Training and Workshops
Tuesday@2 Webinar: Student Aid Fraud in a New Era: A Peer Panel Discussion
Tue, April 14, 2026 @ 2:00 pm EDT
Student aid fraud is evolving faster than ever. In this panel discussion, financial aid professionals from a variety of institutions will explore fraud trends, red flags, and prevention strategies. Panelists will also address two emerging challenges reshaping the landscape: changes to identity verification and the growing role of artificial intelligence in enabling increasingly sophisticated fraud. Attendees are encouraged to come prepared to share their own experiences, ask questions, and engage directly with this panel of financial aid peers.
Panelists:
Keisa Davis-Rezendes, Associate Director, Student Financial Services, Bunker Hill Community College
Keisa Davis-Rezendes is the Associate Director of Student Financial Services at Bunker Hill Community College where she has worked since 2017. Prior to that, Keisa worked at Lesley University as an Assistant Director of Financial Aid, working with traditional age undergraduates. She is the 2023 recipient of the Paul Cellucci Leadership in MA State Government award. She has served students and families in higher education for over 13 years at a variety of institutions.
Mark Malboeuf, Associate Director, Compliance & Reporting, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Mark has 20+ years of Title IV experience, mostly with the Department of Education where he worked as an audit specialist and program review team member. He left the Department in 2025 and is now an Associate Director of Financial Aid at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, focusing on compliance and reporting.
Ryan Jones, Campus Supervisor: Financial Aid, CT State Community College Gateway
Ryan Jones, MBA, FAAC® is an accomplished financial aid professional with 15 years of experience in analysis, financial services, management, and operations. He is the current Campus Supervisor: Financial Aid for Connecticut State Community College’s Gateway Campus and has earned degrees from the University of Connecticut (BA in English), Post University (BS in Computer Information Systems), and Southern Connecticut State University (MBA). He is also the current chair of CAPFAA’s State & Federal Relations Committee and its 2026 President-Elect. Ryan lives in Naugatuck, CT with his wife, sons, and three dogs.
Tuesday@2 Webinar: Neurodiversity 101: Facts, Myths and Communication
Tue, April 21, 2026 @ 2:00 pm EDT
This session provides a foundational understanding of neurodiversity, focusing on distinguishing evidence-based facts from common myths. Participants will explore practical communication strategies and gain insights into supporting neurodivergent individuals, such as those with ADHD, autism, or executive functioning challenges within a college setting.
Presenter:
Dr. Abildgaard is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and a Licensed Professional Counselor, specializing in autism and neurodiversity. He earned a Doctor of Education from Loyola University Chicago and holds a Graduate Certificate in Behavioral Interventions in Autism from UMass Lowell. He currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor and the 2025-2026 Jackie McLean Fellow in the Psychology & School Psychology Department at the University of Hartford, where he has developed and taught courses on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Neurodiversity. He also holds an appointment in the Master’s program in Autism and Neurodiversity at the University of St. Joseph (USJ) as an Adjunct Professor.
Dr. Abildgaard is also the owner and director of the Social Learning Center (SLC), LLC, located in Cheshire, CT. In this capacity, he manages a clinical caseload, conducts school consultations, and participates in national speaking engagements. His teaching and clinical practice are informed by 20 years of experience in neurodevelopmental disabilities, mental health counseling, and school psychology.
Tuesday@2 Webinar: Loan Reduction: What We Know Now
Tue, April 28, 2026 @ 2:00 pm EDT
Join us for a SPECIAL 2-HOUR Tuesday@2!
Howard Leslie will provide a webinar on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3), signed on July 4, 2025, with a specific focus on loan reductions for less than full time students. During the session, he will explore the topic in depth, offering detailed explanations, practical examples, and clear guidance on what schools should be doing now to prepare.
There will be a robust Q & A at the end of the webinar, so please come with any questions you have!
We are excited to bring this important session to the EASFAA Community!
Howard Leslie, celebrating almost 50 years in Financial Aid, was most recently the Vice President of Financial Aid of Compliance at Berkeley College in New York and New Jersey. Now doing consulting, he is Past President of the New York State Association of Financial Aid Administrators Association.
During those years, Howard has performed consulting for several institutions, worked with the Department of Education as a federal trainer, served on the original NSLDS Project, and participated in several other high-level initiatives for the department and NYS Higher Education Services Corporation. He has been a very active member of NYSFAAA and EASFAA.
Some of Howard’s accomplishments include being the first person to certify an electronic student loan in the nation. This was part of a NYS/Federal partnership to implement electronic loans. Howard also originated the concept of PLUS Pre-approvals and beta tested it with Chase and the School of Visual Arts. It didn’t take long for all lenders and schools to adopt the practice.
Requests to host a Tuesday @ 2 training can be made by any current member or committee. The training committee request that the following steps be followed when requesting a training session and date.
1. Please check the date on the EASFAA calendar to verify if the date is free of other activities.
2. Please have requested date, session topic/title, description, presenter, and presenter bio information ready upon requesting the training.
3. Complete the Training Session Request Form found below. Once submitted the Tuesday @ 2 chairs will review your request and be in touch.
(The above link is not to register for a training.)
Click the link below to browse through recordings and slides from past events.
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