On this special episode of “Off The Cuff,” Justin is joined by financial aid directors at three institutions — Lauren Jackson of Northwestern State University, Francisco Valines of Florida International University, and Wayne Kruger of St. Petersburg College — to discuss how their schools are using the emergency stabilization funds allocated to higher education in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The group delves into who on campus submitted their certification and agreement forms on behalf of the institution, how funds will be distributed and to which students, and whether they have required some form of application for students to qualify for the funds, among other issues. The group also talks about outstanding points of confusion within the legislation their institutions are still wrestling with, and shares advice for schools seeking to best distribute their funds to students in need. Stay tuned for more special episodes of “Off The Cuff.”

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie continue discussions on the impact the novel coronavirus is having on higher education and student financial aid — including breaking news from the Department of Education regarding the distribution of emergency funds to be used to directly help students. The team is also joined by special guest Renee Swift of Nazareth College, who shared her experience adjusting to teleworking and navigating new guidance around financial aid during the COVID-19 outbreak. At 15:30, Justin discusses likely increases in professional judgment requests as students and families adjust to new financial realities, and at 19 minutes, Jill gets into the details of ED's latest guidance released late last Friday. At 29:30, Megan gives an update on the latest new from Capitol Hill and whether we'll see another relief package, as well as a $47 billion ask from the higher education community. Plus, the group wants to know: If your quarantine name is the last thing you ate, plus your high school mascot, what would your name be? Until next week - signed, "Pretzel Bite Don."

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie reconvene via Zoom to discuss guidance institutions are still awaiting from the Department of Education (ED) surrounding the impact of the novel coronavirus on Title IV aid. At 11:45, Megan talks about additional COVID-19 relief bills being drafted, and how much support there will continue to be for higher education, and at 14:25, Allie discusses ED’s new instructions for loan servicers to suspend borrowers' payments on federally-held loans and waive their interest accrual — as mandated in the recently passed relief package — by next week. At 17:18, Jill delves into ED’s proposed rule on distance education released Thursday for public comment, and the group wants to know: Do you want to join NASFAA’s Zoom podcast, and if so, what would you talk about? We’re excited to (virtually) host a few of you on the show!

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie hop back onto video chat to continue talks about institutions, students, and Title IV aid during the novel coronavirus outbreak. At 8:55, Megan delves into the higher education provisions included in the $2 trillion stimulus package that passed through the Senate and is awaiting a vote from the House and the president’s signature. At 22 minutes in, Jill answers some outstanding COVID-19 questions from members, such as those related to whether it is considered estimated financial aid (EFA) if a school delays a refund of institutional charges until the following academic year. At 31:33, Allie catches the group up on relief for student borrowers from the Department of Education (ED) and steps that institutions are taking to support students impacted by the coronavirus. Plus, the team wants to know: If how we are feeling about COVID-19 can be described as the six stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, eating?), where are you finding yourself? 

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie reconvene over Zoom to practice social distancing while catching up on the latest news surrounding COVID-19. Justin and Jill discuss the most frequently asked questions during last week’s webinar on the novel coronavirus and its impact on Title IV aid — such as those related to paying students for Federal-Work Study (FWS) as campuses close — and touch on inquiries that were not answered during the session, such as how switching from letter grades to pass/fail might impact students’ eligibility for aid. At 15:56, Megan talks about movement on the Hill to pass legislation to support current students and those making student loan payments during the coronavirus outbreak, and at 28 minutes in Allie discusses options for relief for private student loan borrowers. Plus the group wants to know: how are you staying calm during this outbreak? If you missed NASFAA’s previous COVID-19 webinar, you can now access it online, and be sure to tune into our follow-up webinar April 2.

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie jump back into a discussion about the Title IV implications of the Coronavirus and tackle member questions still outstanding since the Department of Education (ED) released guidance about disrupted programs and federal student aid last week. Jill dives into virus-related issues surrounding payment for Federal Work-Study students after campuses close, the argument for adjusting cost of attendance, and how and when to address the return of Title IV funds. The group also details concerns NASFAA has discussed on the Hill — and is still seeking answers to — related to Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used and adherence to state authorization regulations. At 27:06, Megan and Allie talk about forward movement on a bill to nullify the Trump administration's borrower defense regulations and news that five universities may have to stop enrolling new students using their GI Bill benefits. Plus, the team shares a catchy new song to help you properly wash your hands. Stay healthy!

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Rachel delve into the Title IV implications of the Coronavirus on students in disrupted study abroad programs. At 10:43, Jill answers questions from members about whether the Department of Education (ED) will offer regulatory relief for universities and students. At 19:20, Megan talks about Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her defense of President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2021 budget proposal as it relates to higher education, and details a letter ED’s general counsel wrote on DeVos’ behalf defending her refusal to testify on a slew of issues from sexual assault on campus to student loan forgiveness. Rachel discusses welcome upgrades to the student-facing portion of the federal student aid website at 26:24, and the group wants to know: What food do you spend an exorbitant amount of money on?

