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    1968

    According to two 1999 PASFAA Newsletter articles written by Lucky Hill, then PASFAA Historian, the idea for our Association was first born at a 1968 EASFAA meeting in New Brunswick New Jersey, when several people met around a table at the Holiday Inn, after a long day of sessions, and came up with the idea for a state association.

    1969

    The first ‘annual meeting’ was held in Harrisburg in October of 1969. A few years later, at a conference at the Host Farm Resort in Lancaster, PASFAA first charged a conference fee – $25!

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    In the early to mid-70s, membership expanded from only private schools to proprietary and technical schools.

    1974

    PASFAA provides training teams for the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG), what we now call the Pell Grant.

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    1980

    PASFAA incorporates as a non-profit educational association.

    1981

    The Pennsylvania Financial Aid Training Program Summer Institute (now known as the Don Raley Institute) is first offered. Note: There is some uncertainty about the first year this was offered.

    The annual conference is held at the Pocono Hershey Resort, with a record attendance of 240.

    1982

    The PASFAA Newsletter goes from a typewritten format to a professionally produced newsletter.

    1987

    The PASFAA Financial Aid Hotline debuts and takes over 2,050 calls during the one week run in January 1987.

    1989

    PASFAA membership reaches a record 555.

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    1996

    The PASFAA Ad Hoc Technology Committee is formed to help members with all the new technology challenges brought on by increasing use of computers.

    1997

    The first Spring Training events are held in Valley Forge and Pittsburgh.

    An article in the fall Newsletter describes how students will soon be able to access their own data in a schools administrative systems by using ‘some form of a Web browser’, and lessening our workload!

    1998

    PASFAA membership hits a record high of 639 in the 30th year of the Association.

    The Pennsylvania Financial Aid Training Program Summer Institute is renamed the Don Raley Institute.

    For the first time, the High School Counselor Workshops are ‘prepared using PowerPoint. While there were some technical glitches, this format was warmly received by the counselors.

    1999

    The PASFAA mentoring program, Yearning Members Counseling Associates (YMCA) begins.

    The first PASFAA brochure, designed to explain to the outside world what PASFAA is about, is completed.

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    2000

    The PASFAA Hotline goes to a phone number capability that allows people to answer calls from more than just a handful of sites around the state, and expands to two weeks.

    PASFAA.ORG is registered as the official domain name for the Association.

    2001

    PASFAA’s Website Resource Guide, developed by the Technology Advisory Group, wins a NASFAA State Award.

    PASFAA begins awarding scholarships to students at member schools.

    2002

    PASFAA holds its first Leadership Development Training at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hummelstown, PA October 19 and 20.

    2003

    PASFAA holds its second Leadership Development Training at Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

    2004

    Dan Wray appears in the 2004 summer PASFAA Newsletter looking exactly as he does in 2018.

    In December, President Barbara Schmitt holds a PASFAA planning retreat, which results in an Ad-Hoc Strategic Planning Committee to begin working on PASFAA’s first strategic long-range plan.

    2005

    PASFAA offers its 10th teleconference ‘Student Services in an eWorld”.

    2006

    PASFAA donates $1,000 to the Louisiana Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators to help LASFAA members continue to ‘fulfill their professional development commitments’ after hurricane Katrina.

    The Spring Training program reaches its tenth anniversary year.

    The Strategic Planning Committee finalizes the first long-range plan.

    2007

    The Financial Aid Awareness Committee partners with AES/PHEAA on coordination of a “FAFSA Completion Day” program.

    2008

    PASFAA celebrates its’ 40th anniversary at a conference held, ironically, at the Penn Stater, and even more ironically, chaired by Cheryl De Paolis.

    The “Promissory Notes” make their first appearance at a PASFAA Conference.

    The final print version of the PASFAA Newsletter is published in fall of 2008.

    2009

    The Winter 2009 issue of PASFAA’s newsletter is the first to be published on-line, and the newsletter is renamed the PASFAA Post.

    Technology Committee Launches PASFAA 101 Training.

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    2010

    PFAT holds the 15th annual webcast: “A New Dimension in Financial Aid”.

    2011

    At the 2011 PASFAA Conference, PASFAA President Ken Grugel presents PHEAA President & CEO Jim Preston with a plaque commemorating the late Ken Reeher’s leadership of PHEAA from 1964 to 1991. The plaque is now on permanent display in the main lobby at PHEAA Headquarters.

    2012

    The Winter 2012 issue of the PASFAA Post moves to a fully web-based presentation, as opposed to the on-line PDF presentation.

    The 30th annual Don Raley Institute is held June 11-14, 2012 on the Dickinson College campus in Carlisle, PA.

    The fall conference, held October 29-31, 2012 at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel, is the first of the new three-day conference format, as well as the first to be affected by a natural weather disaster, Hurricane Sandy, which reduces attendance to only about 140 of the original 320 registrants.

    2013

    PASFAA turns 45!

    2014

    PASFAA launches NextPAGE, PASFAA’s Advancement of Generations Exchange, a training, networking, and mentoring program geared toward newer Financial Aid Administrators.

    PASFAA Council adds an Institutional Membership Level as a Two Year Pilot Program (now a permanent option).

    The Senior Administrator Workshop is first offered as a pre-conference training.

    Both a Facebook page and a Twitter account are initiated as ways to heighten communication.

    The new PASFAA Communications Committee, responsible for public relations/marketing, news releases, and social media, is launched.

    2016

    After 32 years in Carlisle, the Don Raley Institute is held in a new location, the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College.

    2017

    PASFAA Council, the 2018 Conference Committee, and the Historian Committee begin to make plans for celebration of PASFAA’s 50th birthday at the 2018 50th anniversary conference at the Penn Stater.

    Plans are made, for the first time in the history of the Spring Training program, to hold the trainings on college campuses, rather than at hotel conference facilities. A huge snow storm forces the cancellation of the eastern event on Tuesday, March 14th at Kutztown University. The western event, two days later on March 16th at Slippery Rock University, goes on as planned.

    The 35th Don Raley Institute is held June 7-9, 2017 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College, PA.

    2018

    PASFAA Council adopts its’ first PASFAA Community and Inclusion Statement.

    The tenth Leadership Development Workshop is offered as a pre-conference opportunity at the 50th anniversary conference, which is held October, 22 – 24, 2018 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA.

  1. 1960's
  2. 1970's
  3. 1980's
  4. 1990's
  5. 2000-2009
  6. 2010-2016