Key Conference Takeaways from EmpowerED 2024

NSPA Article

January 6, 2025

In October 2024, over 600 scholarship providers and those that support them gathered in Salt Lake City for “EmpowerED: Shaping an Equitable Future through Scholarship Excellence”. The four-day event was packed with fresh knowledge, actionable strategies, and networking opportunities with colleagues old and new alike. A few key trends emerged throughout the conference, which we’ve called out in greater detail below. As always, we encourage members to continue their conversations about takeaways throughout the year!

Four Takeaways from NSPA 2024: EmpowerED

Fostering Openness to Change and Adaptation

The 2023-2024 delay in FAFSA information alongside changing demographics of students prompted many providers to consider adaptations to their outreach, application, selection, and awarding processes. For example, the Terry Foundation discussed completely revamping their process for determining financial need without the FAFSA. And a presenting team from Thurgood Marshall College Fund shared strategies for diversifying marketing efforts to reach a wide variety of student populations across generations. Attendees discussed changing technology vendors, working on adapting multiple applications into a single student-facing form, and updating training committees on best practices in equitable selection. Additionally, in the “Navigating the AI Landscape” pre-conference session led by Elisabeth Bertram of Regroup, many providers demonstrated great enthusiasm for integrating and using AI across the scholarship lifecycle and using ethical strategies to do so.

Continue the conversation:

• What changes did you hear about that you would consider implementing?
• What aspects of your program are creating barriers and may need to be addressed?

Adopting Trust-Based Strategies

Conference attendees also discussed tools and adaptations to ensure students feel trusted and valued as part of the application, selection and award process. Tactics included student-created outreach and engagement materials for applicants and current scholars as practiced by the Lilly Scholars Network. We also heard about valuing students’ lived experiences, so powerfully presented by keynote speaker Brandon Fleming. Other providers described removing upload or formal documentation requirements for financial need or academic merit criteria, and adjusting prompts, essay length, or quantity in applications.

Continue the conversation:

• What aspects of your scholarship program could offer opportunities for trust-based approaches?
• How could these new strategies offer benefits for students, staff and donors?

Exploring Alternative Award Strategies

Attendees interested in new and non-traditional strategies for fund disbursement heard a range of options. Dell Scholars described use of direct-to-student tools such as Chase Pay for their emergency funding. Students First Consulting and Acensus shared about the opportunities of providing scholarships through 529 plans. ScholarMatch outlined their student loan repayment program and offered a how-to guide. Providers weighed pros and cons of alternative strategies and learned how to evaluate the best option for their programs and students; key items to consider include concerns about taxability of funds, the speed with which funds must be made available in students’ personal or institutional accounts, and partnerships required to make each method a success.

Continue the conversation:

• Is your organization interested in learning more about alternate award strategies?
• What pain points are you seeking to address through new disbursement options?

Valuing a Provider-Specific Learning and Engagement Opportunity

For many scholarship program staff, the NSPA annual conference is the primary opportunity each year for professional development, information sharing, and catching up in-person with colleagues across the United States and Canada. Once again, the conference offered the opportunity for peers to learn about unique solutions, find connection, and get support, including for their program's challenges. First-time attendees were excited that their leadership sponsored their registration and long-term attendees were equally excited to re-engage with friends and meet new ones!

Continue the conversation:

• What’s a new connection you want to continue fostering?
• What organizations did you learn about that are overcoming challenges in new ways? How can you connect with them to gain further insight?

It’s impossible to capture all the highlights and takeaways from this valuable time providers and supporters spent together. Keep the conversation going on the Member Q&A Forum–we’re already looking forward to 2025!