MBU Director of Financial Aid John Brandt Earns FAAC®
John Brandt, Director of Financial Aid at Maranatha Baptist University, recently earned the FAAC® designation from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators’ accredited Certified Financial Aid Administrator® (CFAA) Program.
The CFAA Program is a first-in-the-industry effort launched in 2019 that validates the skills and knowledge of financial aid professionals at postsecondary institutions nationwide. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, or NASFAA, is a nonprofit membership organization that represents more than 29,000 financial aid professionals at approximately 3,000 schools. The FAAC designation is a prestigious accomplishment, validating integrity, proficiency, and service.
John, who has completed 31 years in financial aid (26 of those as a director), has assisted thousands of students from five colleges (public and private) in Missouri and Tennessee and, since May 2024, has devoted his expertise in helping MBU students and their families. “Students receive many types of aid, including federal grants and loans, state grants, military assistance, Maranatha scholarships and various awards from external sources,” John explains. “In financial aid we strive to assist all students in getting the most financial aid for which they qualify.”
John has also volunteered on executive boards of state student financial aid associations. “These associations are critical to providing training to all financial aid professionals,” he says.
Under John’s leadership, MBU’s Financial Aid staff have implemented several initiatives including workshops to present financial aid options and FAFSA Fridays in which students receive individual assistance while completing federal aid applications. John comments, “Recent student satisfaction surveys indicate our office is providing good financial aid counseling and processing aid applications in a timely manner.”
Having earned an FAAC designation, John joins the ranks of an elite group of professionals who have successfully passed a comprehensive exam, met the eligibility requirements, and affirmed commitment to the standards of ethical behavior. “One of the most challenging tasks in getting certified,” says John, “is that so many changes occur to the federal aid programs each year, and it is difficult to keep up-to-date with the most recent regulations and rules.” Retention of FAAC certification entails ongoing training and service requirements.
Praising John for “this remarkable professional milestone,” Donald Donovan, Chief Financial Officer at MBU, explains that “the prestigious FAAC designation” is “the highest certification in Higher Education’s Financial Aid field.” He specifies that “Mr. Brandt is just one of 20 individuals in the state of Wisconsin to achieve the FAAC,” and then observes, “With three decades of dedicated financial aid experience, Mr. Brandt has a passion to empower our students to pursue their educational goals and invest their lives in ministry, ‘To the praise of His glory.’”
Sometimes people ask why I have stayed in financial aid so long,” John muses, “and I would say because I know it makes a difference. A great blessing for me year after year is seeing students cross the finish line and get that well-deserved diploma at graduation.”