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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: May, 2019
May 30, 2019

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, and Allie are joined by Maylene Rodriguez Scott, the 2019 Dallas Martin Endowment (DME) policy intern. The group talks about a recent announcement from the Department of Education (ED) on gainful employment previously-delayed disclosure requirements that will be going into effect on July 1, 2019. Megan updates the group on acceptable FAFSA verification documentation for the 2020-21 award year, which includes paper tax returns and statements of non-filing. Allie dives into news from Virginia Tech, as the institution said it would be offering some incoming freshmen the option to delay the start of their enrollment for various financial incentives, such as a renewable scholarship or a tuition reimbursement grant for community college classes. Megan also gives an update on a legislative fix for the "kiddie tax" issue, which is expected to come once Congress is back in session. Plus, hear about the group's experiences in college dorms and why Justin missed his college orientation. Skip to 7:47 to get straight to the policy discussion.

May 23, 2019

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, and Allie cover a lot of ground catching up on the latest news in DC. First, Megan catches us up on a fix lawmakers are voting on to fix the "kiddie tax" issue that surfaced last week, as a provision in the Republicans' tax overhaul that raised the tax rate on unearned income, and inadvertently impacted low-income families. Justin discusses a recent proposal from President Donald Trump that would funnel money from the Pell Grant program reserve fund to NASA. The team also discusses ED's plans for a Federal Work-Study experimental site that would expand eligible jobs for students, and a House oversight subcommittee hearing on for-profit colleges. Plus, the team tackles billionaire Robert Smith's pledge to pay off the Morehouse College Class of 2019's student loan debt. Skip to 7:25 to get straight to the policy discussion!

May 9, 2019

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, and Allie discuss some questions that came up following the news that ED had hired a private company to assess the federal student loan portfolio. Megan catches us up on new projections from the Congressional Budget Office that show the federal student loan program running a deficit, and Allie gives an overview of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's recent appearance at the Education Writers Association's annual conference. The team also discusses Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-MA) 23-page letter to the new chief of Federal Student Aid, and a House subcommittee hearing on student outcomes. Plus, hear Justin's hot take on the name choice for the newest Royal Baby. Skip to 8:50 to get straight to the policy discussion.

May 2, 2019

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, Stephen, and Allie dive into the House fiscal year 2020 funding proposal and the historic increases for student aid included in the bill, which next moves to the full appropriations committee. Justin and Megan analyze a recent move from FSA to hire a private firm to evaluate the student loan portfolio. Allie summarizes a recent report from two DC-based think tanks that discusses how to improve oversight and transparency at FSA—taking into account its status as a performance-based organization—and the group compares the report to NASFAA's own research on the topic. Plus, a new public poll shows most voters, by a slim margin, are opposed to the idea of free college, but support loan forgiveness.

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