Financial Aid Administrators Hold Successful Virtual Conference

Kamesia House, Executive Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid at Fayetteville State University (FSU) and president of the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NCASFAA), recently completed the organization's first virtual conference. The conference was hosted by FSU and was such a success, attendees have requested to have at least one of their two annual conferences virtually.

The North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NCASFAA) provides training and professional development opportunities to the financial aid community, advocates on behalf of financial aid professionals, and strives to promote educational access and choice for students.

The three principles of NCASFAA are:

• To develop and strengthen the professional competency of student financial aid administrators employed by North Carolina postsecondary institutions, agencies, and private and community organizations.
• To promote the strengthening and enhancing of programs of student financial aid so the end that no qualified person desirous of a postsecondary education shall be denied that opportunity due to a lack of financial resources.
• To facilitate communication among educational institutions, agencies, and sponsors of student assistance funds, through the exchange of ideas, information, and the performance of such studies as may be appropriate.

House began her career more than 30 years ago as a Federal Work Study student at Shaw University in Raleigh. After graduating, she was hired as an administrative assistant at Shaw focusing on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process for the adult learner population. House realized this was her calling and the desire for a more challenging position. She was hired as a Financial Aid Counselor and later promoted to Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Shaw University. To sharpen and broaden her cope in the financial aid profession, her next professional development was Scholarship Coordinator at North Carolina Central University and later as an Assistant Director of Financial Aid at North Carolina State University.

House's career took an unexpected turn when she was recruited to the position of Director of Financial Aid at Shaw University. That prepared her for her current role as Executive Director of Scholarships & Financial Aid at FSU, a position she has held for 13 years.