This week on a special edition of "Off The Cuff," the group breaks down the bipartisan year-end spending package that includes additional pandemic relief for higher education as well as a number of other higher education-related policy changes, including simplifying the FAFSA, increasing the maximum Pell Grant award and expanding the program to incarcerated students, and giving financial aid offices more flexibility in professional judgment (PJ) cases during a national emergency. Skip to 8:40 to get straight to the policy discussion, where the team provides insight into what the spending package means for financial aid offices. Thanks for listening to "Off The Cuff" this year and we hope you’ll join us for more episodes in 2021!
This week on a special edition of "Off The Cuff," the group does a deep dive on the state of FAFSA simplification, providing a look at NASFAA's involvement, highlighting ongoing advocacy work on this topic, and examining how it has impacted FAFSA legislation up to this point. Karen gives a summary of the House and Senate bills that are being considered before Megan and Justin discuss the state of play on Capitol Hill and the chance that FAFSA simplification legislation makes its way into a must-pass year-end government funding bill.
This week on "Off The Cuff," the team discusses a positive development from each of their Thanksgivings before Justin and Allie unpack the latest from Federal Student Aid's annual training conference, touching on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' remarks where she denounced free college proposals and student debt forgiveness. Justin then covers an update from the conference on verification rates. Jill highlights the conference's focus on cybersecurity measures for financial aid offices and Megan provides an update on where spending bills and a COVID-19 relief package stand on Capitol Hill, as well as the potential for FAFSA simplification legislation to make progress.
This week on "Off The Cuff," Jill kicks things off by highlighting the latest developments a recent court ruling has had on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Allie provides an update on NASFAA’s Advocacy Pipeline and recaps our first-ever virtual Advocacy Pipeline event, where graduate and professional aid administrators recently met with congressional staffers. Justin delves into NASFAA’s advocacy surrounding the efforts to “Double the Pell” and what sort of internal policy discussions are going on at NASFAA to urge congressional leaders to provide students with additional federal resources through the Pell Grant program. Megan then dives into the higher education policies that NASFAA has been discussing with President-Elect Joe Biden’s transition team and NASFAA’s priorities for the new administration and the incoming Congress. Plus, the group wants to know: What are some things that you’re convinced people only pretend to enjoy?
This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin kicks things off by highlighting where things stand in the presidential transition process and what implications that transition could have for the Department of Education with President-Elect Joe Biden reshaping the agency. Megan dives into how congressional leaders are approaching an impending spending deadline and what NASFAA members should be on the lookout for when it comes to these massive appropriations packages. Jill highlights what a Biden administration could mean for debt forgiveness and also gives members a preview of new guidance from ED on requirements for institutions when it comes to foreign gift reporting. Plus, the group wants to know what happened in the past week that really caught your attention.
This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin dives into the takeaways from the presidential election results, which as of the podcast’s recording was still undecided, and what it all means for a number of higher education issues like FAFSA simplification and Higher Education Act reauthorization. Megan delves into what is slated for the lame duck session of Congress and ongoing spending talks, and Justin touts a letter NASFAA signed onto that urged the Department of Education (ED) to extend and expand the current student loan repayment relief, which currently expires on December 31. Jill then talks about changing guidance on R2T4 waivers. Plus, the group takes a guess as to how each member tuned into coverage of election night and wants to know if you were glued to social media and network coverage, or if you spent the night relaxing.
This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin tries to recruit Megan, Allie, and Karen to join his movement to get rid of changing the clocks for daylight saving time. Justin and Megan then dive into what higher education priorities President Donald Trump could focus on in his second term if re-elected and what Vice President Joe Biden would look to accomplish should he win the White House. Allie talks about a recent article detailing Democrats’ higher education agenda for the next congressional term, and Megan and Karen discuss what to expect regarding the Department of Education’s enforcement of foreign gifts reporting. Plus, the group discusses their childhood fears and if they’ve overcome them.
