Get Your Kicks on the Road to FAAC Success

NASFAA FAAC® Certification Training

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM  |  Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque  |  $125

Before the Super Conference kicks off, take the first stop on the road to earning your Certified Financial Aid Administrator® (FAAC®) designation. This full-day, in-person workshop uses NASFAA’s official exam preparation materials to help you refresh what you know, spot any gaps, and walk away knowing exactly what to expect on exam day.

The FAAC® designation recognizes proficiency in Title IV aid administration and a commitment to the profession’s highest ethical standards. Studying alongside colleagues works, too: NASFAA reports that workshop participants pass the knowledge exam at a rate about 15% higher than those who prepare on their own.

Before You Register

NASFAA requires every participant to have an approved certification application on file before the workshop. Without one, you won’t receive access to the practice or knowledge exams. Give yourself time to complete these steps:

1	Create a myNASFAA account if you don’t already have one. You don’t need to be a NASFAA member, but you will need your NASFAA ID to register.
2	Apply for certification through your NASFAA certification dashboard. The application is free. Eligibility is based on your financial aid experience; see NASFAA’s Get Certified page for details.
3	Register for the workshop. You can sign up while your application is still pending, as long as it’s approved before the session begins.
4	Complete the self-assessment worksheet so you arrive knowing which topics you want to focus on.

Seating is limited to 25 participants.

About the Workshop and Exam

This is a review workshop, not an introduction to financial aid. It’s built to help experienced aid administrators recall and sharpen what they already know across the topics the exam covers. Completing the workshop doesn’t guarantee a passing score, so plan to keep reviewing on your own afterward to cover any remaining stretches of highway.

The FAAC® Knowledge Exam is taken online and has about 115 multiple-choice questions spanning twelve competency areas of Title IV aid administration. Soon after the workshop, you’ll receive access to both exams in your NASFAA Testing Center:

• The practice exam stays open for 40 days after the workshop.
• NASFAA recommends sitting for the knowledge exam in one of the next two testing windows, while the material is fresh.
• Not quite ready? You can take the exam anytime within your one-year eligibility period.
• Your registration covers one exam attempt; retakes are purchased separately through NASFAA.

Once you pass, you’ll hold the FAAC® designation for a three-year period, maintained by earning 60 recertification points through activities like conference attendance, training, volunteering, and presenting. Staying for the Super Conference is a great start.

Your Trainers

This workshop is led by colleagues who hold the FAAC® designation themselves and have been through the process you’re starting.

Dustin Davidson, FAAC® Great Plains Technology Center

Andrea Sandoval, FAAC® University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

Questions about eligibility or your application? Contact NASFAA’s Certification Team at certification@nasfaa.org.
Back to the 2026 Super Conference page.