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