| 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM | GRAB & GO BREAKFAST | EXHIBIT AREA |
| 8:00AM | 4:00PM | EXHIBIT AREA OPEN (Between Events) | EXHIBIT AREA |
| 9:15AM | 10:30AM | GENERAL SESSION: Panel Discussion on Student Food Insecurity in College Students. | BALLROOM |
| | Presenters: Johni Ison-JCTC & Lynette Kenedy Family Scholar House, ECTC | |
| | Food insecurity among college students is an increasingly pressing issue that impacts academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being. Many students are struggling to access sufficient, nutritious food due to rising tuition costs, limited financial aid, and other socio-economic barriers. Come hear from those who works with students on a dailey basis to help ease the burden of food insecurities. | |
| 10:30AM | 10:45AM | BREAK | EXHIBIT AREA |
| 10:45AM | 11:45AM | CONCURRENT SESSIONS | |
| | + Professional Judgment: What Would You Do? Outwit, Outplay, Outjudge: A Professional Judgment Challenge! | CARRIAGE |
| | Presenters: Runan Evans, Bluegrass Community & Technical College & Bob Fultz, University of Kentucky | |
| | Welcome to this hands-on session where only the sharpest Financial Aid Administrators will survive the ultimate test of professional judgment. You’ll be put to the test as we explore real-world case studies, navigating tricky situations just like the contestants on Survivor face unexpected challenges. Review current rules and regulations, discover what others would do in similar scenarios, and sharpen your skills to ensure you’re readyd for whatever PJ scenarios come your way. WIll you outlast the challenges and prove your judgment reigns supreme? | |
| | + KHEAA System Reports | ELLIS |
| | Presenter: Jennifer Toth, KHEAA | |
| | Where to go on KHEAA island to survive . Learn about Crystal reports and KHEAA file system…how to upload and download reports. | |
| | + Financial Aid Fraud: Outwit, Outlast, Outplay – Survivor Strategies for Schools | TURFWAY |
| | Presenters: Michael Barlow, Tracy Tollefson, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and Michelle Standridge, Spalding University | |
| | In this high-stakes session, we invite you to embark on a journey through the treacherous terrain of financial aid fraud with two schools that have not only faced the challenge but emerged victorious. This session will unveil the tactics, experiences, and survival skills that helped these institutions detect and navigate through the complexities of financial aid fraud. Hear firsthand accounts from both schools as they share their stories of struggle and triumph. Discover how they outwitted fraudsters, outlasted financial crises, and outplayed deception through innovative detection methods and resilient strategies. | |
| | + Meditation for the Fidgety Skeptic – A Book Report that Could Change Your Life | DERBY |
| | Presenter: Kevin Holman, CollegeAve | |
| | Science suggests that meditation can lower blood pressure, mitigate depression and anxiety, and literally rewire key parts of the brain, among numerous other benefits. Did you know this? ABC news anchor Dan Harris does, and after having a panic attack on live TV, he’s trying his best to share his story with those of us who might not buy into all the “meditation hype.” After all, he was the biggest skeptic you could find. In this session, we’ll give you the CliffsNotes version of his best-selling book Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, along with an arsenal of tips and tricks to get your mind to stop racing, even if just for a little while. Please don’t be scared – there will be no one sitting on floor pillows or group chanting! This is for those of us living in a fast-paced, high-stress world who need to turn off the noise – whether it’s at our desk, waiting in line at the grocery store, or lying in bed staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night. | |
| 12:00PM | 1:30PM | BUSINESS MEETING LUNCHEON | BALLROOM |
| 1:30PM | 1:45PM | BREAK | EXHIBIT AREA |
| 1:45PM | 2:30PM | SECTOR MEETINGS | |
| | + Four-Year Public Institutions | CARRIAGE |
| | Facilitator: Beth Mekus | |
| | + Two-Year Public Institutions | TURFWAY |
| | Facilitator: Karen Miller | |
| | + Private Institutions | ELLIS |
| | Facilitator: Audrey Price | |
| | + Proprietary Institutions | DERBY |
| | Facilitator: Sarah Cowen | |
| | + Non-School | EXHIBIT AREA |
| | Facilitator: Chansone Durden | |
| 2:30PM | 2:45PM | BREAK | EXHIBIT AREA |
| 2:45PM | 3:45PM | CONCURRENT SESSIONS | |
| | + A.I. | DERBY |
| | Presenter: Chris Cagas, IVY AI | |
| | In this dynamic session, we’ll explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the landscape of financial aid. Discover how AI can enhance operational efficiency, scale support services, and assist first-generation students. We’ll delve into how AI helps navigate the complexities of ever-changing federal regulations, rising tuition costs, and the ongoing student debt crisis. Learn how AI-driven solutions can empower financial aid offices to educate students about financial literacy, ensuring they make informed decisions about their educational investments. Join us to see the future of financial aid through the lens of AI and how it can address the pressing issues faced by financial aid administrators today. | |
| | + Developing your Personal Mission Statement | CARRIAGE |
| | Presenter: Brad Barnett, James Madison University | |
| | Have you really thought about what’s most important you in life? What do you value? What’s your purpose? What do you hope to accomplish? And how do your day-to-day habits move you closer or further from these goals? This is larger than just looking through the lens of your work. Instead, this is about you as a person. Developing a personal mission statement can help keep you on track, and motivate you, towards having a more fulfilled and purposeful life. | |
