After a prolonged absence, the MASFAA Government Relations successfully hosted an educational event for state government leaders and their staff on June 26, 2008. It was an opportunity for the Massachusetts financial aid community to educate our state government about the current issues affecting our field and provide them with the resources available to assist their constituents achieve their goal of access to higher education. This effort was led by Government Relations Committee members Stephanie Wells, Dan Rossi, Julie Poorman, Zack Goodwin, Mike Yager, Betsy Mayotte and Elayne Peloquin. The event, titled “A Panel Discussion on College Financial Aid Resources in Massachusetts”, included speakers from AICUM, ASA, MASFAA, MEFA, and OSFA.

Members of the Government Relations Committee were on hand to answer questions during and after the presentations. The event was held over the lunch hour and there was a diverse group of over thirty attendees representing many State Representatives, State Senators, lobbyists, and the Executive Branch with multiple representatives from State Treasurer Tim Cahill’s office.

Another goal of this event is to keep strong support of financial aid on the State House agenda. We wanted to make sure everyone all state legislators received this important information even if they could not attend the event. Julie Poorman and Maegan Wright from Berklee School of Music, created a comprehensive Guide to Financial Aid Resources in Massachusetts for Massachusetts Legislators and Public Officials.

The resource guide contains general information on the federal and state financial aid programs including information from the organizations presenting at the session. The guide also contains contact information for colleges and universities in Massachusetts, along with a list of helpful financial aid resources. All attendees were given a guide, which was received enthusiastically by many in attendance. The resource guides were also mailed to all members of the Massachusetts Legislature, as well as Governor Patrick, Treasurer Cahill, Secretary of Education Paul Reville, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Leslie Kirwan. A PDF copy of the resource guide can be found here as well as at the Government Relations Committee section of the MASFAA website.

Overall feedback was very positive from all of those involved from the presenters to the participants. Members of the Government Relations Committee received numerous positive comments and emails from legislators and their aides after the event. We are hopeful this sentiment is shared by many who attended the event and who received our resource guide. Financial Aid is now back on the State House agenda and hopefully next year we can continue this effort.