On Wednesday, October 7, four 天涯海角社区 students representing the University’s PACE club competed in the final round of the Mindful Marketing Ethics Competition. They earned second place in the competition for their efforts. 

The theme of the 2026 competition, sponsored by WebFX, was “AI in Marketing.” The competition began with each team submitting a response to a fictional case regarding how a business could effectively and ethically use AI in the workplace. Based on their 1,500-word submitted response, the top 11 teams were invited to present their position at the final event at Messiah University.

In their written response, the Cairn team addressed the benefits of using AI to analyze and better target customers as well as to perform minor edits. They also created a decision matrix for the company to use so that there would be standardization for client data privacy and authenticity of work product. 

“I was impressed by their dynamic and engaging presentation, their ideas, and their desire to network with the judges after the event,” said Professor Janelle Curtis-Beaman, faculty advisor for PACE. “Their hard work paid off! It was a notable honor to be a finalist and a great opportunity to interact with other students who are navigating the tricky balance of marketing and ethics.”

The newly formed School of Professional Studies brings together a broad collection of academic programs and departments, including the departments of Business and Technology, Teacher Education, Music, and Graduate Counseling. The EdD and Criminal Justice programs are also housed in this school. Dr. Stephen Dill is serving as the interim dean.

The School of Liberal Arts & Sciences maintains its name in this transition but (in transferring a few programs to the School of Professional Studies) has a renewed focus on the interdisciplinary education found in the liberal arts. Dr. Victoria Aquilone has been appointed as dean ahead of the Fall 2026 semester. The previous dean, Dr. Aneesh Khushman, is serving as the chair of natural sciences.

The School of Bible & Theology (previously the School of Divinity) is also home to Cairn Theological Seminary. The seminary was not introduced in order to offer new programs, as 天涯海角社区 has offered graduate-level Bible education since 1992. This was instead a decision that reiterates and clearly communicates 天涯海角社区’s longstanding commitment to biblical and theological education to prospective students and churches. The Master of Divinity, Master of Arts (Religion), and Master of Arts (Executive Ministry Leadership) are offered through the Seminary. A more robust look at Cairn Theological Seminary will be available in the Fall 2026 issue of , to be released in late October.

天涯海角社区 business students were finalists in the 2025 America250PA Direct Effect Innovation Challenge (DEIC). The DEIC is a multi-round competition that challenges students from Pennsylvania鈥檚 postsecondary institutions 鈥渢o design and develop integrated marketing campaigns that explore solutions to real-life challenges and questions.鈥�

The 2025 DEIC consisted of three rounds, the final round held in person at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, PA, in October 2025. 天涯海角社区 was one of five colleges invited to the final round. Faculty member Janelle Curtis-Beaman accompanied students Philip Oo, Matthew Mika, Colin O鈥橞rien, and JiEun Oh to Harrisburg to present their campaign.

This year鈥檚 theme was “Miles of Impact: America’s First Superhighway.鈥� Students were challenged to 鈥渄esign and pitch original integrated marketing campaigns that bring the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s story to life.鈥� 天涯海角社区 students presented their campaign, 鈥淲here did you come from, where did you go?鈥� to celebrate 85 years of the Turnpike connecting Pennsylvanians while looking forward to the future of travel. They pitched a user-generated marketing campaign that would employ a statewide scavenger hunt that would encourage users to share experiences that promote connection, heritage, and progress.

天涯海角社区 is proud to offer opportunities for experiential learning like this, giving students the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom in tactile ways that bolster their resume and give them confidence as they enter the job market. 

There is a growing contingent of 天涯海角社区 graduates for whom 鈥淐airn Special” immediately evokes involving all five senses. It鈥檚 requested like a secret menu item with a flash of a Cairn student ID. Buy a large drink and a large fry, and get an original sandwich or eight-count nugget for free. Today鈥檚 students know the schedule: Monday at Oxford Valley. Tuesday at Langhorne. Thursday at Neshaminy.

The Cairn Special remains the cheapest meal a college student can buy off campus. And while that is attractive, it is not what keeps students coming back. The food is good, and it serves as the foundation for something even better. A Chick-fil-A booth has served as a mainstay for many Cairn students鈥� community building and cheap first dates. And for a select few, it introduced them to a future career as a Chick-fil-A owner-operator.