This week on “Off The Cuff” Justin, Megan, Allie, and Karen kick things off by toasting to Financial Aid Day and NASFAA Member Appreciation Day before Megan provides an update on the latest in the incremental narrowing of negotiations into additional coronavirus relief legislation, and highlights a new report from the Department of Education (ED) on foreign gift reporting. Justin then recaps a recent opinion from a federal judge blasting Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over the department’s processing of borrower defense claims. Karen provides an update on ED’s Coronavirus Indicator and what administrators should be on the lookout for in terms of reporting. The group also talks about some recent life hacks they’ve tackled and want to know if you’ve recently acquired any. Send us recommendations on new ways to improve our daily schedules!
This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Allie, and Karen talk about what Halloween in their neighborhoods will look like this year due to changes caused by COVID-19 before Megan and Justin give an update on the latest regarding congressional negotiations over additional coronavirus aid to institutions. Allie then talks about a recent study that found Black student loan borrowers are more likely to never be able to pay off their student debt compared to their peers, and Karen covers a recent Department of Education webinar detailing new reporting requirements for institutions who received CARES Act funds. The group also talks proper email etiquette — so send in your do’s and don’ts of email greetings and signoffs.
This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin is joined by special guest Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who is set to retire at the end of the year after serving three terms in the Senate. Alexander talks about his final push to get a FAFSA simplification bill through Congress, as well as his plans for retirement. Justin, Megan, and Allie then welcome Karen McCarthy from NASFAA’s policy team to discuss highlights from the vice presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Vice President Mike Pence and an overview of NASFAA’s recent professional judgment survey. Plus, the group reminisces about sharing microphones in the office for podcast recordings in pre-pandemic times.
This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, and Jill welcome NASFAA staff reporter Owen Daugherty to the podcast and dive into the state of play for ongoing congressional negotiations over additional coronavirus aid to institutions of higher education. Skip to 8:15 to get straight to the policy discussion where the team recaps Tuesday night’s first presidential debate. Also on this episode, Owen highlights the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid's draft strategic 2020-24 plan and Jill delves into the release of the 2021-22 FAFSA , highlighting what can be expected for the current year. Plus the group reminds members that NASFAA’s Diversity Leadership Program (DLP) application deadline has been extended to Wednesday, October 14 and encourages those who meet eligibility criteria to apply!
This week on “Off The Cuff,” Allie, Megan, and Jill delve into what implications the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the upcoming SCOTUS confirmation process could have on higher education. Allie details a number of recent court cases and spells out how the ideological dynamics of the court could shift on a number of high profile decisions for the court’s upcoming session. Megan provides an update on Congress’ legislative agenda, highlighting the state of ongoing negotiations into additional COVID-19 relief efforts and what comes next for a continuing resolution that could prevent a government shutdown at the end of this month. Finally, Jill details the latest announcement from the Department of Education concerning Phase II of the Common Origination and Disbursement System implementation of the coronavirus indicator for return of Title IV funds waivers. Plus, it's the podcast's fourth birthday this weekend!
This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie return after a brief summer hiatus as they cover the Senate hearing on FAFSA simplification, discussing past efforts and the chances of any FAFSA-related legislation being included in any upcoming bills. Allie details the latest bipartisan proposal aimed at providing additional COVID-19 relief before the upcoming November election and Megan provides an update on a continuing resolution making its way through Congress before funding expires at the end of September. Finally, Jill details a recent report from the Department of Education’s internal watchdog regarding implementation and oversight of the CARES Act. Plus, the group catches up on life events that took place over the past few weeks.
In a special episode of "Off The Cuff" featuring authors from NASFAA's recent 10-paper series on simplifying and improving the FAFSA, Justin speaks with Ben Miller of the Center for American Progress, Jen Mishory of The Century Foundation, and Robert Kelchen of Seton Hall University. With the FAFSA's 30th "birthday" approaching in 2022, the group discusses how the application can be adjusted to fulfill its original purpose — streamlining the application for federal aid — how it would fit in a world with free college, and how it can better reflect the true need of applicants by allowing for a negative expected family contribution. Be sure to read all of the 10 papers in the series, and send us your questions, comments, and feedback for when we return with regularly scheduled episodes in September!