| | + Homeless Youth | TURFWAY |
| | Presenter: Bob Fultz, University of Kentucky | |
| | We have students who are facing challenges within their studies to get through to graduate. Then there are the students who not only face daily challenges within this new environment but are facing challenge after challenge to survive and have their basic needs met. Students are wondering where they will live if not in their dorm room, where their next meal will come from, and they have no one to turn to. As financial aid administrators, it our job to make a homeless youth determination on these students to help them have an affordable education and to help break the cycle that they are in. Let’s come together to see what we can do to ensure their fire is not extinguished. | |
| | +Survivor’s Guide to Financial Aid: Outlasting Default Rates and Mastering Repayment Strategies | ELLIS |
| | Presenters: Tricia Crowe and Hazel Winston, KHEAA/KHELSC | |
| | Prepare for an intense, survival-themed deep dive into managing financial aid cohort default rates and optimizing loan repayment options. Drawing inspiration from the strategic challenges of Survivor, this session will equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the complex world of financial aid. Join us as we explore real-world strategies from financial aid experts who have navigated the high-stakes environment of default management. You’ll hear their survival stories and learn how they tackled default rates with resilience and innovation | |
| 3:45PM | 4:00PM | BREAK WITH REFRESHMENTS | EXHIBIT AREA |
| 4:00PM | 5:00PM | CONCURRENT SESSIONS | |
| | + Having the Tough Conversations with Staff | ELLIS |
| | Presenter: Jamie Burt, SASFAA President’s Exchnage, University of Alabama | |
| | Difficult conversations are inevitable in any workplace. Those conversations can create unhappiness, stress, and tension. When handled poorly, they are likely to result in serious problems that interfere with productivity and leave everyone involved feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. You can’t avoid these kinds of conversations, but you can learn how to handle them more effectively. Come learn ways to handle these challenges. | |
| | + Excel – Intro to Advanced | CARRIAGE |
| | Presenter: Josie Masterson, Campbellsville University | |
| | In the “Intro to Advanced Excel” training, you will embark on a journey of survival, navigating through the wilderness of rows and columns, where every cell holds the power to make or break your data. Like a true survivor, you’ll learn how to tame complex formulas, master pivot tables, and conquer data visualization, arming yourself with the tools needed to emerge victorious in any spreadsheet challenge. | |
| | + Navigating Financial Aid and Mental Health | TURFWAY |
| | Presenter: Joan Bailey, SASFAA President-Elect | |
| | Explore the intricate relationship between financial aid, student success, and student mental health. Financial aid administrators are being pulled into the world of student success and wellbeing, while still maintaining compliance for the administration of various aid programs. These two worlds do not always pair well together as federal regulations can appear as a catalyst that hinders retention, persistence, and student success. Frustrations with the financial aid process can negatively contribute to students’ mental wellbeing. Gain strategies to enhance retention, persistence, and overall student well-being while navigating federal regulations, including the administration of Satisfactory Academic Progress, appeals, and addressing financial insecurity. Let us explore how financial administrators can promote holistic student success while upholding financial aid regulations and addressing financial insecurity challenges. | |
| | + Developing Focus: Improve your ability to give attention to the important things and reduce distractions with practical adjustments. | DERBY |
| | Presenter: Sara Edwards, Citizens Bank | |
| | The average person gets interrupted at work every 11 minutes. This session will help improve your ability to give attention to important tasks and reduce distractions. Practical and intentional adjustments are critical now that many offices are navigating in-person, remote, and hybrid working environments. Everyone, from brand new to the most experienced administrators will benefit from the 7 Essentials to develop, maintain, and sharpen their level of focus to become more efficient throughout the workday. | |
| 5:00 PM | 6:30pm | DINNER ON YOUR OWN | |
| 7:00 PM | ??? | PRESIDENT’S DESSERT RECEPTION AND SURVIVOR GAMES | BALLROOM |
| | Get ready to channel your inner survivor with an exciting lineup of Survivor-themed games! These challenges are designed to test your physical endurance, mental sharpness, and strategic thinking(well not really)—just like on the hit TV show Survivor. From balancing acts and obstacle courses to puzzle-solving and scavenger hunts, participants will race against the clock and each other to prove they have what it takes to outwit, outplay, and outlast. Whether you’re competing for immunity, building alliances, or overcoming obstacles, Survivor games offer non-stop fun and excitement. Players will face off in heart-pounding tasks such as balancing coconuts, building towers, and completing easy races, all while racing against time. Gather your tribe, prepare for battle, and see who will be the ultimate Survivor champion! | |
| | Hospitality Suite Open | Suite 744 |
