Melissa Findley, executive director of the Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation (MOSLF), received the Dr. David B. Swedlow Professional of the Year Award of Excellence at the 2022 NCAN National
Conference in Atlanta, GA. This award recognizes the dedication, hard work, and innovation of an individual working at an NCAN member organization.
As the Executive Director of the Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation (MOSLF) for eight years, Melissa has been instrumental in the creation and expansion of scholarship programs and an interest-free loan program that enables more Missouri students
to enroll in and persist through college. Melissa recognizes that to close Missouri's equity gaps in attainment requires innovative and flexible financial aid programs that make college not only accessible, but affordable.
As the pandemic disrupted education in 2020, MOSLF moved quickly to support students in need, more than doubling the amount of funds available through its Director’s Choice Emergency Grant Program. While addressing students’ immediate needs through emergency
grants during COVID, Melissa was already thinking ahead as to how the Foundation could extend its impact. This led to the creation of the MyMO Promise Scholarship. Launched in 2021, MyMO incentivizes students from low-income backgrounds to achieve
college readiness benchmarks starting in 9th grade. Those who reach specified benchmarks throughout their high school years are eligible for a $10,000 scholarship when they graduate.
Recognizing the growing need for financial aid for returning adult students, Melissa also created a scholarship program called the Finish Line Degree Completion Grant, which is now the only statewide program in the country enabling students to pay off
their back balance and re-enroll. Finish Line supports adults who could truly benefit from the earnings power of a degree; 95% of recipients have an Expected Family Contribution of less than $4,000. Finish Line also serves a diverse population; a
majority of recipients are people of color and 65% are female.
Melissa also leads efforts to connect financial aid professionals at Missouri institutions with those who advise students in schools and community organizations. She chairs the Communications Committee and Co-Chairs the Early Awareness Committee of the
Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Professionals (MASFAP). With her guidance, MASFAP and the Missouri College & Career Attainment Network (MOCAN) provide ongoing professional development on financial aid topics including FAFSA completion
and financial aid offer letter interpretation.
“Melissa’s impact on individuals who work directly with students around the state cannot be understated,” stated Zora Mulligan, the Commissioner of Higher Education at the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, in a letter
nominating Melissa for the award. “She provides support to some of the most overworked and underappreciated professionals on our college campuses, and she has been able to connect them with resources to help them address some of the most universally
understood but chronically unaddressed problems students face.”
As the Professional of the Year award recipient, Melissa’s organization will receive $1,000 to put toward general operating support, scholarships, and/or professional development.
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