NYSFAAA Region VI

Minutes

9/28/2006

 

The following individuals were in attendance:

Abdel

Wafa

CUNY - Borough of Manhattan Community College

Babich

Keith

Student Capital

Bennett

Christina

Marymount Manhattan College

Constable

Christopher

Edamerica

Degen

Tania

CUNY - Central Administration

Dindyal

Deven

Columbia University - Teachers College

Duran

Ursula

National Education

Entin

Howard

CUNY - BMCC

Farley

Michele

Academic Finance Corporation

Fox

Barrie

Citibank Student Loans

Ghanoo

Calvin Brian

National Student Loan Programs

Gieseke

Theresa

NextStudent

Gray

Janet

Academic Finance Corporation

Grazette Jordan

Lorrinza

Cooper Union

Harewood III

Wayne

CUNY - Kingsborough Community College

Herbst

Patty

College Loan Corporation

Kalish

Fran

SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology

Kokis

Thomas

EDFUND

Landis-Frey

Janet

Barnard College

Mandel

Elizabeth

CUNY - Queens College

Mastellone

Kristen

St. Francis College

Moore

Ramona

School of Visual Arts

Murray

LaQuanda

Wachovia Corporation

Rabil

Alison

Barnard College

Remsen

Christopher

New York University

Santana

Sandy

Department of Education

Santora

Jason

Student Loan Xpress, Inc.

Schiffino

Julieta

SUNY Central Administration

Seabrooks

Kenneth

CUNY - Brooklyn College

Senese

Vera

Chase Education Finance

Singh

Gitu

CUNY - Central Administration

Sullivan

Carol

St. Joseph's College

Sweet

Steven

NYS Higher Education Services Corp

Swierc

Lauren

Wagner College

Taylor

Michael

Key Bank

Torres-Erickson

Mary

M & T Bank

Traverso

Anne

Student Loan Xpress, Inc.

Van Dekker

Angela

Fordham University

Vasquez

Oscar

Columbia University - School of Nursing

Walton

Rodney

PNC Bank

Williams-Bethea

Melanie

Columbia University - Teachers College

Worrell

Shelley

CUNY - Graduate Center

Ziegler

Patrick

Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc.

Bolden Hudson

Toby

Nellie Mae

Esparza

Angelica

Academic Finance Corporation

Fischer

Barry

SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology

Friedmann

Mina

SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology

Kopit

Anna

Aveda Institute New York

Pizzuti

Anthony

Student Loan Xpress, Inc.

Simos

Nicholas

Polytechnic University

Smith

Brenda

Nelnet

Villaquiran

Lucila

Columbia University - Teachers College

Warren

Joan

The Juilliard School

 

Brian Ghanoo opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and giving the membership update.

 

*  Members must have membership updated or you will be removed from the list serve.

It was suggested that members be enrolled when they join NYSFAAA and have the                                  choice to remove themselves from the list serve.

 

* Region VI ended 2006 with 486 members; a 23% increase from the prior year.

 

* Exec Council voted to establish a Diversity Committee…new diversity initiatives

 

October 27th at FIT – Verification Training – hosted by NASFAA & EASFAA

 

 

EARLY AWARENESS COMMITTEE  - reaches out to Middle School students in regions 5,6 & 7. Last year high school students were targeted. Region VI needs a committee chair/member on Early Awareness Committee.  This is Brian’s last year.

This year the focus will be on outreaching to middle school guidance counselors.

 

Volunteers are needed to put together an agenda ie. Professional Judgement, interpreting financial aid award letter, etc.

 

Region VI & VII will present minor presentations

 

Steve Sweet gave the HESC update.

 

Shelley Worrell gave the treasury report and stated that the balance of the checking account as of today is $10,729. 

 

* Region VI was selected top be audited this year.

* 7 new members joined NYSFAAA and received free membership for 2006-2007 as a result of attending Region VI’s Summer Meeting.

 

Angela VanDekker presented the Exec. Council up date which can be viewed on the NYSFAAA website.

 

Both the Current Statement of Principles and Dave Kinaski’s Proposed Statement of Principles were distributed and discussed. Many members were not too thrilled with the tone of the proposed document.

 

Patty Herbst inquired as to whether there have been discussions about regions not having meetings on the same day since some vendors are tri-regional members.

 

Brian Ghanoo responded with regional activities should be on the web and that regions should put dates on the calendar making other regions aware of their activities. It was also mentioned that feedback is needed from members as to when meetings should be held and what time.

 

 

ACG/SMART GRANT

 

Sandy Santana (US Department of Education), Angela VanDekker and Brian Ghanoo lead a discussion about ACG/Smart Grants.

 

Sandy informed us that about 60 people attended each session of the HERA Training and to let her know if anyone was closed out of training. Information on HERA is listed on the DOE website.

 

There was series of online training over the summer.  Registration went from 50 to 500.

 

The total training time for ACG/Smart Grant is about 4 hours.

 

Any student receiving the ACG/Smart Grant must receive Pell and be full time.

 

AP Credits can be subtracted from total credits (big issues with year in school)

 

If a student loses eligibility before receiving distribution, don’t give him/her the loan.

 

At  Exec. Council it came up that guidance counselors don’t know about Smart Grant.  Go back to Admissions Offices and ask them to provide some training for high school guidance counsels.