Purdue’s Heidi Carl earns 2026 NASFAA Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Heidi Carl, assistant vice provost and executive director of the Division of Financial Aid at Purdue University, has received the 2026 Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). The award is one of the highest honors NASFAA bestows, recognizing Carl for her significant contributions to the organization’s goals.

Carl recently completed her national chair year for NASFAA and until July 2027 serves as past national chair, where she works closely with the president and staff to determine the organization’s priorities. She also works to advance NASFAA’s mission through professional development opportunities and resources to assist financial aid administrators and advocates for public policies, expanding student access to postsecondary education.

“Purdue is extremely fortunate to have had Heidi representing the university at the national level, and no one is more deserving of this recognition,” said Cherise Hall, Purdue’s vice provost for enrollment management. “Heidi has worked diligently throughout her career to advocate for financial aid administrators and carve a path for future leaders in higher education. She has made an undeniable impact across the country, especially during one of the most challenging times we’ve seen in recent financial aid history.”

Carl has been a member of NASFAA throughout her career. She also served on NASFAA’s board of directors as the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) regional representative, as chair of the Career Path Awareness for Financial Aid Administrators Thought Force, and as past president of the MASFAA and Indiana Student Financial Aid Association. She joined Purdue in 2019.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a research institution ranked among the top 10 public universities in the United States. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. As a land-grant university committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free.