MASFAA

What MASFAA does

MASFAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional association founded in 1960 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It serves financial aid administrators and related professionals across nine Midwest states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin), with a current membership exceeding 2,100 representatives drawn from post-secondary institutions, state and federal agencies, lenders, guarantors, and service providers. The organization is governed by an Executive Council led by its 2025-26 President, Emily Haynam, and operates on an annual membership year running November 1 to October 31.

MASFAA's core offerings center on four programmatic pillars: the Annual Conference (drawing over 325 attendees), the Summer Institute (foundational training for professionals with five or fewer years of experience), the Leadership Symposium (for experienced practitioners), and the recently introduced Mini-MASFAA virtual conferences (the 2026 edition focuses on Artificial Intelligence). Supplementary deliverables include the MASFAA Matters webinar series, the MASFAA Moments monthly newsletter, a Job Board, and a catalog of recognition awards. There is no proprietary technology stack; the association runs on the Wild Apricot membership management platform with SSO integration through Google, Microsoft, and Apple, and the website is hosted at masfaaweb.org.

Revenue is generated through tiered institutional membership dues (ranging from $220 for institutions with under 5,000 students to $660 for 15,000+), a $25 associate membership tier, conference and training registration fees ($450-$1,325 depending on event and accommodation), and a tiered sponsorship program (Champion Package at $4,500 down to $500 Business Solution Sessions). MASFAA operates a community-led go-to-market motion that depends on partnerships with nine state-level associations and the national NASFAA body, with event-based and peer-referral channels driving member acquisition and retention.

Name

MASFAA

Legal name

Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Website

https://masfaaweb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MASFAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional association serving over 2,100 financial aid administrators across nine Midwest states through tiered memberships, annual conferences, and training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAKAF

Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/College & Career Enrichment (Mentorship, Internships, Portfolio)

Keywords

• Financial aid administration
• Professional association services
• Higher education training
• Student aid advocacy
• Conference event services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues based on institutional student enrollment: $220 for institutions with 1-4,999 students, $440 for 5,000-14,999 students, $660 for 15,000+ students, and $25 for associate institutional members.
2. Annual Conference Fees: Registration fees for annual conference: $450-500 for MASFAA/IASFAA members, $225-275 for business officers, $575-625 for non-members, $200 for retirees, $250 for single day. Includes sponsorship and exhibitor revenue.
3. Conference Sponsorships and Exhibits: Sponsorship packages including Champion Package ($4,500), Sustainer Package ($3,400), Exhibit Booths ($2,400), Business Solution Sessions ($500-750), program advertisements, and registration packet inserts.
4. Summer Institute & Leadership Symposium: Week-long training programs with fees ranging from $825-$1,325 depending on accommodation type (commuter, double suite, single suite) and registration timing.
5. Mini-Conference Registration: AI-focused mini-conference at $50 per institution, providing access for entire teams to live and recorded sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

MASFAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional association that delivers tiered institutional and associate membership, an annual regional conference, the Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium training programs, virtual Mini-Conferences, MASFAA Matters webinars, a Job Board, and a monthly newsletter to financial aid administrators across nine Midwest states. Its core purpose is professional development, networking, and advocacy for the student financial aid administration profession.

