Financial Aid Directors
The MASU Financial Aid Officers (FAO) Committee consists of the financial aid directors at Michigan’s public universities. These senior officers oversee the universities’ management of financial aid programs, which each year enables tens of thousands of students to better afford a public university education in Michigan through almost $900 million in federal, state, and institutional financial aid. Their work is informed by many other MASU committees, as the FAOs rely on state appropriations, institutional budgeting, and enrollment projections to be able to craft award packages to students. The financial aid directors serve as a vital resource to MASU staff in the association’s role as an advisor to policymakers, the philanthropic community, and the private sector.
As with all MASU committees, during their convenings, members of the FAO Committee provide insight on the implications of current state and federal policy issues and fiscal dynamics affecting Michigan’s public universities. Contemporary higher education topics and trends are examined through the lens of financial aid, with strategic consideration given to such factors as college access and affordability, state and federal regulations (and their associated burdens), and the role higher education plays in lifting students up across socioeconomic classes