NASFAA.org Awarded Top Nonprofit Website Ranking by the Interactive Media Awards

March 25, 2011 - PRLog -- The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), a nonprofit membership organization that represents nearly 20,000 financial aid professionals who administer aid to more than 16 million college students, was awarded "Best in Class" in the Nonprofit category for its website, www.nasfaa.org, by the Interactive Media Awards (IMA).

The award was presented to Blue Coda, Inc. the consulting company NASFAA collaborated with to design and implement the redeveloped NASFAA.org, which launched in December 2010.

"Of all Nonprofit entries I've evaluated this year, this one ranks among my favorites. Great job making a somewhat difficult and extremely content intensive subject come off as interesting and even exciting." said one of the judges. "Your site conveyed the mission almost instantly and, assuming the role of a NASFAA member, I found all information I wanted easily."

The Best in Class award is the highest honor bestowed by the IMA. It represents the very best in planning, execution and overall professionalism. In order to win this award level, the NASFAA site had to successfully pass through the comprehensive judging process, achieving high marks in each of the judging criteria - an achievement only a fraction of sites in the IMA competition earn each year. NASFAA.org was only 13 points short of receiving a perfect score of 500.

Judging System and Results
The IMA judges utilize a points-based scoring system which allows each entry to receive a maximum of 500 points. By adhering to the specific guidelines and criteria of this system the judges are able to maintain the highest degree of fairness, accuracy and integrity; competently and effectively evaluate entries; and, deliver clear results.

The project was scored using five specific criteria, with a score from 0-100 awarded for each criterion. The total of these five scores established NASFAA's overall score up to a maximum of 500. The NASFAA website had an overall score of 487 out of 500 making it the "Best in Class."

About NASFAA
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership organization that represents nearly 20,000 financial aid professionals at 2,800 colleges, universities, and career schools across the country. Each year, financial aid professionals help more than 16 million students receive funding for post secondary education. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial aid administrators.  For more information, visit http://www.nasfaa.org.

About Blue Coda
Blue Coda, Inc., based in Cambridge, Mass., is a consulting company that helps businesses and organizations master the Web with an integrated project approach that encompasses Web strategy, design and technology. Offerings include graphic design, custom application development, branding, e-commerce, automated site management tools and search engine optimization. More information at http://www.bluecoda.com.

About the Interactive Media Awards
The Interactive Media Awards recognize the highest standards of excellence in website design and development and honor individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievement. Created by the Interactive Media Council, Inc. (IMC), a nonprofit organization of leading web designers, developers, programmers, advertisers and other web-related professionals, the competition is designed to elevate the standards of excellence on the Internet and offer winners a boost in marketing and exposure. More information at http://www.interactivemediaawards.com/.

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The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit organization that represents nearly 20,000 financial aid professionals who serve 16 million students annually at 2,800 colleges, universities, and career schools.