Chick-fil-A鈥檚 franchisee selection process is extremely competitive. It receives an average of 40,000 applications per year and from that accepts little more than 100, substantiating the claim that it is easier to get into Harvard than it is to be selected to be a Chick-fil-A operator. Despite these slim chances, 天涯海角社区 alumni still represent among the operator ranks. 2026 includes the opening of the fifth owned and operated restaurant by a 天涯海角社区 alumnus.

These four men who have been selected to lead come from various backgrounds and took vastly different career paths toward ownership. The common thread? Their 天涯海角社区 experience was a pivotal moment on their trajectory to Chick-fil-A ownership鈥攆rom business degrees and peer relationships to introducing them to their very first chicken sandwich.

Alex Crawford 鈥�17/G鈥�17
Rochester, NY

The Fall of 2013 is when Alex began to study Bible and business at 天涯海角社区. It鈥檚 also when he had his first Chick-fil-A sandwich. Chick-fil-A was a staple of his Cairn experience. While he was inspired by the culture (and the food!), he did not take a direct path to franchising. Alex interned with a local Geico office in his final semester at Cairn. He was then invited to join their Emerging Leaders program after graduation. This began a career that would require his family to move several times. Alex and his wife, Lindsey (McCulloch) 鈥�17, moved five times as Alex moved up the Geico ranks. Their family eventually settled in Buffalo, NY, where Alex sat at the helm of the corporation鈥檚 customer service.

Alex is a lifelong New Yorker hailing from Long Island, but despite being back in his home state, the freezing temperatures of Western New York were a significant adjustment. The Crawfords did, how ever, quickly warm up to and fall in love with the people and culture of the area. Instead of seeing Buffalo as a transplant location for Alex鈥檚 career, they saw it as a place where they wanted to plant deep roots for their family.

While Alex wanted to stay in Western New York long term, that did not mean he wanted to stay with the corporation that originally brought him there. He enjoyed his work at Geico, but he ultimately decided to pursue a dream he had considered for several years: to own and operate a Chick-fil-A. He saw this career path as 鈥渢he clearest alignment of my MBA and Bible degrees.鈥�

Deciding to apply was just the start. Over the course of two and half years, Alex participated in several phone interviews; flew to Chick-fil-A headquarters four times for in-person meetings; and participated in a stress test, where he was thrown into a Chick-fil-A during the lunch rush to see how he would react and adapt. Chick-fil-A has high standards for the character of their operators, so extensive interviews with applicant references are central to the selection process. Among his professional references were Dave Heffernan, the owner of two of Cairn鈥檚 local Chick-fil-As, and Dr. Tony Hurst, part-time faculty member at Cairn.

Many operator-hopefuls work full-time at a Chick-fil-A location for years before submitting a franchisee application. Alex was not in that position, but he understood the advantage of direct team member experience. In the midst of interviewing, he decided to get a part-time job at a local Chick-fil-A. He worked one, eight-hour shift before he got the call to open a store of his own.

Alex is part of the 20% of Chick-fil-A operators who were selected outside of the CFA leadership development program. This minority position has several somewhat obvious challenges: He was selected to be an operator with out an intimate knowledge of every part of the menu, without the experiences of running a shift during a peak mealtime or navigating the challenges of being short-staffed. But at the same time, his experiences at Geico translate directly to some of the most important qualities of any Chick-fil-A operator: excelling in customer service, leading by serving, and using data-driven approaches to innovate and adapt to challenges. And since he
did work one shift, he already had a name tag.

Chick-fil-A Citygate opened in Rochester, NY, on February 5, 2026. The business of selling chicken and waffle fries is still brand new, but his seasoned leadership has him well-positioned to lead his team to serve his community well.

Brad Burkholder WWC鈥�06/鈥�09
Harrisburg, PA

When Brad graduated high school, he decided to leave his home in Lebanon, PA, to commit to a year at Wisconsin Wilderness Campus. This year of studying the Bible in the great outdoors was what Brad describes as 鈥渢he best year of my life,鈥� and it set him on a trajectory that would give him a career and the opportunity to return to his Central PA roots.

Upon finishing his year at WWC, Brad chose to continue his studies on the main campus as a business major. It was here in Langhorne that he first became acquainted with Chick-fil-A. In his undergrad years, he attended three Chick-fil-A grand openings. These events combined two of his favorite things: camping out in a tent, and free food.

