AUGUSTA – The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) is pleased to announce that Jennifer Lanphear, FAME’s Education Programs Manager, has been elected President of the National Association of State Student Grant & Aid Programs (NASSGAP). 

NASSGAP, a national non-profit organization, is dedicated to advancing high standards in the management and execution of state-based student grant and aid initiatives. NASSGAP plays a pivotal role in facilitating the development and exchange of information, policy insights, and procedures among member agencies across the nation. This collaborative platform enables state agencies to learn from one another and fosters stronger state aid initiatives to expand higher education access and affordability for students. NASSGAP collaborates with similar associations and with the U.S. Department of Education to address the needs of state workforce shortages and enhance student higher education access and affordability.

Lanphear’s tenure as NASSGAP President began October 19, 2023. She previously served as the organization’s president-elect during the 2022-23 academic year. She has been an active and engaged member of NASSGAP for nearly ten years, with seven of those years serving on the Executive Committee.

“The NASSGAP members are an incredible group of people passionate about higher education access and affordability,” said Lanphear. “My association with NASSGAP began in 2014 in my role as FAME’s Customer Service Specialist when my responsibilities included Maine State Grant, data analysis, and responses to any legislative or governor constituent inquiries. I have had the honor of serving on the organization’s executive committee since 2016, in the elected positions of Member-at-Large, Secretary, and President-Elect, as well as the appointed role of Conference Co-chair. FAME’s support of my NASSGAP involvement is much appreciated. I am humbled to have been nominated and elected by my peers as NASSGAP President and proud to represent the great state of Maine.”

Lanphear brings thirty-five years of industry experience in her current role as FAME’s Education Programs Manager, where she provides policy guidance and operational support to FAME management and staff. She manages roughly $117 million in state grant, workforce development, and private education loan funds by partnering with her six-person team. FAME is tasked by the Maine Legislature with administering the state’s higher education grant, loan, loan repayment, and financial aid outreach and education programs. One such program is the Maine State Grant, the state’s need-based grant available to eligible undergraduate students pursuing higher education at Maine’s public and private higher educational institutions. Since 1992, FAME has awarded more than $420 million in need-based grants through the Maine State Grant Program. Over 350,000 grants were awarded during this period. 

Lanphear has been instrumental in launching several new postsecondary financing programs to help more Maine residents afford and achieve higher education and advance Maine’s workforce. One recently launched program is the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Pilot Program, which was enacted by the Maine Legislature and is geared toward certain healthcare professionals to address critical workforce shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, the behavioral health and oral care sectors. 

Lanphear earned a B.A. in Mathematics at the University of Maine and continually improves her skills through additional training. She lives in Manchester with her husband, Harry, who is a director in state government. They have two adult sons, two daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren.

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) is a quasi-independent state agency celebrating its 40th anniversary. FAME provides innovative financial solutions to help Maine citizens pursue business and educational opportunities. FAME helps to lead the creation of good paying jobs for Maine citizens by working at the nexus between economic and workforce development. To learn more about FAME, please visit www.famemaine.com.