Product overview

MASFAA (Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional association serving financial aid administrators across nine Midwest states. The organization offers a membership program with tiered levels (Institutional, Associate, and Retired) based on organization type and location. Core programming includes an Annual Conference featuring preconference sessions, general sessions, and exhibits; the Summer Institute providing foundational financial aid training; the Leadership Symposium cultivating future association and office leaders; and the Mini-MASFAA virtual conferences for specialized topics. Supplementary services include MASFAA Matters webinars, a Job Board, and the monthly MASFAA Moments newsletter. The association also provides various awards recognizing service, retirement, and student success achievements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Institutional Membership Annual membership tier for post-secondary institutions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, or Wisconsin that are actively engaged in student financial aid administration; dues are scaled by IPEDS enrollment ($220 for 1-4,999 students, $440 for 5,000-14,999 students, $660 for 15,000+ students).
• Associate Membership Annual membership tier at $25 for public and private agencies, lenders, servicers, guarantors, college access organizations, and financial aid professionals outside the Midwest region who support or are engaged in student financial aid administration.
• Retired Membership Annual membership tier for persons who have retired from institutional or associate membership in MASFAA; entitles retired members to serve as committee members or chairpersons and participate in association meetings.
• MASFAA Annual Conference Annual multi-day regional conference providing preconference workshops, general sessions, interest sessions, exhibits, and social events for more than 325 financial aid administrators and enrollment management professionals from the nine-state Midwest region; 2026 edition scheduled for October 18-21 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
• MASFAA Summer Institute Week-long intensive training program (June 1-5, 2026 at Indiana University Indianapolis) that teaches the basics of financial aid administration and prepares participants to take NASFAA Credential exams; intended for professionals with five or fewer years of experience, with commuter, double suite, and single suite accommodation packages priced from $825 to $1,325.
• MASFAA Leadership Symposium Week-long program (held alongside Summer Institute at Indiana University Indianapolis, June 1-5, 2026) that cultivates future leaders in MASFAA, state associations, and campuses; targets professionals with five or more years of experience or demonstrated leadership potential, with sessions on effective communication, managing anxiety, and career building.
• Mini-MASFAA Conference Fully virtual focused mini-conference ($50 per institution, covers entire team access to live and recorded sessions for one year) offering specialized training on specific topics; the 2026 edition (July 20-24) focuses on Artificial Intelligence with foundational understanding, NASFAA AI Taskforce updates, and hands-on workshops.
• MASFAA Matters Webinars Professional Development and Advocacy Committee-run webinar series providing ongoing education and training between major events; recent and scheduled topics include Graduate Aid Network, Combining Mission & Data, and Private Lenders/Processing.
• MASFAA Job Board Online job posting platform available to MASFAA members for unlimited postings, connecting financial aid professionals with employment opportunities across the Midwest region.
• MASFAA Moments Newsletter Monthly member newsletter containing information from around the nine-state region, including state association updates, committee tidbits, and association news.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NASFAA (National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASFAA is the national organization for student financial aid administrators. MASFAA serves as a regional affiliate, providing NASFAA credential preparation through Summer Institute and conference sessions. MASFAA members benefit from a strong, well-respected voice with NASFAA for advocacy and professional standards.
• ILASFAA (Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level financial aid association for Illinois. ILASFAA members receive MASFAA conference rates and participate in cross-regional professional development.
• ISFAA (Indiana Student Financial Aid Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level financial aid association for Indiana. Hosted 2026 Summer Institute & Leadership Symposium at Indiana University Indianapolis.
• IASFAA (Iowa Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level financial aid association for Iowa. IASFAA members receive MASFAA conference member rates. 2026 Annual Conference hosted in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
• MSFAA (Michigan Student Financial Aid Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level financial aid association for Michigan. Part of the nine-state MASFAA regional network.
• MAFAA (Minnesota Association of Financial Aid Administrators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level financial aid association for Minnesota. Part of the nine-state MASFAA regional network.
• MASFAP (Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Professionals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level financial aid association for Missouri. Hosted 2025 Annual Conference in St. Charles, Missouri.
• OASFAA (Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level financial aid association for Ohio. Hosted 2024 Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio.
• WVSFAA (West Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level financial aid association for West Virginia. Part of the nine-state MASFAA regional network.
• WASFAA (Wisconsin Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level financial aid association for Wisconsin. Part of the nine-state MASFAA regional network.
• Indiana University IndianapolisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for 2026 Summer Institute & Leadership Symposium. Located at University Tower on downtown Indianapolis campus.
• DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention ComplexminorOthersConference venue for 2026 Annual Conference (October 18-21, 2026) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Provides room block at $165+tax per night.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AACC (American Association of Community Colleges): National nonprofit association representing community colleges, with overlapping membership base (particularly community college financial aid administrators) and parallel training/advocacy programming to MASFAA.
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators: Large nonprofit professional association in higher education with a similar membership, conference, training, and advocacy model. Useful comparand for association scale, governance, and revenue diversification even though the substantive domain differs.
• NASFAA (National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators): National umbrella association for financial aid administrators of which MASFAA is a regional affiliate. Provides national credentialing, federal advocacy, and policy research, overlapping with MASFAA's training and advocacy mandate but at a national rather than regional scope.
• AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers): National professional association serving related higher education administrative functions (registrars, admissions, records). Comparable member-driven model, conference programming, and NASFAA-adjacent stakeholder base, with broader institutional scope than MASFAA.

Emerging players

• Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA): State-level financial aid association operating under MASFAA's umbrella within Illinois. Smaller scope and scale, but a structural peer in the same nine-state ecosystem.

Direct peers

• WASFAA (Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators): Direct regional peer organization serving the western U.S. financial aid administrator community with the same professional association structure, training events, and NASFAA affiliation that MASFAA operates.
• EASFAA (Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators): Direct regional peer serving financial aid administrators in the eastern U.S. with the same mission, membership model, annual conference, and training programming as MASFAA. Highly comparable structure and member profile across a different geography.
• SASFAA (Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators): Direct regional peer organization serving the southern U.S. with comparable membership tiers, annual conference, and professional development programs targeted at financial aid administrators in postsecondary institutions.
• RMASFAA (Rocky Mountain Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators): Smaller regional association serving financial aid professionals in the Rocky Mountain states. Operates the same regional model as MASFAA, providing benchmark comparability on a smaller scale.

Others

• IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association): Adjacent nonprofit professional association serving educational consultants, including on financial aid topics. Comparable membership and conference model in the broader college-access and financial aid ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/masfaaweb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/masfaaweb
• Facebookfacebook.com/masfaaweb

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MASFAA