The hard-earned free meal coupons on top of the Cairn Special student discount meant that Brad had every reason to spend an above-average amount of time at Chick-fil-A Oxford Valley Road. Through these visits, he built a relationship with the store鈥檚 owner, Dave Heffernan. Seeing that Brad was a business major, Dave suggested the obvious: Brad should pursue a career with Chick-fil-A. Brad was not interested in that: 鈥淚 said, 鈥業鈥檓 not doing fast food.鈥� I just like eating it.鈥�

This opposition did not last more than a few months after graduation. The summer after he graduated, Brad was ready to get married and needed a job. Dave connected him with a new operator at Chick-fil-A Exeter in Reading, PA. It was in this restaurant that he began to truly see Chick-fil-A as more than 鈥渇ast food.鈥� The turning point was a guest interaction with a grandfather and his grandson:

鈥淗e said, 鈥楥an you tell my grandson about the story of Chick-fil-A? Because it鈥檚 such an amazing story.鈥� So, I shared the history and core values of all Chick-fil-A restaurants. . . . That鈥檚 when I realized this is a different company. This isn鈥檛 just some fast food career. There鈥檚 more to it.鈥�

It was after this interaction that Brad 鈥渓ocked in,鈥� studying CFA training videos after late-night closing shifts and personally committing to being the best employee he could be. His operator noticed this shift and鈥攍ike Dave did just a couple of years before him鈥攈e encouraged Brad to pursue a long-term career with the company. This time, Brad was ready to heed that advice. After 1.5 years at Chick-fil-A Exeter, Brad was selected to be the interim manager of the Chick-fil-A in the Berkshire Mall. A year later, he became its operator at just 25 years old.

Brad is quick to share that his time at the mall wasn鈥檛 glamorous. The Berkshire Mall location was one of the lowest volume restaurants in the entire chain. What this location did not offer in profits, it offered in what money can鈥檛 buy: a chance to be humbled at a young age, space to make mistakes, and an acute awareness that he was in the right career. It also offered the opportunity to work near his hometown, a non-negotiable for his growing family. If he were ever to leave the mall, it would be without uprooting his family鈥檚 life in Central PA. Four years passed. Then God opened a new door: Brad was selected to operate a new Chick-fil-A location in Harrisburg, just 20 minutes from his childhood home.

Brad celebrated ten years at Chick-fil-A Lindle Road in March 2026. Looking back over the past decade, one of the highlights has been the freedom he has to dynamically integrate his faith into his work. He has led devotionals in board meetings, prayed with his staff, and hosted Bible studies in his restaurant. 鈥淚f I were to create my own restaurant or business, I would build it on the same values as Chick-fil-A. I am passionate about Chick-fil-A because they align with my values and beliefs. That鈥檚 how I know I鈥檓 in the right place.”

Josh Maxwell 鈥�06/G鈥�12鈥�14 and Luke Trader 鈥�10
Egg Harbor Twp, NJ and Christiana, DE

By the time Josh graduated high school, he had been living out of his car for nearly two years. He left home at 16 because of his father鈥檚 addiction to drugs and alcohol. So, when he arrived at Cairn to begin the youth and family ministries program, he found a home鈥攂oth physically on campus and in the relationships he built with Dr. Matt McAlack and his future wife, Corrie. It was at Cairn that he also built a friendship with classmate Luke Trader 鈥�10, who would later be the one to bring him into a career at Chick-fil-A.

Josh and Luke first met on a plane to Germany. They were seated next to each other on the initial flight to the University-sponsored Martin Luther tour over spring break in 2005. Luke was a full-time youth pastor completing his degree one course at a time, so their paths did not cross much on campus before or after this trip. But the friendship built on this trip would continue to grow through the years that Josh volunteered in Luke鈥檚 youth ministry.

A few years after graduation, Josh and Corrie were married and serving at a church in Nevada. It was there Josh decided that full-time vocational ministry was not where he wanted to be, but he didn鈥檛 know exactly what he should do instead. He moved his family to New Jersey, to be near Corrie鈥檚 family and figure out what to do next. That鈥檚 when Luke offered him the opportunity to work with him again, this time at Chick-fil-A.

