This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by Kevin Carey, vice president for education policy and knowledge management at New America where he also directs the education policy program, for a wide-ranging conversation covering structural reforms needed for higher education, and how policy choices can improve institutional accountability for student outcomes. Justin and Kevin specifically cover hazards surrounding student loan debt and repayment programs, the evolution of those programs, how college accountability has been shaped through regulation, and more. Hugh then breaks down the latest higher education news, covering the Department of Education’s updates on the Second Chance Pell Program, Democrats seeking insight on the department's plans for its “fresh start” initiative, and the latest coverage on congressional appropriators questioning the White House’s budget request for higher education programs.

This week on "Off the Cuff," Justin is joined by NASFAA Senior Policy Analyst Jill Desjean and NASFAA U Instructor David Tolman to discuss new guidelines for institutions regarding transcript withholding along with the latest federal and state level developments concerning  the practice.  David then dives into answering questions on crossover payment periods, specifically how it impacts the summer term. Owen then gives a rundown of the latest news, highlighted by the Department of Education’s announcement that changes to income-driven repayment (IDR) would make more borrowers eligible for forgiveness, plus a new study showing millions of borrowers at risk of default when the pause on student loan payments comes to an end.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin is joined by longtime financial aid professional Mary Sommers, director of financial aid at the University of Nebraska, Kearney, to walk through her experience sharing student data and to discuss how schools should be thinking about these requests. Mary and Justin dive deep into the potential pitfalls regarding student privacy as it comes to data sharing. Owen then breaks down the latest higher education news, headlined by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) latest comments on student loan forgiveness and a recent announcement from the Department of Education that it would be reviewing and improving its verification model.

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.