On a special episode of “Off The Cuff,” Justin is joined by 2020-21 NASFAA National Chair Brenda Hicks, who serves as the director of financial aid at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. Justin and Brenda discuss her background in admissions and what led her to financial aid, the obstacles she has faced since becoming national chair, and provide advice to administrators on how to navigate an unprecedented year due to the continued disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus. Keep an eye out for more special episodes throughout the month of August!
On a special episode of “Off The Cuff,” Megan is joined by Carrie Warick from the National College Attainment Network and Mark Wiederspan of Iowa College Aid to dive into their contributions to NASFAA’s series of 10 papers that provide policy recommendations to help streamline the FAFSA, with a specific focus on verification. Carrie discusses her paper — co-authored with Raymond AlQaisi and Bill DeBaun — which detailed the relationship between verification and Pell Grant award change. Mark provides insight into his paper — co-authored with Meghan Oster and Stephen DesJardins — about how verification can act as a stumbling block for low-income students. Megan also asks the two authors what the perfect FAFSA verification process would look like. Keep an eye out for more special episodes from our FAFSA paper series throughout the month of August!
On a special episode of “Off the Cuff,” Megan is joined by Sandy Baum from the Urban Institute and Lauren Walizer from the Center for Law and Social Policy to discuss their contributions to NASFAA’s series of 10 papers that provide policy recommendations to help streamline the FAFSA. Lauren discusses her paper — co-authored by Elizabeth Lower-Basch — that analyzes the impact of using public benefits to reduce paperwork for students completing the FAFSA and how it would maximize financial aid. Sandy gives an overview of her three papers in the series, which detail the current methodology used to measure a family’s ability to contribute toward educational expenses and reviews the various methods proposed to simplify the FAFSA. The two also gave their answers to what the perfect FAFSA looks like. Keep an eye out for more special episodes from our FAFSA paper series throughout the month of August!
This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, and Allie dive into the latest news on the next federal coronavirus relief package, as Senate Republicans this week introduced the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act, which would provide just over $29 billion for higher education. Megan outlines new CARES Act reporting requirements announced by the Department of Education (ED) this week, and gives an update on recent guidance from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement regarding the enrollment of new international students. Allie explains the Department of Homeland Security's recent announcement that it will not process new DACA applications, and gives a summary of a new congressional report that alleges some misconduct on the part of a senior ED official with regard to the accreditation of for-profit institutions owned by the Dream Center. Keep an eye out for special episodes during the month of August, and we'll be back with any breaking news!
This week on "Off The Cuff," Allie, Megan, and Jill dig into the latest proposal from Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) that would simplify the FAFSA and modify the current student loan repayment system before borrowers are required to resume monthly payments on October 1, among other things. Megan then provides an update on where things are with the latest federal relief package and what it means for higher education. Jill details the latest guidance from the Department of Education (ED) on additional funding from the CARES Act for institutions in need and how institutions can apply for the reserve fund. Plus, the team wants to know — what have you learned about yourself during the quarantine?
This week on "Off The Cuff," the team is joined by Craig Munier, NASFAA's 2013-14 National Chair and the 2020 recipient of NASFAA's Meritorious Achievement Award. Craig, who recently retired from the Department of Education, shared his thoughts on how the profession has changed over the course of his career, and how to make the connection between the bigger picture and daily tasks in financial aid. Also in this episode, Justin speaks about what it means to be a nonpartisan organization and how and why NASFAA takes stances on public policies. Megan brings us the latest news on school reopenings and how the discussion is influencing discussions for the next coronavirus relief package on Capitol Hill, as well as the whirlwind events surrounding a rule from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that was rapidly challenged in court and repealed this week. Jill catches the group up on new guidance from ED related to professional judgment, as well as institutional reporting requirements related to CARES Act funding. Plus, the team wants to know what you do to gain perspective.