Luke had recently left full-time ministry and was working for Chick-fil-A Corporate, serving as an interim manager at the Quaker Bridge Mall location. When Josh told him that he moved into the area and was looking for work, Luke offered him a $10/hour team member position, which Josh quickly accepted. Several months later, Luke transferred to another mall location in Wilmington, DE, and he invited Josh to come with him. That offer was much harder to say yes to, but he still accepted:

鈥淚 was driving an hour and 20 minutes each way to work in my 1992 Ford Explorer,鈥� said Josh. 鈥淚 was working 60, 70, 80鈥揾our weeks, but I didn鈥檛 feel I was competitive enough to become an owner/operator.鈥�

To bolster his resume, he returned to school full-time. He transferred to a restaurant in Delran, NJ, and used the time he saved on his commute to earn an MBA degree from Cairn, graduating in 2014. Degree in hand, he felt prepared to enter the candidate pool. The following year, he accepted the offer to become the owner/operator of a Chick-fil-A in Jackson, TN.

Josh operated Chick-fil-A Old Hickory Mall for three years. In his first year, he earned the regional Rookie of the Year designation, Symbol of Success, and Champions Club鈥攊nternal awards for Chick-fil-A Operators who hit certain sales and profit quotas year over year. In 2018, he returned to New Jersey to take over as Operator of Chick-fil-A Egg Harbor Township. As for Luke, he became the Operator of Chick-fil-A Christiana in 2016 and, as of April 2025, Chick-fil-A University Plaza in Newark, DE.

You can look at Josh and Luke鈥檚 stories and see two youth pastors that left the ministry. In a sense that鈥檚 true. But if you think that means they are no longer doing ministry, you鈥檇 be mistaken. Service is at the center of Chick-fil-A鈥檚 culture; they call it 鈥渟econd-mile service,鈥� echoing Jesus鈥� call from the Sermon on the Mount. This happens every day, all day between Chick-fil-A team members and guests. But it has the potential for even more impact when the operator goes the extra mile for his employees:

鈥淲e want to have a positive influence on all guests who come through the drive-thru鈥攚hich is only two to three minutes a visit,鈥� said Josh. 鈥淏ut as an operator, I have six to eight hours a day, six days a week where I can make an impact on my staff.鈥�

Both Josh and Luke have been very successful over the 10+ years that they have operated their restaurants. It is the result of hard work and a commitment to excellence. While this has sometimes been celebrated with accolades, it isn鈥檛 what is most important:

鈥淚t鈥檚 not about who has the most sales and who can be the best. It鈥檚 better to ask the questions, 鈥楬ow are we serving people, and how are we serving God?鈥� It鈥檚 an awesome opportunity to be a part of a business that asks those questions and to be able answer them faithfully.鈥�

Over the weekend of May 15鈥�17, 2026, 天涯海角社区 hosted its annual JAM weekend (Junior High Adventures in Ministry). This summer evangelism event equips teens to share the good news of Jesus and immediately gives them an opportunity to do so. This year, 310 students and leaders from 17 churches attended and shared the gospel with the 240 children who attended Kids鈥� Day on Saturday.

This year鈥檚 theme was 鈥淯nshakeable Hope.鈥� In a world full of uncertainty, today鈥檚 teens are craving something real. The messages of the weekend, given by alum Eddie Jurimas 鈥�14, centered on the reliable truth of the gospel and the hope we can have in Jesus Christ. The teens not only needed this message, they were eager to share it with others:

鈥淪ome people sell teenagers short. They may see future potential, but don鈥檛 realize how powerful their influence can be right now,鈥� said Dr. Matt McAlack, professor of youth and family ministry and JAM director. 鈥淔rom the beginning moments of JAM, the teens were very engaged in the gospel training and excited to share the message with their buddy the following day. On Sunday morning, over 25 teens stood to share their testimonies and give glory to God.鈥�

The space for youth groups is already full for 2027, but if you want your children鈥檚 ministry group to participate in next year鈥檚 JAM weekend, you can register today at .

鈥淭o have a heart for the nations, one must first have a heart for the lost.鈥�

This is what Kevin King 鈥�90 shared with me, as he sat next to his wife, J*, in the office of their Brownstone apartment building in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. It is a singular sentence that serves as an effective summary of what they shared over the two interviews I had with them. Among the whos, whats, whys, wheres, and hows that the Kings shared regarding International Project鈥檚 30-year history, it is evident that 鈥渁 heart for the lost鈥� has driven every decision.

