Financial Aid Director credits Western Illinois University Financial Aid Office for Nelnet Full Circle Award

Jan 14, 2005

(Lincoln, Neb.) - Nelnet announced recently that Bill Bushaw, Financial Aid Director for Western Illinois University (WIU), is the latest recipient of the Nelnet Full Circle Award. The award is a recognition designed to highlight the professional excellence of Financial Aid Officers.

When asked how his approach to financial aid may differ from that of other organizations, Mr. Bushaw said, "We have been fortunate in keeping our focus on three simple goals. The most important is our commitment to providing excellent student service. Student service is followed by providing award notification as early as possible, and providing the best financial aid package that we are able to hand out, based on the resources available."

Early award notification and strong financial aid packages can be critical as a student makes decisions about what school to attend and how to pay for the rising cost of tuition. Like many in the education industry, funding has become a focus for Mr. Bushaw. "My greatest challenge in recent years has been finding adequate financial resources for both students and the office operation."

David Bottegal, Nelnet's Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Director, commented, "Mr. Bushaw is the epitome of a person whose professional motivation is truly to help students. We are incredibly pleased to present him with the Full Circle Award."

Bottegal went on to say, "This award is in line with Nelnet's overall philosophy of making educational dreams possible for students; we believe recognizing the people who help them reach those dreams is very important."

Mr. Bushaw has 35 years in the industry, during which he has served in several executive positions and has chaired various committees at both the state and regional level. He says the Nelnet Full Circle Award is "a great tribute to the WIU financial aid office."

Nelnet presents the Full Circle Award on a quarterly basis and recipients are nominated by colleagues, Nelnet Campus Directors, and students.

To nominate a Financial Aid Officer for the Full Circle Award, Nelnet school representatives, coworkers, or other college offices can write a one paragraph nomination letter outlining how the nominee exemplifies the criteria for the award, and e-mail it to MarketingSupport@nelnet.net, or mail it to Nelnet Marketing Solutions, Attn: Elspeth Walker, 121 S. 13th St., Suite 400, Lincoln, NE 68508.

Nelnet offers a broad range of student loan and financial services and technology-based products, including student loan origination and lending, guarantee servicing, and a suite of software solutions. Our products are designed to simplify the student loan process by automating financial aid delivery, loan processing, and funds disbursement. Our services help to facilitate and streamline education finance for all involved in the industry, including student and parent borrowers, lenders, financial aid officers, guaranty agencies, governmental agencies, servicers, and the capital markets.

Additional information is available at www.nelnet.net.

Media Contact:
Sheila Odom
402.458.2329
nelnetcommunications@nelnet.net

Investor Contact:
Cheryl Watson
317.469.2064
investorrelations@nelnet.net