President's Welcome

Hello and welcome to WASFAA! We are an association of professionals engaged in the administration of federal, state, and institutional financial aid across the state of Wisconsin. Our mission is to promote the quality administration of financial aid programs in Wisconsin’s post-secondary institutions. We fulfill our mission by providing high-quality training and professional development opportunities for our members. In turn, our members serve and support their institutions by adhering to strict ethical standards and maintaining an accessible and equitable means of distributing financial aid to students.

As a fully volunteer organization, WASFAA relies on the participation of its members to
meet our goals. We have many opportunities for members to participate on committees
or in leadership positions. If you are interested in improving the service that we provide
to students, then there is a place for you at WASFAA!

As financial aid administrators we have faced numerous challenges over the past two
years. Many of us have adapted to new working arrangements, new federal grant
programs, and waivers of long-established rules. We have demonstrated time and again
the importance of what we do for students and our institutions.

We are not yet through this period of “whitewater change.” The FAFSA Simplification Act, which takes effect between now and 2024-25, makes profound changes to management of financial aid programs. The FAFSA may ultimately be simpler for families to complete, but our jobs will become more complex. While the implementation date for FAFSA Simplification is not until 2024-25, we know that 2024-25 really begins on October 1, 2023. The time to prepare for the challenges ahead is now.

This period of whitewater change makes your WASFAA membership even more worthwhile. With WASFAA you have a network of colleagues who are facing the same challenges you are. WASFAA promotes the free exchange of knowledge among the members of our field. We are here to help, encourage and support one another. Along the way we build friendships. WASFAA is here to help you learn and laugh.

It's a privilege to serve as the President of this wonderful organization heading into the 2022-2023 year. I hope you will join us.

Robert Bode
2022-2023 WASFAA President
Director of Financial Aid and Military/Veteran Student Services
University of Wisconsin - River Falls