A Campus Love Story

Kevin and J met as students at 天涯海角社区 in 1989 while running on the cross country team. J, a freshman, chose to study at Cairn because she had desired to be a missionary since she was a young teen. Kevin was a more recent believer, and in his senior year, he was looking to attend seminary after graduation to become a pastor. The two began dating shortly before Kevin graduated and continued while he earned his Master of Divinity from Missio Seminary in Philadelphia. Over the course of those three years of biblical study, it became clear: Kevin and J were both called to be full-time missionaries, and they were called to do so together. The day after J鈥檚 last class at the University, they were married on campus in a pond-side ceremony off of Pine street鈥攖he last ceremony to be held there, as construction of the president鈥檚 residence began immediately after.

An Unmet Need and a Timely Mission

Kevin and J both had a strong desire to be missionaries among an unreached people group. They began praying and asking God where he would have them serve in the 10/40 window. It was during this same time that a friend invited them to see the ministry potential in New York City. What they found shocked them: Over 90,000 international students, 100,000 West African Muslims in one neighborhood, 80,000 Bangladeshi Muslims in another neighborhood, and 60,000 Arab Muslims in yet another neighborhood. Rather than living among one unreached people group across the ocean, the Kings realized the potential to live among the dozens of unreached people groups that were already converging in NYC. While, thankfully, many missions organizations have recognized and are participating in this diaspora ministry in the US, that was not the case in the early 鈥�90s. The Kings had a vision for a new kind of missions that didn鈥檛 follow the typical playbook of crossing saltwater. Rather than moving halfway across the world to establish themselves in an entirely new culture, the Kings wanted to minister to the stranger next door. To be full-time financially supported missionaries who stayed stateside was nearly unheard of, which made it difficult to find an organization to support their work. They prayed and patiently waited for God to bring them to an organization that would support them鈥攁nd that鈥檚 exactly what he did. The Kings found stateside missionary support from WorldTeam, giving them the opportunity to lay the foundation for what would become International Project.

For the first 10 years, they focused their efforts on campus ministry. English conversation groups, discovery Bible studies, and invitations to leave cafeteria food behind in exchange for a home-cooked meal were the order of the day. They built relationships with international students, shared the gospel, and discipled those who could then return home to share that same message with their families and communities. They were amazed at what God was doing. Over a five-year period, they saw seven house churches start in other countries as students returned home to make disciples.

As they continued to build relationships and establish themselves in the city, they expanded their focus to more broadly cover diaspora, including international students but also immigrants, refugees, and diplomats. Their vision with immigrants and refugees was the same as that on campus: To see the gospel spread through these new diaspora believers and see the gospel carried through relational lines to start churches in closed countries. Through International Project teams, they have seen churches begin in Iran, West Africa, and Bangladesh.

A Sending Agency of Their Very Own

For years, Kevin and J were International Project鈥攖wo supported missionaries with a heart for internationals living in New York City. They were eager to add more missionaries to their team, but that process was slow-going. They started to host missionary trainings while they waited for full-time team members. The Equip Missionary Training Program, a one-year program focused on training cross-cultural church planters to start simple multiplying churches, is something they began in 2010 and continue to do today. Missions organizations from all over the country would send their new missionaries to the Kings for training鈥攂ut then they would leave, continuing on their journey to do missions across the globe. The Kings came to the realization that as long as they were missionaries sent by a larger agency, they would never have the focused support they needed for their unique missions strategy of reaching diaspora communities in the US. They needed all of the resources 鈥渋n house鈥� to recruit, train, and retain a team of missionaries committed to their same mission.

In 2012, International Project officially became a sending organization. This move brought renewed focus to their diaspora ministry and streamlined their ability to serve these communities in the ways in which they felt the Lord leading.

This decision opened the door for incredible opportunity and growth, but it also came with considerable challenges. Training, mobilization, HR, finances, and pastoral care are just a few of the time-consuming and weighty responsibilities that must smoothly run behind the scenes in order for missionaries to be well-supported to do their jobs well. The Kings鈥� schedules were already full with the ground work of missions, so in order to succeed as an independent ministry, they needed a lot more help. But where the workload increased, God provided the workers. International Project grew from just Kevin and J to about 40 missionaries in an eight-year period. In addition to these missionary workers, they have a ten-person operations and mobilization team to support this work.

Opportunities to Expand

Campus ministry is still a significant part of International Project鈥檚 strategic plan to reach unreached people groups in NYC and, by extension, around the world. They have an average of 15 different discovery Bible studies every week across two college campuses. But the campus ministry team, led by J, is only one of eight teams that International Project now sends out. They have five teams in New York City: the campus team, two teams reaching Arabs, a team reaching South Asian Muslims, and a team reaching South Asian Hindus. They have also expanded their ministry footprint past NYC. They have a team reaching the Hindu population in Dallas, TX, and they have two teams in Rome and Central Asia to minister to the immigrant and refugee populations entering Europe.

