Talking to Families About Paying for College
Talking to families about paying for college can be an emotional conversation. Three MEFA College Planning Experts share their experiences and tips for navigating the process.
MEFA Institute<sup>™</sup>: FAFSA Simplification with Financial Aid Experts
The FAFSA Simplification Act that was enabled into law last year makes many important amendments to the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Full implementation of these changes is expected for the 2024-25 FAFSA. This means that beginning in the next financial aid application cycle, which begins this Fall 2023, there will be a number of changes for your students and families to both the FAFSA form itself as well as the financial aid application process. Please join us for the first in a series of expert panel discussions co-sponsored by MEFA and the Massachusetts Association of Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) on this topic. The panelists are financial aid administrators from a variety of colleges and universities who share what is changing and when, what that means for your students and families, and how you can stay informed.
Answering Your Questions about the U.Plan Prepaid Tuition Program
The U.Plan Prepaid Tuition Program is one of the most powerful ways to save for college, but would-be savers sometimes have questions about how it works. So we’re providing an opportunity for one of our in-house U.Plan experts to answer all of your questions. Come prepared to ask anything you’ve ever wanted to know about Massachusetts’ prepaid tuition program. Leave with a keen understanding of how saving in the U.Plan can help your family make significant strides in preparing financially for college costs.
The MEFA Institute<sup>™</sup>: FAFSA Simplification Roundtable Discussion with MEFA and MASFAA
Is FAFSA Simplification keeping you up at night? Or are you too busy to even think about it? Either way, please join us for the first in a series of virtual roundtable discussions for financial aid administrators on this topic co-sponsored by MEFA and MASFAA (Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators) and led by Gail Holt, Dean of Financial Aid at Amherst College and Chair of the NASFAA FAFSA Simplification Implementation Working Group, and Jill Desjean, Policy Analyst at NASFAA. Throughout these conversations, as information unfolds and we continue to learn more, we discuss the different approaches colleges are taking to implement these financial aid updates, learn from each other, and develop an execution plan for our own institutions.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are an important part of the college application process. Learn who should write them, when students should request them, and how many letters students will need.
Managing Student Loan Repayment for Graduating College Seniors
It's important to stay on track with repayment of your student loans. This webinar provides guidance for creating a budget, information on maintaining good credit, a smart plan for student loan repayment, and helpful websites.
College Admissions & MEFA Pathway
The college search and application process can be overwhelming. This webinar helps you establish a personalized admissions road map by addressing topics such as current trends in admissions, building a balanced list of colleges, and the different components of the college application including transcripts, essays, and letters of recommendation and how to incorporate MEFA Pathway into the college admissions process.
MEFA Institute<sup>™</sup>: Getting First-Generation Students to the End
Are you interested in supporting first-generation students through the college application process and their college years? Join this interactive webinar for counselors, college access professionals, and college administrators to learn more about some tools that can help first-generation students survive and thrive. The presenters discuss who are considered first-generation students, the variances that exists in the population, the issues and hurdles students face before and after college acceptance, and how we can all help them succeed.
What to Know about Financial Aid Appeals
Learn the steps to appeal a financial aid offer from a panel of college financial aid administrators. Panelists cover how to write an appeal letter, what situations might warrant receiving additional funds, and the timeline for the process.
MEFA Institute<sup>™</sup>: College Admissions & MEFA Pathway
This webinar provides key information that help participants guide students through applying to college. Topics include current trends in admissions, building a balanced list of colleges, the different components of the college application including transcripts, essays, and letters of recommendation and how to incorporate MEFA Pathway into the college admissions process.