Thank you for attending the 2023 Conference in Bellingham, WA!
October 18-20, 2023 Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center 714 Lakeway Drive Bellingham, WA 98229
2023 Conference Registration is Now CLOSED!
WFAA MEMBERSHIP PRICING FOR 2023-24
October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024
- 2023-24 WFAA Individual Membership (new or active/renewing members): $45
- 2023-24 WFAA Membership with Institutional Pricing (allows for enrollment of multiple/unlimited individual members from the same institution): $200
PLEASE NOTE: If your membership is expired, you should be able to renew for 2023-24 as part of the conference registration form. You should be presented with a Membership selection page after logging in. If you need to renew and do not see the membership page on the registration form, you can renew your membership first at Member Services.
If you are currently enrolled in an individual membership and wish to switch to institutional pricing, you must contact Tammy Zibell (Membership) at [email protected] who will coordinate with Louisa Diana (Treasurer) to switch your account to reflect institutional pricing and link all applicable accounts. This must be completed before you can submit the conference registration form.
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEES
We are pleased to offer affordable conference registration fees this year, as follows: Note: Conference registration fees listed below are only for admission to the conference and do not include or guarantee hotel accommodations. Prices below do not include the annual individual or institutional WFAA membership fees as detailed above for new or renewing members.
- Current WFAA Members (including members who have institutional pricing): $200/attendee
- Non-Members Not Seeking WFAA Membership: $245/attendee
- 2023-24 Sponsor/Vendor Members: $600/attendee (includes the $200 individual conference registration fee plus a $400 vendor table fee)
PRE-CONFERENCE TRAINING EVENT
WASFAA will be offering a pre-conference, NASFAA Authorized In-Person Training event on Packaging & Award Notification the morning of October 18th. Register Now Here!
Pre-Conference Event Description: Join us for an informative and interactive session in which we’ll explore the Packaging & Award Notification which involves employing strategies to distribute limited financial aid resources to qualified students to attend the postsecondary school of their choice. The packaging process combines various types of Title IV and non-Title IV aid from federal, state, institutional, and private entities, to help meet the financial need of college students.
Included in the $55 WASFAA-member registration fee for this NASFAA Authorized event is the NASFAA U Self-Study Guide, regularly priced by NASFAA at $218, and voucher for up to two attempts to pass the Student Eligibility credential examination, a total value of more than $300.
CLICK HERE FOR CONFERENCE SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
2023-2024 WFAA Conference Agenda
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10/18/2023
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8:00-11:30 AM
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WASFAA Pre-Conference Training: Packaging & Award Notifications NASFAA Credential
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Fairhaven Room
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9:00-11:00 AM
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FAC Business Meeting with CTC's
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Sehome Room
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10:00 AM- 12:00 PM
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Vendor Setup
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Mt. Baker Room
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10:00 AM- 12:30 PM
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Registration Table Open
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Library Hallway adjacent to Main Event Hall
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11:00- 11:30 AM
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Newcomers Session with WFAA Executive Council
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Whatcom Room
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12:00- 1:30 PM
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Welcome Luncheon
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Whatcom Room
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12:45 PM
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Keynote Speaker- Cara Lane
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Whatcom Room
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1:30- 1:45 PM
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Break
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1:45- 2:30 PM
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Rise Up to Change- General Session by Cara Lane
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Whatcom Room
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2:30-3:00 PM
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Vendor Visit and Break
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Mt. Baker Room
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3:00- 4:00 PM
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FAFSA Simplification: What is Your School Doing and How to Handle the Tough Conversations
Presented by Molly Walsh, DigiPen/ WASFAA Training Committee Co-Chair
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Whatcom Room
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3:00- 4:00 PM
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The Washington College Grant (WCG), WCG-Connect (WCG-C), State Aid Repayments
Presented by Gabriele Matull Worst, WSAC
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Fairhaven Room
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3:00- 4:00 PM
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Identity Theft
Presented by Jeff Lackey, Sallie Mae
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Sehome Room
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3:00- 4:00 PM
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How To Leverage Social Media to Increase Student Engagement
Presented by Rosemary Martinez-Kepford, Earnest
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Cascade Room
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4:00- 4:15 PM
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Transition
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4:15-5:15 PM
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Pell Calculations with FAFSA simplification and Case Studies
Presented by Molly Walsh, DigiPen/ WASFAA Training Committee Co-Chair
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Whatcom Room
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4:15-5:15 PM
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Keep Moving Forward: How Financial Aid Outreach Can Support Conditional Scholarship Recipients
Inez Olive and Jessica Davis, WSAC
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Fairhaven Room
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4:15-5:15 PM
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Best Practices: Working with Veteran and Military-Affiliated Families on Your Campus
Presented by Alexandra Bailey, Spokane Falls CC & Teresa Robinson-Duane, South Seattle College
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Sehome Room
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4:15-5:15 PM
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Engaging Gen Z with Clear Communications