In addition to the missionary teams, International Project also runs two thrift stores and community center in Brooklyn, staffed with another 35 employees. Both of these locations offer practical resources to the community while serving a greater, spiritual purpose. They provide a no-cost public space for ministry to happen. They offer specially designed groups and programs for immigrants and refugees, as well as a wider number of services to the broader community such as food distribution and various communal groups like kitting and art groups. Physical space in New York City is costly, but this ministry platform has proven to be a worthy investment in the extension of International Project鈥檚 presence and impact in the city.

Serving as International Project President, Kevin works with all of these teams鈥攕etting organizational vision and goals and providing training and support to the workers. For a time during their ministry expansion, Kevin was running most of the internal operations of International Project, which pulled him away from the direct ministry. But now a 10-person operations team has taken up the majority of this work, allowing Kevin to lead the organization while continuing to do the work of ministry that he desires to spend his time on鈥攎issionary training, dinner table conversations, and walking side by side with those who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

Challenges to the Mission

International Project has had many causes for celebration in its three decades of operation鈥攂oth in terms of organizational growth and its participation in the spread of the gospel throughout the world. They have also faced significant challenges. Attrition is one of these challenges. This challenge is not unique to International Project but one which all missions organizations face: Missionaries leave. The work is hard, expectations are not met, family dynamics change priorities, and the list goes on. What makes attrition for International Project especially difficult is their location. Choosing to minister in a city means choosing to live in a small apartment with a lot more noise, a lot more trash, and a lot more people鈥攁ll at a lot higher of a cost.

鈥淩eaching unreached people groups used to mean going to live in a jungle or a village,鈥� said Kevin. 鈥淲hile these situations still exist, that paradigm of missions has quickly changed because the majority of people鈥攊ncluding the unreached鈥攏ow live in cities. The new sacrifice of missions is being willing to be stacked on top of each other.鈥�

Politics have also proven to be a continuing challenge to International Project鈥檚 mission. The Kings believe that God, who sovereignly rules over all things, is 鈥渄ivinely orchestrating global migration.鈥� But too often, the politics of immigration cloud the conversation of gospel ministry to the foreigner among us鈥攐ccasionally resulting in angry emails from those who conflate International Project鈥檚 mission to minister to the foreigner with their endorsement of any particular border policy. International Project鈥檚 focus is not on lobbying immigration policies but effectively building relationships and sharing the gospel with those God has brought to their neighborhoods, no matter what policies are in place. As Kevin said, 鈥淭his is an opportunity to reach the nations, regardless of politics. Our focus is not on one鈥檚 government status in the country but one鈥檚 spiritual status in the Kingdom of God.鈥�

A Continuing Work

It is hard to tell the story of International Project apart from the Kings. In many ways, it is their story. It has been 32 years since their pond-side wedding on Cairn鈥檚 campus, and for 30 of those years, they have worked side-by-side in a ministry that they built from the ground up. It鈥檚 a story they get to share, a legacy that deserves to be celebrated. But at the same time, we recognize that this is, ultimately, God鈥檚 story. Lord willing, International Project will continue to reach unreached people groups around the world long after the Kings are gone. And even if International Project, the 503c, were to end before the Lord鈥檚 return, the International Project鈥攖he Great Commission of bringing the gospel to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth鈥攚ould continue, because the Lord has said it to be so.

If you are interested in serving with International Project, visit .

*Identity hidden due to the sensitive nature of her ministry work.

What Does the FAFSA Do?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a governmental resource for college students seeking any form of student aid. These include grants, scholarships and forms of work study without repayment. This form is free to all students, making it easy to begin filling one out within a few clicks.
FAFSA is used by an average of 17 million students each year, all from different cultural and financial backgrounds. Upon completing the form, your information is shared with schools of your choice, allowing them to work with FAFSA鈥檚 information to create a potential offer of aid.

For the sake of preventing fraud and misuse of the form, the US Department of Education actively flags potentially dubious activity within FAFSA forms. This is a .gov website, meaning you don鈥檛 need to worry when submitting your personal information.

Most importantly, a completed FAFSA form is often required by many schools before you can receive school-granted scholarships. Schools use the information provided by FAFSA to determine an individual student鈥檚 financial eligibility.

