Region 1 Regional Notes/Report

Notes/Report: DATE: January 1, 2008 - Region 1 February 2008 Minutes Region 1 Meeting 2/21/08 Attendees: Lynn Chilson-Buff State, Brent McEnroe-UB, Kevin Ryan- UB, Rachel Barker-AFC, Sister Mary Diane Miller-Villa, Jennifer Pollard-Sallie Mae, Terry Adamczyk-Trocaire, Janet McGrath-Trocaire, Karen Blankenburg-Wachovia, Darcie Stephens-B of A, Kathy Michalski- NCCC, Lea Nicholson-Canisius, Mary Koehneke-Canisius, Ann Marie Moscovic-Canisius Admissions, Diane Sturzenbecker-Jamestown Business College, Holly Zaglaniczny-Edamerica, Michele Rizzo-Canisius, Katrina Delgrosso-Chase, Dan Hunter-Emeritus, Mary Jo Brockel-St. Bonaventure, Warren Hoffman-Buff State, Curt Guame-Canisius, Jennifer garey-Niagara University, Courtney Harris-Campus Door, Heather McDonnell-Sarah Lawrence College, Jack Rafferty-HESC, Marc Woolf-HESC, Jean Branicky-Medaille, Sherri Sheppard-HSBC, Phyllis Hart-Medaille, Karen Miller-Medaille, Jeanne Mossios-Medaille, Kayann Taylor-Houghton College, Marianne Lpoer-Houghton College, Ambrose Price II-Citizens, Ithrene Cameron-Sallie Mae, Troy Martin- Houghton College, Michael Rivera-Chase, Tammi Meidenbauer-Medaille, Laura Helmich-PNC, Bob Neale-Medaille, Jerome Moss-Key, Dean Reinhardt-Buff State Kevin Ryan: Welcome and introductions. Introduced Heather McDonnell (NYSFAAA President) as our special guest. Kevin asked Heather if she would like to have the floor and introduce herself. Heather McDonald: Provided an introduction and a thank you for inviting her to our meeting. Heather is glad to be back as she is originally from Buffalo. Heather will be asking the members to do an exercise to help exec council decipher ways to cut the budget. Brent McEnroe: NYSFAAA Region 1 Meeting 2/21/2008 Medaille College Treasurer’s Report Balance as of 12/06/07: $1,928.20 Minus: 12/13/07 $1,217.35 The Italian Village Region 1 December Meeting (Ck: 519) 12/20/07 $50.00 The Italian Village Region 1 December Meeting Deposit (Ck 517) 01/09/08 $2.00 Check Image Fee 02/06/08 $2.00 Check Image Fee PLUS: 12/10/07 $1,020.00 Deposit Region 1 Members payment December 2007 Meeting 12/11/07 $90.00 Deposit Region 1 Members payment December 2007 Meeting Equals: $1,766.85 Ending Balance as of 02/06/2008: $1,766.85 Revenue sharing will be forthcoming in March. Lynn Chilson: Exec Council met 2x since our last meeting. Novice Training will be at Brockport NYSFAAA Region I Executive Council Meeting Report December 13 & 14, 2007 Buffalo, NY Heather McDonnell and Curt Guame will be attending regional meetings to speak to the members and reaffirm that Executive Council is committed to training. Treasurer’s Report: Question has been raised as to whether or not regions have received their revenue sharing this past June. We should have received $10 per member as of membership on June 30, 2007. In January, revenue sharing will be $5 for this one-time. Novice Training: June 7-13, 2008 - SUNY Brockport is being reviewed as a possible location. The committee will be looking for volunteers. Jim Briggs Advanced Tax Workshop: Lynn Chilson and Cindy Kohlman will reach out to Regions 1 & 2 for interest in a joint tax workshop. 2008 Annual Conference will be hosted by Region 3 in Buffalo, NY on October 21-24, 2008. It is the 40th Anniversary of NYSFAAA. Membership: Regional meetings are for members only and invited guest speakers. Each member can bring a guest one-time and than they must join NYSFAAA to attend the meetings. Please encourage your staff members to join if they are not currently members. Question was raised regarding a SUNYFAP member attending a NYSFAAA function – must be a NYSFAAA member to attend unless it is a SUNYFAP/NYSFAAA co-sponsored training event. Mentoring Committee – two volunteers needed from each region to serve as co-regional members. Primary purpose will be to invite and recruit 5 relatively new members to attend a meeting or regional training event. ATAC can assist in identifying new financial aid professionals. Judi Miladin has been asked by Heather to be our grant-writer for the funds collected by the attorney general for training initiatives. Election Committee: Volunteer needed for the Election Committee. I’m pleased to report that we had a number of members step forward to volunteer for this committee. Our region representative is Elisabeth Rankin from St. Bonaventure University. Next Generation Committee no longer has an age limit to volunteer for committee so if you are interested you can sign-up on the NYSFAAA website. Regional Training • Request has been made that regions post presentations from their meetings to the website to share and exchange with other regions. • Event Management on website - committee is looking into the possibility of using credit cards on website for statewide events, donations, membership, conference and novice. Upcoming Training Events Advanced Tax Workshops with Jim Briggs • February 19, 2008 in NYC • February 20, 2008 in Albany, NY EASFAA Leadership Training Workshops • March 13, 2008 in Albany, NY • March 20, 2008 in Brockport, NY • NYC – TBD Question: Would we be interested in selling t-shirts from the conference in NYC at regional level to raise money for scholarship fund? NYSFAAA Region I Executive Council Meeting Report February 7 - 8, 2008 – White Plains, NY Treasurer’s Report: Revenue Sharing payments were reviewed. In August, Region 2, 6, & 7 were paid. Remaining regions will be paid for June and all regions will receive January payments based on $5 per member. Region 4 is the only region scheduled for an audit this year. Event Management on website: This will be opened to regional activities with the cost absorbed by the region. Development: Due to Slate sponsorship is down. Heather announced that Judi Miladin and Sheryl