A seasoned federal policy and financial aid operations expert will lead the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the organization announced Tuesday.

Melanie Storey, who most recently served as director of policy implementation and oversight for the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid, will become NASFAA president May 1. Storey also served as senior director of higher education and student policy at the College Board and a director at the American Council on Education.

The decision comes after months of searching and evaluation, the student aid association said in its news release, and Storey will be stepping in at a “pivotal time” in the early days of the second Trump administration. Mass layoffs at the Department of Education and President Trump’s claims that the $1.7 trillion federal student loan portfolio will be moved to the Small Business Administration have created lots of uncertainty surrounding student aid, and the fate of the Office of Federal Student Aid hangs in the balance.

“Throughout her career, Melanie has been a steadfast advocate for students and financial aid policy,” said Sharon Oliver, chair of NASFAA’s presidential search committee, in the release. “I am confident she will bring this same dedication to our shared mission in her new role as President and CEO of NASFAA.”

Storey holds a master’s degree in public affairs with a focus on higher education from the University of Texas at Austin and bachelors’ degrees in economics and public policy from Smith College. She was a first-generation graduate and financial aid recipient herself. After the tolls of the COVID pandemic and last year’s botched rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, she says she’s ready to advocate for similar opportunities for future students.

“It is no secret that it has been a challenging few years in higher education and financial aid specifically,” she said in a statement. “As we continue to see dramatic changes coming from Washington, NASFAA can … expand its strong voice for the profession and the students we serve.”