Grad PLUS loans and the new limitations on Parent PLUS loans, it's more important than ever to understand your options. Join industry experts as they break down private student loan alternatives, offering insights, comparisons, and guidance to help your students make informed decisions about financing their graduate education.

The Wizard of Fraud:  How to Recognize and Prevent Student Loan Fraud

Presenter: Jeff Lackey, Sallie Mae

Join Sallie Mae for an insightful session where we will share tips to help protect your institution from deceptive practices in the student loan process. This presentation will explore the evolving tactics used by fraudsters to exploit the student loan system and the risks they pose for institutions and lenders alike. This session will highlight strategies for fraud prevention and steps to take if you suspect fraud.

Scholarships. An Important, and Often Overlooked, Piece of the Yellow Brick Road

Presenter: Jeff Lackey, Sallie Mae and Panel TBD

Scholarships can be a huge help for college-bound and currently enrolled students seeking financial assistance. They play an important part in the college decision-making process and can help improve retention. During this session, you will gain valuable insights about the importance of free money, where searching for scholarships falls within the typical college planning timeline, and the resources available. Sallie Mae’s Director of Relationship Management, and a panel of dynamic school experts will introduce tools, resources, and best practices to help your students optimize their scholarship search.

Dungeons, Dragons, and Disbursements

Presenter: Chantelle Isaacs, Ascent Funding

Join us for a creative journey into team dynamics and professional growth in financial aid. This session uses the "Dungeons & Dragons" framework to explore the skills and roles crucial to building and supporting a successful financial aid office. Discover how the archetypes and abilities in D&D can provide insights into how financial aid professionals support students, navigate challenges, and contribute to their teams. Whether you’re a director focused on building a resilient and adaptable team (Constitution) or an advisor aiming to enhance communication and rapport with students (Charisma), this talk will help you leverage both technical and interpersonal talents. Together, we’ll map out strengths, skill sets, and core values in a fun, D&D-inspired way. Financial aid professionals of all levels will leave this session with a refreshed perspective on the diverse skills they bring to their work, ready to help students succeed with newfound enthusiasm.

Inclusion, Diversity, Ethnicity, Equity, and Action WASFAA

Presenter: Jonathan Charres, Chapman University/WASFAA and Brittney Rosas-Lauderdale, Central Washington University/WASFAA

TBD

Hot Topic: Current Federal Financial Aid Issues – Wicked Problems, Bold Solutions

Presenters: Molly Walsh, WFAA President- DigiPen Institute of Technology; John Bender, WASFAA Past President; and Melanie Ruiz, WFAA Past President and Shoreline College

Join our panel for an audience-driven discussion on today’s most pressing federal financial aid challenges – FAFSA Changes, regulatory updates, compliance, system challenges and beyond. Bring your questions and be part of a dynamic conversation exploring bold solutions to the complex, fast-changing issues shaping our work.