This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie are joined by Ron Day, director of financial aid at Georgia's Kennesaw State University and the 2020 recipient of NASFAA's Lifetime Achievement Award. Ron talks about his career in financial aid, his experience serving as NASFAA's national chair in 2012-13, and what he's looking forward to in retirement. The team also brings the latest news about the federal budget for fiscal year 2021, as a funding bill makes its way through the House, debates over plans to reopen colleges for the fall, and a new rule from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that would require international students to leave the country if their fall courses are provided exclusively online. Plus, the team wants to know — based on lyrics alone, which celebrity would you like to see run for president?
This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie are joined by 2005-06 NASFAA National Chair David Gelinas, who is the 2020 recipient of NASFAA's Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest award that the association can bestow on one of its members. David shares how he earned the nickname "Sheriff Dave," his advice that he would pass along to others in the profession, and what his plans are for retirement. At 12:03, Megan shares the latest on the Department of Education's portal for foreign gift reporting, as well as recently released student loan origination fees. At 19:18, the group discusses news out of Federal Student Aid, as the office announced its selection of five companies to provide customer support to federal student loan borrowers. Plus, the team wants to know: What shows have you been binge watching lately? The podcast team will be on hiatus next week in observance of the Fourth of July — we'll catch up with you in two weeks!
This week on "Off The Cuff," the team welcomes Columbia University's David Sheridan, who is the recipient of the 2020 Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award. David discusses what it takes to succeed in the financial aid profession, how he got his start, and what he's most passionate about. Please join us in congratulating David! Next, the team dives into breaking news from Thursday morning as the Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Megan brings the latest on two lawsuits challenging the Department of Education's guidance and interim final rule that would limit eligibility for CARES Act emergency student grants. Plus, Jill gives an update on the latest guidance on standard terms, as well as GEN-09-05, a Dear Colleague Letter related to professional judgment.
This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA's Diversity Officer Craig Slaughter, director of financial aid at Kenyon College in Ohio. Together the two talk about recent developments in the country and what financial aid professionals can do both individually and as an association to help bring about change in combating systemic racism in America and creating equal opportunity for students. Then, the team dives into the latest news regarding the CARES Act, including a recent report from the Congressional Research Service that casts a shadow of doubt on the Department of Education's guidance regarding eligibility for emergency student grants. Meanwhile, the Senate education committee on Thursday held a hearing on reopening college campuses in the fall and what will be required, both with regard to testing and financial resources for students. Finally, Megan brings us up to speed on the future of the Trump administration's borrower defense rule, as Congress moves toward a scheduled date to vote on overriding President Donald Trump's veto of a bipartisan bill that would have blocked implementation of the 2019 rule. Send us your questions, comments, and feedback, remember to subscribe, and we will talk to you next week!
This week on "Off The Cuff," the team revisits the latest updates from the Department of Education (ED) regarding the enforcement of guidance restricting emergency CARES Act grants to students who are Title IV-eligible, and fields questions from two members related to the CARES Act. Megan then dives into the latest news in a lawsuit against ED over the Title IV eligibility guidance, and the argument from ED attorneys that the guidance was just preliminary. Justin summarizes a letter from a bipartisan group of senators asking ED to take additional steps to ensure recent changes in a student’s financial circumstances in the wake of COVID-19 are taken into account in the FAFSA application process, which leads to Jill's examination of whether a now-archived Dear Colleague Letter is still applicable. Finally, the team discusses the chances of a veto on Congress's measure to block implementation of the 2019 borrower defense regulations, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) proactively scheduled a vote to override an anticipated veto. Plus, we're still taking your questions! If you'd like to "call in" to the podcast, please leave your name, institution, and question in a voicemail at 202-785-6954.