This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Joelle, and Erin celebrate the podcast’s  three year anniversary before diving into impeachment and what that means for student aid. Erin catches the group up on the recently released national cohort default rate — and why it is not the best measure of institutional success — and Joelle details a court filing revealing that the Department of Education erroneously collected on former Corinthian students’ loans. Justin delves into an opinion article about reforming remedial education, and questions the group about whether success in life is due more to one’s luck or skill. Plus, the team poses a new question for our listeners: what was your favorite birthday?

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Rachel, Jill, Erin, and Joelle discuss the possibility of a scaled back Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bill, and legislation to improve institutions' award offer forms. Rachel catches the group up on the Senate’s fiscal year 2020 bill to fund education programs and how it differs from the House’s proposal, and Justin and Jill delve into a hearing on implementation issues within the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Joelle also discusses breaking news involving unsealed documents from a court case against a federal loan servicer, and the team poses a new listener question (and shares their own experiences): What’s the best and/or worst career advice you’ve ever received?

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Allie, Jill, and Rachel catch up on the latest news with the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal, which includes an upcoming Lifetime movie event. Jill breaks down the details of the Department of Education's final draft of the College Financing Plan and how it differs from the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, while Rachel debriefs us on a congressional hearing focused on student loan servicing. Allie dives into the latest news with outcomes for the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and Justin and Rachel break down progress with the federal budget. Plus, the team shares their best productivity hacks, and poses a new question to listeners: What is the best cupcake flavor?

In a special episode of "Off The Cuff," NASFAA President Justin Draeger interviews Ken Bradford of the Louisiana Department of Education. The state of Louisiana has in recent years garnered additional attention in the K-12 and higher education communities for requiring high school seniors to complete the FAFSA in order to graduate, as part of a larger financial aid planning requirement. Bradford, the assistant superintendent in the Office of Student Opportunities, shares in the interview how the state Department of Education brought together several stakeholders to develop a plan and provide the necessary support for students and families before implementing the requirement. Listen on to hear more of Ken's insights on outcomes from the first two years with the requirement in place, solutions for unique student circumstances, and advice for other states considering making a similar move. "Off The Cuff" will return to its regularly-scheduled content this Friday with a new episode!

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by some familiar NASFAA guests, such as Joelle and Jill, and some new voices from NASFAA, like Director of Communications Erin Powers and Assistant Director of Federal Relations Rachel Gentry, as the podcast returns from a summer hiatus with plenty of updates from August. The group looks back at news that broke over the summer involving legal guardianship, and the controversy surrounding the newest employee at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Rachel catches the group up on the president’s two-year budget deal, and discusses what’s coming down the road as lawmakers in the House and Senate work to pass their spending bills and reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). Plus, keep an eye out for a special edition of “Off The Cuff” in which Justin discusses Louisiana’s efforts to require that all high schoolers complete the FAFSA to graduate.