The Arizona Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators is a nonprofit professional organization advancing financial aid through leadership, advocacy, and professional development.

President's Welcome

Aurie Clifford, 2026-2027 AASFAA President

Dear AASFAA Family,

Welcome to the 2026–2027 AASFAA year!

I am absolutely bursting with excitement, and I am profoundly honored to step into the role of your AASFAA President for the upcoming year. Financial aid administrators are a truly special brood, aren't we? We are a fiercely resilient bunch who show up every single day, navigating the storms, completely driven by our love for our students. I am incredibly proud to be part of this profession and this organization because I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the work we do changes lives.

As we look ahead to the year, we have so many exciting initiatives in store to deliver even more value to your AASFAA membership. Let's be honest: with the constant wave of federal regulatory changes and the impossibly short timelines we are given to implement them, we need each other now more than ever. To help us get through it together, we are focusing heavily on peer-to-peer connection. Building on the wild success of our newly implemented AZ Director's listserv, our goal this year is to expand these spaces for all members. We want to create new opportunities for you to connect, talk through the issues of the day, share best practices, and lean on each other for support. Specifically, we want to bridge the gap by connecting people who use the same software systems, so you have a direct lifeline to a peer troubleshooting the same screen you are!

This is where you come in. If you are feeling inclined, we would absolutely love to have you join us as a volunteer. Sign up here: aasfaa.org/volunteer

When you volunteer for AASFAA, you automatically become part of something so much bigger than yourself, your office, or your individual institution. You become part of a collective solution and a massive, statewide support network. Your peers across this great state need your unique perspective and talents—but just as importantly, you might need them, too. AASFAA is your safety net, giving you a powerful team of people to reach out to when you need an answer, an idea, or just some moral support.

We are already a mighty team, but we would be so much better with you in it. I highly encourage you to take that next step toward your own leadership and professional development—we would be absolutely thrilled to have you. Whether you want to take on a project or just help out in some small way, please reach out to me!

I fully and deeply believe that together we are better, and I cannot wait to experience everything this year has in store alongside all of you.

Thank you for everything you do. Let's make this an unforgettable year!

With deep gratitude and excitement,

Aurie Clifford
Pima Community College
2026–2027 AASFAA President

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Mission Statement

The mission of AASFAA is to provide our members with the highest quality of personal and professional growth opportunities. We do this by providing ongoing training and access to a broad network of financial aid professionals spanning all types of institutions.

AASFAA members value integrity, honesty, hard work, and camaraderie. It is through our participation in AASFAA that we exhibit these characteristics and through our daily interactions that we live them.

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Statement

AASFAA fosters a supportive community for its members that honors diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. We recognize a common unity that anchors and enlivens our commitment to inclusion and creates brave spaces for dialogue to happen, through initiatives that promote professional development. We hold ourselves accountable to this intentional vision through fostering an integrated community, and recognizing that each member of our organization brings their own unique perspectives, strengths, and critical inquiries to serve our mission. We will continuously evaluate our commitment to these values through conscious engagement within the communities we serve, and will promote a culture of diversity and inclusion by encouraging involvement and access regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, appearance, professional level, institution type, or membership type.

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Appropriate Behavior and Conduct

AASFAA is committed to providing a safe, productive and harassment-free environment at its conferences, trainings, board and committee meetings, and other AASFAA-sponsored events. AASFAA prohibits harassment or discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, ethnicity, national origin, or other protected status. It also prohibits sexual harassment or intimidation, including unwelcome sexual attention, stalking (physical or virtual), or unsolicited physical contact; and threatening behavior.

These conduct rules apply to all attendees and participants at any AASFAA-sponsored event, including online events. Any violations should be reported immediately to a member of the AASFAA event staff or leadership team; we also expect participants to alert venue staff or security of any dangerous situations, or of anyone in distress.

AASFAA reserves the right to remove any individual from attendance or other participation in any AASFAA-sponsored event without prior warning or refund, and to take additional action as determined necessary, notifying appropriate individuals, and including loss of AASFAA membership.

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History of AASFAA

AASFAA traces its beginnings to a 1967 gathering of financial aid professionals in Flagstaff, and was formally established as the Arizona Association of Financial Aid Officers the following year.

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