2023 New Aid Officers Workshop (NAOW)
NAOW Registration is CLOSED
WHEN: April 19-21, 2023
WHERE: Great Wolf Lodge 100 Great Wolf Dr, Grapevine, TX 76051
Registration for this event is CLOSED! New Aid Officers Workshop (NAOW) is a safe learning space where new financial aid staff or even seasoned financial officers will gain invaluable knowledge and refresh their minds.
While aid officers are here they will take back with them timely information on the following topics:
-Need Analysis and Calculating EFC -Cost of Attendance -Verification -Loans -Financial Aid Resources & Updates -Pell Grant and Campus Based Programs -Return of Title IV -State Financial Aid in Texas -State Resources -Professional Judgement -Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Attendees must make hotel reservations by calling toll-free 1-866-962-9653 or visiting www.greatwolf.com/grapevine and using Offer Code 2023TASF by March 31, 2023. This will grant them a wonderful, reduced price of $125.00 a night. Each Family Suite includes 4 water park wristbands. Attendees can also commute in daily and enjoy free parking at the conference center. Water park access is limited to those staying at the hotel.
Registration Fee: $350
Training Committee
2023 Training Committee / Presenters |
Sarah Gordon
Co-Chair

Sarah is the Assistant Director for Compliance in Scholarships & Financial Aid at Texas A&M University and has over 7 years of experience in higher education. Sarah has worked in various areas, including Return to Title IV, beginning attendance, and federal program reconciliation. In addition, she currently handles compliance related to consumer information, policies, and procedures. She loves problem-solving, so she enjoys the challenges that all of those areas present. In her spare time, she enjoys baking for her family and knitting.
Sarah has her master’s degree from the University of Toronto and her bachelor’s degree from Penn State University. She has earned the designation of R2T4 specialist from NASFAA. In addition, she has completed the following NASFAA credentials: Application Process, Cash Management, Consumer Information, Direct Loans, Professional Judgement, Student Eligibility, Return to Title IV, and TEACH Grant.
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Deanna Holder
Co-Chair
Deanna Holder is a Financial Aid Advisor for Scholarships & Financial aid at Texas A&M. Deanna has 17 years of financial aid experience at Texas A&M and a total of 20 years of experience in higher education. As a Financial Aid Advisor, Deanna has worked in a variety of areas, and this allows her to be a well-rounded Financial Aid Advisor. She loves helping students complete their degrees and assisting students in making smart decisions in paying for their education.
Deanna has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University Sacramento and a Master’s Degree in Management from National University.
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Andreina Villarreal
Vice-Chair

Andreina is a Financial Aid Advisor at San Jacinto College (SJC). She has worked in Financial Aid for 8 years, with the last 4 years at San Jacinto College. She manages Federal Work-Study at San Jac - South Campus and oversees their Financial Aid department training. As a bilingual advisor, she assists English and Spanish-speaking students and their families to better understand financial aid and make informed decisions about paying for their education.
Andreina has a bachelor’s degree in Business and is currently pursuing her MBA in Project Management from the University of Houston – Downtown.
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Melissa Jones

Melissa is the Financial Aid Specialist (Loan Coordinator) at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Her primary responsibility is to manage all aspects of the student loan programs, including the Federal Direct Loan Programs (subsidized, unsubsidized, Parent PLUS, and Graduate PLUS), the State Loan Program (CAL), and alternative loan programs. She has worked in the financial aid office for 5 years and has worked in higher education for over 11 years. She is passionate about educating students about their financial assistance and the effects of over-borrowing.
Melissa has also worked on financial literacy, degree eligible hours, compliance, verification, SAP, Pell program, and Hazelwood Act Exemption. Melissa has received her bachelor’s degree in Business Finance at the University of Phoenix and has earned her direct loans credential from NASFAA.
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Jerica Douglas

Jerica is a Financial Aid Advisor in Scholarships & Financial Aid at Texas A&M University. Her primary responsibility is to lead and manage the ISIR & Imaging team, which is responsible for reviewing and processing incoming FAFSAs, imaging all incoming documents, and preparing and processing outside scholarship checks. She has worked in financial aid for over 3 years and has worked in various positions throughout her office, including alternative loan processing and ISIR processing.
Jerica has a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master’s Degree in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Dawn Coleman-Glenn

Dawn Coleman-Glenn is the Training Specialist for Scholarships & Financial Aid at Texas A&M. She has been with the Financial Aid Department for over five years but has been involved with adult education and training for much longer. She spent more than ten years enlisted in the US Air Force, seven of which were in the Education and Training Management career field.
As the Training Specialist, Dawn’s primary duty is to train all the new staff on financial aid fundamentals and the many scenarios concerning Texas A&M students.
Dawn has her master's degree in Educational Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University. She has earned the following NASFAA credentials: Need-Analysis, Professional Judgment, Application, and Cost of Attendance.
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Current Presentations
Day 1-Need Analysis .pptx
Day 1 - Verification.pptx
Day 1-Cost of Attendance Presentation - Final.pptx
Day 1- FAFSA and Eligibility Presentation FINAL.pptx
Day 1-Loan Presentation FINAL.pptx
Day 1-New and Next.pptx
Day-2- State Aid
Day 2-Pell Grant Presentation - Final.pptx
Day 2-PJ.pptx
Day 2-R2T4 FINAL.pptx
Day 3 SAP .pptx
Prior Years' Presentations and Handouts
Presentations and handouts from previous years' New Aid Officers' Workshops can be found here.
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