Mihopolus have agreed to be our professional grant writers for requesting funds from the AG’s office. Novice Training: SUNY Brockport will be the site for novice training for the next four years. For 2008, the price is $580 which will include 2008/09 membership dues. 2008 Annual Conference: October 21 – 24, 2008 hosted by Region 3 at Adam’s Mark Hotel in Buffalo, NY. Received over 80 proposals for sessions. The registration fee has not been set yet. NYSFAAA Listserv: Non-financial aid postings to Listserv. Some workshops are being offered by guarantors and announcing them on the list. Listserv policies are posted on the web. • Discussion: Should only workshops run by NYSFAAA be posted or if the training is purely training without discussing lender/guarantor products can it be posted? We have been asked to discuss this issue and to review the language and offer suggestions. NYSFAAA Region 1 Homework: Line Item Budget Discussion: This exercise is intended to assist us in prioritizing where our money should be allocated and is not intended to cut any items listed. Please review the attached budget sheet and prioritize the budget line items from “highest” rated functions to the “lowest” rated functions and than return by March 7th to: Lynn Chilson FAO, Moot Hall 230 Buffalo State College – SUNY 1300 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14222 Please share this with other members in your office who were unable to attend. This information will be submitted to Heather who will in turn post the results to the Listserv for review and comments. Thank you! Kevin mentioned that Region 1 has not had a tax workshop with Jim Briggs in 3 years. Asked the region to consider it for future as it is a very informative educational workshop but is very expensive. We may have to consider combining with Regions 2 & possibly 3 but would like to see it come back to Region 1. Jim has provided workshops in other Regions in NYS last week. Kevin also mentioned that Stephanie Atti is our Scholarship Committee Chair. Heather proceeded with an exercise to review the NYSFAAA Budget. Passed out a spreadsheet and asked the members to evaluate the expenses/income and determine what is most important to them and what is least. Heather will collect the spreadsheets and evaluate them to determine what is Region 1’s priorities and what is not. The exercise was also to prove how difficult it is to have a room full of people with somewhat of the same mindset, goals and profession differ in areas to eliminate and keep, which proves to us what they (Exec Council is up against). Warren: Made a comment/suggestion that maybe council should consider looking at other options of cutting corners with conferences and exec council meetings, such as cutting the conference by one day as well as Exec Council by one day. Not necessarily eliminating but cutting. Future Meetings: March Meeting at Canisius May Meeting at Buff State No April meeting. June TBA. Kevin also asked that the members look at the NYSFAAA Connection, not sure how members actually look at it but has great information concerning NYSFAAA as a whole. No Committee Updates. Ambrose Price: College Goal Sunday was held on February 10th at City Honors in Buffalo, NY. What a huge success for 2008. The Buffalo site hosted 97 families with 13 volunteers on a blustery Sunday. Thank you to all volunteers who ventured out and assisted in making this a success. Holly Z: Jamestown HS was an additional site in Region 1 for College Goal Sunday. This was the first year Region 1 hosted two sites. Unfortunately due to inclement weather Holly was not able to make her site, but with a stupendous committee they pulled it off and assisted 34 families. A job well done. Thank you to all volunteers who helped and ventured out to Jamestown to make this a great success. Marc Woolf: HESC UPDATE FEBRUARY 2008 The 2008-09 Executive Budget Proposal for HESC More than $802 million in TAP awards is expected to be distributed by HESC to students in the coming academic year. The state’s funding commitment in the 2008-2009 Executive Budget will maintain New York’s ranking as a national leader in need-based, state-funded grants and scholarships. Below is a summary of the major provisions of the 2008-2009 Executive Budget: • While the state faces a projected $4 billion deficit, HESC is pleased to report the budget recommends no reductions in student award schedules for the Tuition Assistance Program or state scholarship programs. This is historic since, in years past, whenever the state faced large budget deficits, every administration has recommended cuts in TAP. • Includes $2 million to increase college tuition benefits for returning combat veterans. Annual awards will be increased from the current $2,000 maximum to up to SUNY undergraduate full-time tuition. • Allows HESC to obtain certain information from the state Department of Taxation and Finance about borrowers in default on government education loans. • The budget redirects the funds used to pay the 1 percent federal student loan default fee to support the TAP program. • Provides an estimated $2.6 million in TAP savings by stipulating all students in default on a federal student loan would be ineligible for TAP awards, regardless of the guarantor for the loans. This tightens eligibility standards and corrects a loophole that permits federal student loan defaulters to be eligible to receive TAP awards only if their student loans are not guaranteed by HESC. • As noted in the 2008-09 Executive Budget, HESC will be launching the HESC Student Loan Marketplace, a web site that will foster choice, competition and transparency for alternative loans by providing consumers access to comparisons of real products terms with one credit check. POSTED BY: Kevin Ryan