In an effort to support college affordability in the region, the New England Board of Higher Education initiated the "Redesigning Student Aid in New England" project ("Redesigning Aid") in 2014. Funded by Lumina Foundation, "Redesigning Aid" combined custom state financial aid research with expertise of national experts and regional practitioners to support states committed to analyzing and redesigning state financial aid programs and policies. Three New England states were selected for participation in "Redesigning Aid" through a competitive request for proposal process: Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. All six New England states were represented on the project's Regional Advisory Council. Five insights from the project are: (1) State goals and student needs have dramatically shifted, but the design and characteristics of state financial aid programs have not; (2) Higher education leaders can help ensure that legislative interest in college affordability is an opportunity--if they are prepared to respond to it; (3) Share responsibility for students' and families' understanding of college affordability by involving students in the design of communications; (4) High-touch or intrusive student services are instrumental in helping students navigate financial aid, and they do not necessarily need to be expensive; and (5) States need greater capacity to collect, maintain, and analyze data. Recommended actions for higher education leaders are provided.