June 2 - 5, 2025
Holiday Inn & Suites, Latham, NY

What is NOVICE?

NOVICE is an award-winning, intensive, comprehensive training program designed for financial aid personnel with less than one year of experience.  We also encourage admissions and enrollment management personnel to enroll.  If you meet this description, or know anyone that does, we suggest you enroll and/or pass the word. Participants are expected to attend and actively participate in each session. Participants will be required to complete a pretest and Final Exam to demonstrate learning outcomes.

Theme

The NOVICE 2025 theme is Musical Genres. Music loving participants will learn basic rules and regulations that govern institutional participation in federal student aid; the most common federal student aid programs and student eligibility criteria; New York State student aid policies and eligibility; and eligibility criteria for the NYS DREAM Act. Participants will hone their professional skills through presentations as well as online resources and tools to navigate the rules and regulations for federal and New York State student aid. 

Registration Fee and NYSFAAA Membership

The cost of the NOVICE financial aid training workshop is $400, which includes the $330 NOVICE registration fee, meals, and $70.00 NYSFAAA membership through June 30, 2026. Vouchers will not be accepted. All registrations must be paid in full by May 16, 2025. There will be no refunds after May 16th. Email [email protected] with any questions or if you have technical problems, such as not receiving your invoice.

REGISTER NOW

Lodging

NOVICE will be held in Latham, NY at the Holiday Inn Suites & Express, Albany Airport Area.  You may book your room from Sunday, June 1 - Thursday, June 5.  The NYSFAAA Novice lodging rate is $119 per night. This rate is good through May 16, 2025. Lodging rates after May 16th will be at the Holiday Inn & Suites prevailing rates. Participants are responsible for paying lodging directly to the hotel. 

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Training Materials

Attendees must bring a laptop or tablet, not a cell phone, to access all online training resources. Novice participants will engage in online navigation of fsapartners.ed.gov, studentaid.gov, and hesc.ny.gov. The primary training resource is the 2024-2025 Federal Student Aid Handbook and the financial aid administrators’ section of hesc.ny.gov. Presentations and handouts are provided through the Novice Google drive provided to all paid attendees.

Training Sessions

  • NYS Grants and Scholarships
  • NYS DREAM Act
  • General Provisions: Institutional and Student Eligibility
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Student Aid Index Formulas
  • Federal Student Aid – Grants, Loans and Work-study
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • Federal Verification & Conflicting Information
  • Professional Judgement
  • Budgets and Packaging
  • Online Demonstrations
    • Hesc.ny.gov
    • Student Aid.gov 
    • FSAPartners.ed.gov

Activities

Dutch Apple Cruises (2025) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Reviews)

  • Dutch Apple Cruise on Tuesday evening.  Lets cruise down the Hudson River!  This two-hour boat cruise is provided a part of your registration fee.  Dinner, drinks, and music will be available. 
  • Yard Games!!  With your NOVICE Small Group, compete with other small groups in Cornhole, Bocci Ball, Ladder Ball, and YES --- SPAM TOSS!
  • Small Group Skits!