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NASFAA's Off the Cuff Podcast

Hosted by NASFAA staff, this weekly podcast offers an unscripted view of hot financial aid and higher education-related topics. Justin Draeger and co-hosts will discuss what's happening inside the beltway to give you an insider's perspective.
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Now displaying: 2016
Dec 15, 2016

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Stephen, and Allie recap news from the past week, including a letter NASFAA sent to ED about FAFSA applicants who have not filed taxes, the Department of Education's decision to finalize the revocation of ACICS' federal recognition, and its new student loan counseling experiment. Justin and Stephen also discuss a report from the Congressional Budget Office with some concerning recommendations on how to reduce federal spending. Plus, Allie shares a strange encounter in the St. Louis airport, and Justin tells us about a rogue, self-driving Uber car. Have a happy holiday season, and thank you for all you do for students and the profession. We'll see you in 2017!

Dec 8, 2016

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Stephen, and Allie are joined by Karen McCarthy, NASFAA's director of policy analysis, who discusses the highlights from the recent Federal Student Aid Training Conference for Financial Aid Professionals. The team is also joined by Liz Clark, director of federal affairs at NACUBO, who shares her thoughts on why college endowments are seeing a spike in scrutiny from lawmakers and President-Elect Donald Trump. Plus, Stephen shares his experience watching members of Congress compete for new offices, and Justin tells us why Facebook isn't "cool" anymore. 

Dec 1, 2016

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Stephen, and Allie discuss what a Betsy DeVos tenure as Education Secretary could mean for higher education policy. Justin and Stephen examine the future of DACA under the Trump administration, and Allie breaks down a recent GAO report looking into the costs associated with income-driven repayment plans. Plus, Justin gives a few updates from the Federal Student Aid Training Conference for Financial Aid Professionals, and Stephen takes on fake news on Facebook.

Nov 22, 2016

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin and Stephen explain the history of the Congressional Review Act, and the potential for Congress to roll back several of President Obama's regulations, including a few tied to student aid and higher education. Stephen also explains the ins and outs of what could happen for some of these regulations with an upcoming budget deal. Plus, Allie and Justin recap details from the Department of Education's release of some gainful employment data, and news on improper payments within the Pell Grant and Direct Loan programs. NASFAA wishes everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Thank you for all you do for your students and for the profession!

Nov 14, 2016

This week on "Off The Cuff," the team discusses the surprising results of last week's presidential election, and what we can expect to see for higher education policy under a Trump administration. Justin, Stephen, and Allie talk about who might become the next Secretary of Education, and how the election will affect Congress as it pushes toward reauthorizing the Higher Education Act. Plus, new FAFSA data highlights some promising results, and Stephen shares his experience trying out for "The Price Is Right." Tune in to find out if he made it on the show!

Nov 7, 2016

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin and Megan discuss higher education and the presidential election with POLITICO reporter Michael Stratford. Michael shares what it's like to be a reporter in Washington, DC during an election year, and gives us his predictions on what's to come for higher education policy under a Clinton presidency and a Trump presidency. Justin and Megan touch on developments surrounding the Department of Education's state authorization regulations and letters of support for the Pell Grant Program. Plus, Megan shares that while Hillary Clinton could become the first female U.S. president, a surprising number of women have run for the top position.

Nov 1, 2016

This week on "Off The Cuff," the NASFAA policy team debriefs on how higher education is playing into state elections and Megan shares the highlights from NASFAA's new white paper on Early FAFSA and prior-prior year implementation. The team gives a rundown of the Department of Education's recently released borrower defense regulations and its Pell Grant restoration proposal. Plus, in a list of history's most unusual ballot referenda, there's one from California that has Megan scratching her head.

Oct 27, 2016

This week on “Off The Cuff,” NASFAA’s policy team gets into the nitty gritty of Public Service Loan Forgiveness with special guest Jason Delisle, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. While Jason argues the program casts too wide of a net and could come at an extremely high cost to taxpayers, Justin and Megan wonder whether administrative issues could prevent some borrowers from qualifying.

Oct 20, 2016

This week on "Off the Cuff," reporter Brittany Hackett joins the policy team to discuss new findings on student loan debt and the potential for borrowers to re-default from two new reports out this week. Director of Policy Analysis Karen McCarthy chimes in to talk about issues with new verification documentation for non-tax filers. Plus, Brittany gets excited about Vice President Joe Biden's upcoming debut on "Jay Leno's Garage."

Oct 13, 2016

This week on "Off the Cuff," the NASFAA policy team discusses error 399 codes and FAFSA filing numbers. Megan and Stephen discuss the new teacher preparation rules and how they might predict accountability metrics in a future Higher Education Act reauthorization. Plus, the team takes a look at public opinion about higher education – through the eyes of Jimmy Kimmel – and a young girl gets an unexpected college promise.

 

Oct 6, 2016

This week on "Off the Cuff," NASFAA's policy team analyzes initial response to Early FAFSA, looks ahead to the release of federal Pell Grant schedules, and reviews the recent Vice Presidential debate. Stephen shares highlights from graduate and professional members' trip to Capitol Hill, and Megan analyzes the costs and benefits of participating in the Department of Education's loan counseling experiment. Plus, is Stephen pulling night shifts at a clown college?

Sep 28, 2016

In this week's episode of "Off the Cuff," NASFAA's policy team rehashes the first presidential debate and discusses the changing conversation around the student loan crisis. Megan gives an overview of NASFAA's FAFSA simplification blitz on the Hill and the release of Early FAFSA. Justin reminisces about his last ride on the Capitol subway 30 years ago. Plus, Stephen shares his encounter with some surprising lobbyists on Capitol Hill.

Sep 23, 2016

The policy team discusses federal action taken against ACICS. Stephen voices his frustration with presidential debates, Justin offers solutions to federal budgeting woes, and Megan highlights the weirdness that is DC metro’s "Lost & Found." Plus, the new Trump hotel in DC is offering wine by the spoonful?!

 

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