The Next Gen team heads north next month, to attend the National Scholarship Providers Annual (NSPA) Conference, October 12-14 in Charleston, South Carolina. In keeping with our belief in the right to equitable access to higher education and promise to continually pursue endeavors to ensure that right for the students our customers serve, Next Gen is excited to participate in this event, which brings together members of the higher education community committed to similar goals.
NSPA is the “only national organization dedicated solely to supporting the needs of professionals administering scholarships in colleges and universities, non-profits, foundations and businesses.” The theme of this year’s conference is Weaving Cultural Awareness into Scholarship Administration: Celebrating Differences and Fostering Communication. NSPA’s mission, as well as the Conference’s theme, connect seamlessly with Next Gen’s promise to provide ever-increasing value to our customers; by watching emerging trends, listening to our clients and partners, participating in events like NSPA’s conference, and standing firm in our adherence to strong ethics and values, we will continue to develop solutions for more equitable, more diverse, more global access to education.
The Conference offers the chance to “network face-to-face with fellow scholarship providers, exchange knowledge and get the latest on scholarship trends from experts.” The Next Gen team will take advantage of the opportunity to, “see things from a 360 degree field of view; from the providers’ point of view, the students’ and the schools’ perspective” (Joe Wilcox, Scholarship Coordinator and NSPA member, University of Texas, Austin). This sharing of perspective will allow Next Gen to grow in the ability to do what it does best – respond to the changing trends in higher education to provide its clients with the highest quality service in the business.
Next Gen’s COO, Jim Grace, recognizes the value of a partnership with an organization like NSPA. “NSPA has provided us with unique opportunities to engage with scholarship administrators, gain insights into the challenges they face, and learn how we can best serve them with software solutions that empower scholarship programs. Scholarship Manager’s innovative features and functionality have been developed in direct response to needs identified by NSPA members.”
Stay tuned for thoughts on and responses to what is certain to be an exciting and productive conference!
