The Maine Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional benefit association of practicing financial aid administrators, dedicated to industry excellence, public service and financial aid advocacy for Maine students and parents.

Greetings! My time as President of MASFAA, over the last four years, has been unprecedented and challenging, but also worthwhile and fulfilling. The past two years have been during the COVID-19 pandemic when we could not meet in person and instead, learned that Zoom was adequate but not as personal. Although much of what we would have liked to do was curtailed, there were some accomplishments of note during my tenure. The most important action that MASFAA worked on, and which was approved by the membership, was the change of structure of the organization from one with a President, a Business Manager and four Overseers to one which has a President, a Vice President, a Business Manager and three Members-at-Large. This is in line with the way MASFAA was structured originally, but we changed several years back when we were having trouble getting members to fill the positions. We are hopeful that this new (old) structure will be conducive to more volunteerism. To that end, we have a new round of officers recently voted in to fill all the new positions for 2022. Thanks to all who worked on the structure change and the solicitation of members to run for office.

Another accomplishment, again a throwback to the way it once was in MASFAA, was to add an Associate Membership category to the by-laws to allow those who work with us to become members. These folks are our partners and friends who provide financial assistance programs and/or services to Maine post-secondary students. We are excited to reach out to this group regarding membership in 2022.

MASFAA held a few joint meetings with FAME in conjunction with their annual FAME Showcase in November. Some meetings were able to be in person and some had to be virtual, but either way, it was great to gather with like-minded folks to delve into financial aid matters. 

One of my most fulfilling accomplishments of my time as President was recognizing each financial aid office in the state with a box of chocolates on Financial Aid Day 2021 – just a small way to say thank you to those who tirelessly serve students and families in their pursuit of higher education. 

I am proud to have served MASFAA as President and look forward to many more years of camaraderie with my Maine colleagues. 

Yours – Jennifer Hutchinson