Two staff members in Boise State’s financial aid and scholarships office earned the Certified Financial Aid Administrator designation, commonly referred to as FAAC. Lauren Krigbaum, associate director of systems and production, and Kelley Christianson, director of financial aid and scholarships, received the award. The designation is through the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators’ accredited Certified Financial Aid Administrator (CFAA) program.
Krigbaum and Christianson join the ranks of an elite group of more than 300 other financial aid professionals who earned the FAAC designation after successfully passing a comprehensive knowledge exam and affirming commitment to the standards of ethical behavior that have long been a hallmark of the financial aid profession.
The CFAA program is a first-in-the-industry effort launched in 2019 that validates the skills and knowledge of financial aid professionals at postsecondary institutions nationwide. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, or NASFAA, is a nonprofit membership organization that represents more than 29,000 financial aid professionals at approximately 3,000 colleges, universities and career schools across the country. NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis and training for financial aid administrators.
“Financial aid administrators are entrusted with significant responsibility, ranging from ensuring college access for students to protecting the reputation of an institution and maintaining the integrity of federal financial aid programs,” said NASFAA President and CEO Justin Draeger. “The FAAC designation affirms the professional commitment of a financial aid administrator not only to those responsibilities, but also their commitment to uphold the highest ethical standards.”