Profiles in the Financial Aid Profession: Brad Honious, Valencia Community College (Florida)

Brad Honious, Director of Financial Aid and Veteran's Affairs, Valencia Community College

Kristi Jones: How many staff members work in your office?

Brad Honious:  We have 33 full time staff members, 6 part time, and 15 work study students.

Kristi: What are you most proud of with your financial aid office?

Brad: I am most proud of my staff and their willingness to learn new things.  They are empowered to be cross-functional.  They have stepped up to take on additional duties with little to no complaining. 

Kristi: What has been the biggest challenge for your office during the past 12 months?

Brad: The increase in volume, along with the large number of students getting selected for verification, has been a challenge this year.  Another challenge has been implementing all of the new federal regulations in the same year.

Kristi:  Now that you have been in the Direct Loan program for over a year, do you have any tips for schools that are settling in? 

Brad: Make COD your friend.  Learning the timing issues was key for us. Also, reading the COD and Banner manuals was very helpful.  Make contacts with other DL schools. 

Kristi: Where do you think schools should focus their efforts with regard to default prevention strategies, given the industry’s move to a 3-year CDR model?

Brad: I believe default prevention is only one strategy.  Try to work on cultures of financial literacy.  Don’t just work with financial aid students, work with all students. 

Kristi: What do you like most about your job?

Brad: Helping students and having a staff that works hard.  My staff is wonderful and we get along well.  We work hard and play hard. 

Kristi: Where did you work prior to Valencia Community College?

Brad: I worked at Gateway Community College, the Maricopa System and Arizona State University.

Kristi: What positions do you currently hold in the different industry organizations?

Brad: I am the Region III Representative for FASFAA, the National Representative at Large for NASFAA, a Faculty Member of New Aid for SASFAA, a member of College Goal Sunday Statewide Taskforce, and I sit on the USAF Advisory Committee.

Kristi: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Brad: I wanted to be a lawyer all of my life and even took political science in my undergraduate program.  I started as a work study student in Financial Aid, and it was all over from there.

Kristi: What is your favorite restaurant?

Brad: My favorite restaurant is Macaroni Grill.

Kristi: What is your favorite television show?

Brad:  My favorite TV show is Squawk Box.  It is on MSNBC and is a must-see for professional traders and investors.

Kristi: Was it a hard adjustment moving from the West Coast to Florida?

Brad: It was a very hard adjustment.  The culture in Florida is a lot different from Arizona.

Kristi Jones, Southern Regional Director (AL, FL, GA, MS, PR), Nelnet Partner Solutions