Nasfaa's Off The Cuff Podcast

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin and Karen are joined by Jon Fansmith, the American Council on Education's assistant vice president for government relations, to discuss the Department of Education’s planned rollout of student loan debt cancellation, lawsuits looking to halt the action, and what we expect to happen next. The discussion then turned to what implications the upcoming midterm elections could have on higher education. Hugh then updates listeners on the latest news, including a potential state tax on student loan cancellation and the newly released cohort default rate for fiscal year 2019.

This week on "Off the Cuff," Allie, Jill, and David discuss some congressional activity on student loan reform and field questions surrounding Operation ‘Fresh Start’ as well as some frameworks that financial aid officers can follow. Hugh then shares recent news from the White House and ED related to the Biden administration’s debt cancellation plan, and provides additional details on how student loan reform legislation could be impacted by the upcoming midterm elections.

This week on a special episode of “Off the Cuff,” Justin is joined by Karen and Megan to discuss the Biden administration’s “Fresh Start” initiative that aims to provide a pathway for delinquent and defaulted borrowers to reenter repayment in good standing. The team digs into specific questions they’ve posed to the Department of Education concerning the program’s implementation and provides updates highlighting where things stand today and what details are expected to be clarified in the weeks and months ahead.

This week on a special episode of “Off the Cuff,” Justin is joined by Karen, Rachel, Megan, and Hugh to work through President Joe Biden’s announcement that he is canceling $10,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers and extending the pause on payments and interest accrual for federally-held student loans until Dec. 31, 2022. The team goes through the mechanics of the executive action, lays out some public opinion polls, sorts through the initial reactions, and asks a number of implementation questions that are beginning to surface. The team also provides listeners with a number of resources, and details what they will be looking for in terms of pending guidance from the administration.

This week on a special episode of “Off The Cuff,” Justin is joined by Andy Brantley, president and CEO at CUPA-HR, and Anthony Jones, executive director of scholarships and financial aid at the University of Utah, to discuss employee retention within the higher education sector, with a focus on financial aid offices. The group dives into some recent survey data, position classification systems, and also walks through one office’s experience going through the reclassification process. Andy and Anthony also share their expertise with listeners on how to approach annual budgets and office operations.

This week on "Off the Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA Senior Policy Analyst Jill Desjean and NASFAA U Instructor David Tolman to discuss regulatory updates from the Department of Education (ED) that directly impact the Pell Grant program and FAFSA guidance. Jill walks members through the latest news concerning updates coming to the FAFSA, impacts of early implementation provisions, as well as what’s coming down the road for the 2024-25 award year. David then provides details on the terminology behind the “Pell Recalculation Date,” and highlights some confusion members have had on the topic. Hugh then shares some recent news from the NASFAA 2022 Virtual Conference and new data indicating that FAFSA completions are on the rise.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin and Karen are joined by Jon Fansmith, the American Council on Education's assistant vice president for government relations, to discuss some key takeaways from the NASFAA 2022 National Conference. The team shares their highlights from their time in Austin and discusses their takeaways from NASFAA’s first in-person national conference since 2019. Jon then provides an update on Congress’ summer agenda with details on the annual appropriations process and how higher education programs are faring in congressional negotiations. Karen then dives into some updates from the Department of Education (ED) concerning the negotiated rulemaking process and some developments related to borrower defense. The team then covers how recent Supreme Court actions could reshape the White House’s regulatory authority. Plus, Hugh shares some news coverage from our national conference.

This week in a special edition of “Off The Cuff,” Justin is joined by U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary James Kvaal to discuss the administration's higher education priorities. Kvaal spoke during NASFAA’s 2022 national conference in Austin and provided financial aid administrators with key insight into ED’s approach to addressing a host of challenges imposed by the pandemic. During the conversation, Kvaal answered questions from NASFAA members related to student loan forgiveness and repayment, forthcoming regulations, institutional quality and gainful employment, college affordability, and more.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin and Karen are joined by Jon Fansmith, the American Council on Education's assistant vice president for government relations, to discuss the latest news from the Department of Education (ED) concerning borrower defense claims against Corinthian Colleges, Inc. The team discusses the Biden administration’s efforts to implement targeted loan cancellation and whether the discussion over the potential for broad scale cancellation has overshadowed ED’s recent actions to provide relief to defrauded borrowers. Jon then updates listeners on ED’s promotion of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and whether enough outreach is being conducted to make borrowers aware of the available limited waiver. The team rounds things out with some questions they would consider asking Under Secretary James Kvaal, who later this month will be at the NASFAA national conference in Austin. Hugh then catches listeners up with a brief news recap concerning ED’s updated roadmap for the next g

This week on "Off The Cuff," Allie fills in for Justin and is joined by NASFAA Senior Policy Analyst Jill Desjean and NASFAA U Instructor David Tolman to discuss the latest news out of the Department of Education (ED) concerning verification waivers. David has the latest information members should be aware of and how ED’s temporary changes will impact financial aid offices, plus some “verification 101” tips for schools looking to stay in compliance. Jill then runs listeners through the ever-expanding web of decision-making the Biden administration is working through when it comes to potential student loan cancellation and some of the policy implications that will significantly impact how the relief could be administered. Hugh then joins in to update listeners on NASFAA’s comprehensive white paper examining the shortcomings of the student loan system.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin and Karen are joined by Jon Fansmith, the American Council on Education's assistant vice president for government relations, to discuss the latest news surrounding the potential for broader student loan debt relief that the White House is actively examining, and the wide-ranging implications executive action could have on higher education financing. Karen also reminds listeners about an important May 6 deadline for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and provides some helpful guidance on the process. Hugh rounds things out by providing a recap of some of the week’s higher education news, with some concerning numbers on FAFSA renewals and a new report detailing how policymakers can go about promoting more equitable degree completions.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by Kevin Carey, vice president for education policy and knowledge management at New America where he also directs the education policy program, for a wide-ranging conversation covering structural reforms needed for higher education, and how policy choices can improve institutional accountability for student outcomes. Justin and Kevin specifically cover hazards surrounding student loan debt and repayment programs, the evolution of those programs, how college accountability has been shaped through regulation, and more. Hugh then breaks down the latest higher education news, covering the Department of Education’s updates on the Second Chance Pell Program, Democrats seeking insight on the department's plans for its “fresh start” initiative, and the latest coverage on congressional appropriators questioning the White House’s budget request for higher education programs.

This week on "Off the Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA Senior Policy Analyst Jill Desjean and NASFAA U Instructor David Tolman to discuss new guidelines for institutions regarding transcript withholding along with the latest federal and state level developments concerning  the practice.  David then dives into answering questions on crossover payment periods, specifically how it impacts the summer term. Owen then gives a rundown of the latest news, highlighted by the Department of Education’s announcement that changes to income-driven repayment (IDR) would make more borrowers eligible for forgiveness, plus a new study showing millions of borrowers at risk of default when the pause on student loan payments comes to an end.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by longtime financial aid professional Mary Sommers, director of financial aid at the University of Nebraska, Kearney, to walk through her experience sharing student data and to discuss how schools should be thinking about these requests. Mary and Justin dive deep into the potential pitfalls regarding student privacy as it comes to data sharing. Owen then breaks down the latest higher education news, headlined by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) latest comments on student loan forgiveness and a recent announcement from the Department of Education that it would be reviewing and improving its verification model.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Allie fills in for Justin and is joined by Karen, Owen, and Jon Fansmith, the American Council on Education's assistant vice president for government relations, to discuss the news of the Biden administration once again extending the pause on federally-held student loan payments and interest accrual, this time extending the relief through August 31. The group also breaks down what the “fresh start” will mean for borrowers who entered the payment pause with loans in default. Jon and Karen then dive into President Joe Biden’s recently released budget proposal and what it includes for higher education, highlighted by a plan to double the maximum Pell Grant award by 2029.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by Dr. Ellie Bruecker, a senior research associate at the Seldin /Haring-Smith Foundation, to dive deep into the growing trend of states requiring FAFSA completion for high school graduation and what it means for postsecondary enrollment. Bruecker shares insights from data collected during her dissertation on the topic and touches on the costs and benefits of the policy, as well as how higher education enrollment trends can be impacted by student access to information surrounding the costs of a given program. Justin then brings in Hugh to recap some of the latest news concerning the negotiated rulemaking committee, and a new policy out of ED that aims to keep corporate owners of private colleges on the hook for paying student loan discharges following school closures. 

This week on "Off the Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA Senior Policy Analyst Jill Desjean and NASFAA U Instructor David Tolman to discuss some significant updates to HEERF reporting, with the Department of Education recently making changes to the Quarterly Budget and Expenditures Report, as well as changes to the clock hour-to-credit hour conversion formula related to distance learning final rules. Justin then brings in Hugh to recap some of the latest news concerning the ongoing negotiated rulemaking committee, enactment of the fiscal year 2022 spending bill, and coverage of the student loan moratorium.

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin is joined by Scott Buchanan, Student Loan Servicing Alliance’s (SLSA) executive director, to discuss the somewhat contentious environment facing the student loan servicing industry as well as its role within the highly complicated world of higher education financing. The conversation is a deep dive about where student loan servicing stands today, how the Department of Education (ED) is handling the communication efforts surrounding the payment pause, what the eventual resumption of repayments looks like, critiques of the servicing industry, and much more. Hugh then provides a news recap including Congress’ work on a massive omnibus bill and its implications for higher education, how the administration is highlighting the one-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan, and hints that the administration might be considering another extension of the student loan moratorium.

This week on “Off the Cuff,” Justin and Karen are joined by Jon Fansmith, the American Council on Education's assistant vice president for government relations, to recap President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and discuss the speech’s implications for the administration's higher education agenda. The team then dives into additional administrative priorities, with Karen highlighting the impact of the White House’s extension of the national emergency declaration, as well as other pressing issues concerning the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and the practice of transcript withholding. Hugh then provides a recap of some higher education news, including a recent hearing hosted by a House Education and Labor subcommittee, an update from FSA on the processing time of payment counts for PSLF borrowers, as well as a recent settlement Navient made with a group of state attorneys general.

This week on "Off the Cuff," NASFAA’s Managing Editor and founding podcast member Allie Arcese fills in for Justin as she and Staff Reporter Owen Daugherty discuss the best career advice they’ve received before hearing from members about what advice they’ve carried with them and what they would tell someone just getting their start in financial aid. Owen then catches listeners up with the latest higher education news from the White House and the Office of Federal Student Aid. If you didn’t get the chance to share some advice with us, it’s not too late! Send your thoughts and advice — we'd love to hear what you think.