Nasfaa's Off The Cuff Podcast

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.

This week on "Off the Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA Senior Policy Analyst Jill Desjean and NASFAA U Instructor David Tolman to break down the latest on gainful employment as the Department of Education’s (ED) negotiated rulemaking committee once again tackles the topic. David and Justin then discuss disbursing Title IV aid for a completed payment period and what aid offices need to know to avoid any pitfalls. Justin also brings in Owen for a quick recap of NASFAA’s Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo, along with news out of ED of more targeted student loan debt relief for borrower defense claims.

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 go over all that’s on Congress’ agenda as it returns from winter break, headlined by a Supreme Court vacancy and tensions abroad. The full legislative docket likely means the Build Back Better legislation will be pushed to the backburner, and the group discusses what impact that could have on higher education programs. Justin and Jon also talk about how a potential new rule from the Department of Labor could impact financial aid administrators. Karen then touches on two new pieces of legislation that deal with student loans and the federal Pell Grant and the path forward for those bills before Owen gives an update on a new report looking into the Department of Education’s (ED) plan to restart student loan payments and ED’s higher education priorities for the year ahead. 

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin is joined by Dr. Sandy Baum, a nonresident senior fellow for the Center on Education Data and Policy at the Urban Institute, as they discuss higher education priorities and how in a world of limited resources the federal government can best allocate and target spending. The conversation touches on free community college, debt forgiveness, doubling the Pell Grant, and dives into which of these investments could have the biggest impact on students. Justin and Sandy also cover topical higher education news like recent issues surrounding institutional accountability, student loan repayment plans, and more. Hugh then provides an update on some of the biggest financial aid news on the student loan portfolio, remarks from Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, and highlights profiles of our latest Diversity Leadership Program class.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA Senior Policy Analyst Jill Desjean and NASFAA U Instructor David Tolman, who give listeners an update on a number of regulatory issues. Jill and David provide insight on some questions from NASFAA members concerning the HEERF annual reporting form, regulatory assistance issues concerning institutions packaging  students for 2022-23 award year, setting costs of attendance, and preparations for tuition and assistance for the upcoming academic year. Hugh then provides a quick recap on some of the biggest higher education news of the week, with highlights from the Department of Education’s ongoing negotiated rulemaking sessions, updates on issues concerning the student loan portfolio, higher education enrollment trends, 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 dive into their predictions concerning higher education’s political landscape for 2022. The group covers Build Back Better’s pathway, congressional dynamics on spending bills, the pandemic’s continued impact on higher education, the potential wind-down of the federal student loan moratorium, and more. Hugh also provides an update on congressional Republicans’ efforts to question the Department of Education on its usage of temporary waivers for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, a recap of NASFAA’s article detailing financial aid staffing shortages, as well as a quick resource update on next week’s negotiated rulemaking session.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA’s 2021-22 National Chair Brent Tener and Beth Maglione, NASFAA’s executive vice president. The three dive into conversation surrounding professional experience, NASFAA’s operations, and experiences working with a variety of higher education institutions. The discussion also centers on the most current higher education news, student aid operations, a number of federal policies impacting financial aid, and how the long-lasting impacts of the pandemic are shaping the sector. Hugh also provides a recap of the latest higher education news this week with some handy resources for subscribers to catch up on some of the biggest news stories from 2021.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA’s Vice President of Professional Development & Institutional Compliance Dana Kelly and Shannon Crossland, executive director of student financial aid & scholarships at Texas Tech University. The group discusses Shannon’s career path in financial aid and how administrators can develop and advance in the profession. Shannon shares insight into what skills are valuable as a financial aid director and Dana details the various NASFAA offerings to help administrators develop and grow in the field. Owen wraps up the podcast with a news rundown covering Congress’ end of year activity and a brief recap from the recently completed negotiated rulemaking committee on student loans and affordability.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA Policy Analyst Jill Desjean and NASFAA U Instructor David Tolman to give listeners an update on the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement (ASLA) and regulatory takeaways from the annual Federal Student Aid Training Conference. David and Justin discuss the Top Audit and Program Review Findings session from the conference, with Return of Title IV Funds topping the list. Owen then gives a quick update on the state of government funding through the new year, as well as what a new negotiating rulemaking committee will discuss when they gather in January.

On this episode of "Off The Cuff," Justin and Karen are joined by Jon Fansmith, the American Council on Education's assistant vice president for government relations, to help break down the latest on the end-of-year activity on Capitol Hill. The group also discusses a recent hearing with Department of Education Under Secretary James Kvaal where lawmakers were briefed on how the COVID-19 Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund allocations are being spent. Plus, the group recaps the highlights from a busy week at the annual Federal Student Aid Training Conference.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by three financial aid professionals who discuss how their offices plan to operate as we transition into 2022 where higher education, like many sectors, begins to approach a resumption of pre-pandemic operations. Tune in hear firsthand from our guests — Tyler Pruett, director of financial aid at Samuel Merritt University and Melissa Kunes, an assistant vice president for undergraduate education and executive director of the Office of Student Aid at The Pennsylvania State University — how financial aid offices are implementing new remote, hybrid, and in-person work policies. The three discuss their institutions’ plans in the months ahead, and share their thoughts on how the sector will approach a post-pandemic landscape. Plus, Hugh has a recap of the latest higher education and financial aid news.

This week on "Off the Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA Policy Analyst Jill Desjean and NASFAA U Instructor David Tolman to catch members up on updates from the Department of Education. Specifically, Jill highlights new agency recommendations concerning updated guidance on institutional aid offers and David details new academic calendar formats and how institutions are navigating structures that don’t clearly fit quarter or semester structures. Hugh then has a quick update on what the NASFAA team is following on the student loan front, as well as the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda as it makes its way through Congress.

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin and Karen are joined by the American Council on Education’s Assistant Vice President for Government Relations Jon Fansmith. The group kicks things off by detailing what higher education provisions have made the cut for President Joe Biden’s most recent Build Back Better framework. Karen then provides some fodder about the ongoing negotiated rulemaking process, and Hugh has a quick outlook on what NASFAA is tracking when it comes to these big policy debates, detailing how the process might play out.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by Michael Stratford, an education reporter at Politico, to discuss all things student loans and federal financial aid. The two break down key differences between the Biden and Obama administrations’ higher education agendas before covering how the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) is being run under Richard Cordray — and how FSA is handling student loan servicers. Michael then details his reporting on the Department of Education’s plan to restart student loan payments after what will be a nearly two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by Emma Crawford, manager of financial aid and financial wellness at the University of Wisconsin, where she works with medical students advising them on financial budgeting and creating a plan to pay off their student loans. Along with University of Wisconsin medical student Chris Rufus Sweeney, the group discusses the financial wellness course they helped launch at Wisconsin, the impact it’s had, and how students are utilizing the information to help budget for paying their student loans. Plus, Owen and Justin recap the latest higher education and financial aid news.