The Pell Institute is excited to host its 42nd Student Financial Aid Research Network (SFARN) Conference in July 2025 in College Park, MD. The conference is a prime venue for leading financial aid researchers and practitioners to network and share expertise with colleagues from colleges and universities, state and federal agencies, and non-profit organizations.

The central theme for this conference is equitable financial aid practices and policies at local, state, and federal levels. We welcome sessions focused on new and recently completed research on student aid issues such as federal policy changes, college food insecurity, student loan debt, low-income and non-traditional access, and the overarching theme of how students and their families are paying for college.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2025

Proposal Forms should be submitted by 5:00 PM EST/4:00 PM CST on APRIL 30, 2025.

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

Organization/ Institution *

Title *

Phone (##########) * 🛈

City *

State *

Zip *

Please provide name, affiliation, and email of additional presenters (if applicable):

Presentation Type

Research Presentations

Research presentations are roughly, a formal presentation of completed or nearly-completed academic studies, policy reports, or other empirical research work. These presentations should address research motivation and questions, data and methods, findings, and implications for policy and practice. Presenters should be prepared to answer questions from audience members following their formal remarks, but generally, these sessions will be less interactive than the other formats.

Poster Presentation

Posters are ideal for those who wish to share and receive feedback on a research project, policy paper, or other work that is still in progress. Authors will have the opportunity to discuss their work in informal conversations with interested participants.

Symposium/Policy Talk

A symposium or policy talk consists of in-depth conversations and diverse perspectives on a topic related to student financial aid. Ideally, these presentations should combine researchers from different disciplines; mix academic scholars, policymakers, and practitioners; and/or include researchers with opposing views. These sessions should also encourage interaction between and among presenters and the audience. A typical symposium might include brief presentations from the panelists, Q&A from a moderator, and time for discussion and debate.

Please select a presentation type from below *

Poster Presentation

Research Presentation

Symposium/Policy Talk

Title of Proposed Presentation? *

Brief Summary of your Proposal (approximately 1 -2 paragraphs). Be sure to note your primary sources and research methods. *

At the time of submission, is this research complete? *

YES

NO

If not, will it be completed by July 2025?

YES

NO

If not, please provide information about the timeline of your project. For example, you may be proposing to present one part of a multi-part and/or multi-year project – it is helpful for the Planning Committee to understand where you are in that process.

If you have presented on this topic at a prior SFARN conference, please explain how the proposed presentation will differ from the previous presentation (s).

Would this be your first time presenting at SFARN? *

YES

NO

Where did you hear about the conference and Call for Proposals? *

Feel free to provide any additional information about your project or proposal, including links to online materials.

Comments/Additional Information