What You Need to Have On Hand

You will need to submit several important personal documents, some of which you may need extra time to acquire. The official Student Financial Aid website provides this list of potentially necessary documents for the upcoming 2025-26 school year:

• Tax returns
• Records of child support received
• Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
• Net worth of investments, businesses, and farms
• Your parent鈥檚 SSN (if you are a dependent student)

Whether or not some of these documents are needed for your form depends on various factors, so it helps to have them handy, either for the current form or for later years.

As shown in the list of resources above, dependent students will need to provide the personal information of their parents. Some of this can be completed by the parents themselves on their own accounts, so long as you provide them with access on your form.

Update Annually

Your family’s financial situation may change during your years of study. Because of this, your eligibility for aid is assessed annually, and you will need to fill out a new FAFSA each year. Without an updated FAFSA, you will not be able to receive any amount of financial aid.

While your first time filling out the FAFSA may be more time-consuming than you expect, the process will be streamlined for later years since you will be largely updating only information that has seen changes since the last submission. Even if you decide to transfer schools at a later point, you can simply change the school listed on your FAFSA and carry over existing information.

Be Proactive and Submit Early

While the FAFSA form is free to submit, there are crucial deadlines involved. There is a unique deadline for your school or schools of interest, your state of legal residency, and the federal government. While the federal deadline is typically later than the other two, it is beneficial to get on top of filling out the form as soon as possible.

And in case you鈥檙e waiting for there to be a catch, don鈥檛 worry! By submitting your FAFSA form, you are not committing to every loan, scholarship, or grant that you are potentially offered. You will be able to accept or refuse any of the grants, scholarships, or loans included in your letter.

Here we go . . .

Filling out the FAFSA is straightforward, but you will need to keep the following steps in mind:
1. Create a .
2. Gather all important documents (see list from before) and ensure they are up to date.
3. Determine your dependency status.
4. Fill out the FAFSA (and have your parent fill out their part, if applicable).

The FAFSA form for the 2026鈥�27 year opens on October 1, 2025. Complete it with confidence at .

On Monday, September 29, 2025, Dr. Todd J. Williams, president and CEO of 天涯海角社区, and Dr. Adam J. Porcella, senior vice president and provost, were invited to testify before the U.S. Religious Liberty Commission.

The hearing was held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. The hearing included a tribute to Charlie Kirk and then shifted to a focus on religious liberty in education, bringing in the perspectives of public school faculty and faith leaders.

Dr. Williams testified as a guest on the third panel, 鈥淩eligious Liberty in Education: Protecting the Religious Identity and Autonomy of Faith-Based Schools,鈥� highlighting the vital role faith-based institutions of higher education play in preserving religious freedom.

The Religious Liberty Commission was by President Trump under Executive Order 14291 and is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, increasing awareness of and celebrating America鈥檚 peaceful religious pluralism, highlighting current threats to religious liberty, and developing strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations.

鈥淚t was a privilege to testify today to the president’s Religious Liberty Commission,” said Dr. Williams. “There are many good people doing good work to not only defend religious liberty but shape the conversation on the value of it for a free society.鈥�

天涯海角社区 is proud of Dr. Williams鈥� and Dr. Porcella鈥檚 leadership and contributions to a national dialogue on religious liberty. A recording of the event will be made available at

will be held as a follow-up to the September 8 hearing with President Trump. The hearing will include two parts: A Tribute to Charlie Kirk as a Man of Faith, and An Exploration of Religious Liberty in Education: Public School Faculty Perspectives and Faith Leader Perspectives. Dr. Williams and Dr. Porcella are invited to speak during the latter part of this event, which has an objective to 鈥渦nderstand the historic landscape of religious liberty in the educational setting, recognize present threats to religious liberty in education, and identify opportunities to secure religious liberty in this context for the future.鈥� As guests on the third panel, 鈥淩eligious Liberty in Education: Protecting the Religious Identity and Autonomy of Faith-Based Schools,鈥� Dr. Williams and Dr. Porcella will highlight the vital role faith-based institutions of higher education play in preserving religious freedom.

The Religious Liberty Commission will gather again on Monday, September 29, 2025, at 9 am. Those interested in watching the proceedings can watch it live at .

About the Religious Liberty Commission
The Religious Liberty Commission was by President Trump under Executive Order 14291 and is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, increasing awareness of and celebrating America鈥檚 peaceful religious pluralism, highlighting current threats to religious liberty, and developing strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations.