Student Aid Professionals to Convene in Boston July 17-20

May 17, 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, will hold its national conference in Boston, MA from July 17-20. Get your press pass to learn about the latest developments that will impact students and families’ ability to pay for college, from the experts who administer student aid every day and the U.S. Department of Education.

With record numbers of students and families depending on historic levels of federal funding, student aid has never been more important. NASFAA’s annual conference offers reporters a unique opportunity to speak with financial aid professionals from across the country and get updates about the latest student aid news from experts and U.S. Department of Education officials.

Rising college costs, the economic downturn, and record enrollment levels have fueled an unprecedented growth in the federal student aid programs. Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) show that the number of students applying for federal financial assistance rose from around 12.9 million in 2006-07 to nearly 19.5 million in 2010-11. The total amount of federal financial aid awarded to students jumped from $62.1 billion in 1999-00 to an estimated $146.5 billion in 2009-10, an increase of 136 percent.

At the same time, some lawmakers are looking to cut student aid programs as part of a broader effort to reduce the national deficit. These proposals to cut student aid spending have sparked vocal opposition from the White House, lawmakers, the higher education community, students and their families. This budget battle will play out over the next several months as Congress works to pass a 2012 budget.

Learn about this budget battle and many other student aid issues that will impact your readers by attending NASFAA’s National Conference. Get your press pass by contacting NASFAA’s Director of Communications Haley Chitty at chittyh@nasfaa.org or (202) 785-6959.

More information about the conference is available online at: http://conferences.nasfaa.org/2011National

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.

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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.