Kella Helyer

Director of Financial Aid
Western Oregon University
Monmouth OR
Biographical Sketch: Kella Helyer, Director of Financial Aid at Western Oregon University began her career in financial aid unlike most ever dream of doing. Her journey began over 7 years ago when the small community college she worked at began the process of independent accreditation, breaking away from a larger institution. During this time she was working as the Grant and Contract Accountant in the Business Office and the financial aid office did not even exist. Her financial aid experience to this point consisted of filing a FASFA over 30 years prior! When the opportunity presented itself to create a financial aid office from the ground up, she jumped at the chance. The learning process began like many others have done before her…IFAP online Coach training and her own FAFSA filing but also many, many meetings and emails with the wonderful staff at the home institution and software partner institution. She was truly working on the shoulders of giants in the industry. Kella has taken the knowledge she learned and put into practice and has moved on to the next challenge. She may have begun the process at a community college with few funding choices, a high default rate, and gainful employment requirements but has transitioned to a public 4-year institution with many more funding options, a low default rate (yay!) and certificate programs embedded into four year degrees. She recently found her home at Western Oregon University but is already looking toward the next goal of moderating a NASFAA conference session.