Presented by Wendy Papkoff, Campus Logic (Ellucian)
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Cascade Room
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Dinner on own
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10/19/2023
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Breakfast on Own
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8:30-9:00 AM
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Networking and Vendor Time (Whatcom and Mt. Baker)
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Whatcom Room and Mt. Baker Room
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9:00-10:00 AM
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NASFAA General Session- Top FAFSA Simplification Questions- Virtual w/ NASFAA Trainer Karen McCarthy
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Whatcom Room
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10:00-10:30 AM
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Vendor Visit and Break
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Mt. Baker Room
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10:30-11:30 AM
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What You Need to Know: FAFSA Simplification Act
Presented by Christina Winstead, WSAC
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Whatcom Room
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10:30-11:30 AM
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PJ Determinations and Homeless Youth Session with FAFSA Simplification Changes
Presented by Molly Walsh, DigiPen/ WASFAA Training Committee Co-Chair
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Fairhaven Room
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10:30-11:30 AM
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Compassion within Compliance: Leveraging Financial Aid as an Equity Tool
Presented by Teresa Robinson-Duane, South Seattle College, Beth Hawes & Shawn Warner, Green River College
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Sehome Room
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10:30-11:30 AM
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Leading from the Middle: What it means and how to do it well
Presented by Amanda Cornelius, Northern Arizona University and WASFAA President
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Cascade Room
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11:30 AM -12:30 PM
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Lunch & Networking
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Whatcom Room
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12:30- 12:45 PM
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Charity Spotlight: Animals as Natural Therapy
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Whatcom Room
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12:45-1:15 PM
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WASFAA Update by WASFAA President Amanda Cornelius
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Whatcom Room
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1:15-1:30 PM
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Vendor Visit and Break
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Mt. Baker Room
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1:30-2:30 PM
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Better FAFSA Training Scenarios
Presented by Christina Winstead, WSAC
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Whatcom Room
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1:30-2:30 PM
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Unaccompanied Homeless Youth – From a College Perspective
Presented by Chantel Fields & Joy Hicks, Bellingham Technical College, Molly Paterson, Western Washington University
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Fairhaven Room
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1:30-2:30 PM
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Take a Break: The Importance of Rest and Walking Away
Presented by Greg Kerr, ECMC Solutions
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Sehome Room
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2:30-2:45 PM
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Transition
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2:45-3:45 PM
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Building Partnerships and Leveraging Resources to Increase Capacity for Financial Aid Completion
Presented by Christina Winstead, WSAC
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Whatcom Room
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2:45-3:45 PM
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Challenges and Potential Solutions with WorkStudy
Presented by Debbie Jackson, WSAC, Melanie Ruiz, Shoreline CC, Lisa Fortson, Clover Park Technical College, Rachel Lee, Olympic College, & Joy Hicks, Bellingham Technical College
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Fairhaven Room
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2:45-3:45 PM
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The Future is Now: Preparing the Resumption of Repayment
Presented by Greg Kerr, ECMC Solutions
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Sehome Room
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2:45-3:45 PM
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Identifying and Preventing Financial Aid Fraud
Presented by Kristen Gast & Brandon Waldren, Eide Bailly LLP
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Cascade Room
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3:45-4:00 PM
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Transition
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4:00-5:00 PM
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Birds of a Feather- 2 Year
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Whatcom Room
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4:00-5:00 PM
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Birds of a Feather- Public 4 Year
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Fairhaven Room
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4:00-5:00 PM
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Birds of a Feather- Private 4 Year
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Sehome Room
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4:00-5:00 PM
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Birds of a Feather -For Profit
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Cascade Room
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5:30-7:00 PM
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President's Reception- Lite Hors D’oeuvres
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Restaurant
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Dinner on own
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10/20/2023
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7:45 AM
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Breakfast and Networking
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Whatcom Room
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8:30-9:30 AM
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WFAA Business Meeting
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Whatcom Room
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9:30-11:00 PM
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WSAC Update by Carla Idohl-Corwin
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Whatcom Room
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Make Sure to Stop in to Visit Vendors!
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Mt. Baker Room
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