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie discuss the most recent Democratic presidential debate, and dive into former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s platform to reform higher education, which includes reinstating gainful employment regulations and free tuition at four-year universities for low-income students. At 17:12, Jill answers pressing questions from members about the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement — formerly known as the Informed Borrower Tool — and at 29 minutes in Allie delves into new quarterly data from the Department of Education on student loan default and loan forgiveness. At 33:32, Megan details recent results from an initiative to enroll more Pell-eligible students at top-tier universities, and the group wants to know: What message do you use to sign off on your emails? Warmly, and until next time, the “Off The Cuff” team. 

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Rachel, and Allie dive into President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2021 budget proposal released earlier in the week, and break down its intentions for setting borrowing limits for graduate students and parents. First, however, Justin discusses some frustrations among the higher education community surrounding the Department of Education’s new website for students to acknowledge their loan debt — formerly known as the Informed Borrower Tool — and broken links on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website. At 13:35, the group delves into the budget’s cuts to student aid, plans to evaluate a restructure of the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), and new borrowing caps on PLUS Loans. At 30:48, Justin discusses a new report about the growing popularity of income-driven repayment plans and their costs over the next decade, and the group wants to know: what have been your best and worst Valentine's Day experiences?

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Rachel, and Allie pick the final winner of NASFAA’s activity challenge before discussing a new and lengthy list of Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization recommendations from a bipartisan group of lawmakers. At 11:51, Allie dives into a push to regulate the National Student Clearinghouse, and at 17:32 Megan talks about a bill passed by the House to treat private and federal student loans similar when it comes to refinancing. At 21:10, Justin details a new case for discharging student loans in bankruptcy, followed by Allie discussing a new form consolidating the applications for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and the temporary program created to assist borrowers rejected for PSLF, as well as breaking news about experimenting with Pell Grants for prisoners. Plus, don’t forget to post on social media beginning next week in celebration of Financial Aid Awareness Month — using the hashtag #FinAidFeb — for the chance to be featured on the podcast or in Today’s News.

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Rachel, and Allie pick a winner of NASFAA’s activity challenge before diving into an article from Today’s News about whether institutions need a signed statement to update degree level on the FAFSA. At 13:26, NASFAA’s AskRegs Manager David Futrell joins to group to discuss guidance from the Department of Education and detail NASFAA’s efforts on the issue. At 18:31, Rachel talks about new cost predictions for the Democrats’ bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, and at 23:38 Megan delves into a lawsuit teachers are bringing against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for rescinding gainful employment regulations. At 26:27, Allie discusses presidential hopeful Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-Minn.) peculiar plan for her first 100 days in office, and the group wants to know: When did you begin to feel like you made the transition into adulthood? Plus, don’t forget to demonstrate on social media how you are getting moving for NASFAA’s activity challenge.

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie pick a winner from last week’s activity challenge before diving into presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) newest plan for canceling student debt, which would bypass Congress to forgive the loans of 95% of borrowers. At 5:51, Jill discusses the implications of Warren’s proposal, and at 15:52 Justin delves into a recent study about massive debt forgiveness and its potentially positive impact on the economy. At 19:53, the team unpacks different proposals for national free college mentioned during the most recent Democratic presidential debate, and at 25:07 Megan talks about forward movement in the House to pass a resolution to block the Trump administration’s rewritten borrower defense regulations. Plus, the group asks its listeners to share their latest and greatest life hacks and to demonstrate on social media how they are getting moving this week for the chance to win a prize next week for NASFAA’s activity challenge.

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Rachel, and Allie delve into funding for financial aid programs included in the fiscal year 2020 budget that passed late last month. At 10:36, Rachel discusses provisions that both excited and surprised the higher education community, such as one to allow students to pay down their student debt using money from their 529 savings accounts. At 14:57, Megan talks about confusion that erupted on Twitter as some questioned whether filing the FAFSA would put them at risk to be drafted into the military, and at 17:59 Allie breaks down new data coming out of the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) on outstanding student loan debt and its progress reviewing applications for borrower defense and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Plus, to kick off the new year, the “Off The Cuff” team is inviting its listeners to participate in a three-week fitness challenge for the chance to win awesome podcast swag — check out the workout schedule in the show notes for more details.

In this special episode of “Off The Cuff,” NASFAA President Justin Draeger sits down with Ben Miller of the Center for American Progress (CAP) to dissect Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ new methodology for calculating partial debt relief for student borrowers. Earlier this month, DeVos announced that she would begin awarding loan forgiveness on a sliding scale by comparing the median earnings of graduates with borrower defense claims to the median earnings of graduates in comparable programs. The higher education community was quick to denounce her calculations for what appeared to be faulty math, which was also highlighted in a recent hearing she appeared in on pending borrower defense cases. In the interview, Ben digs into the complications inherent in partial debt relief and questions DeVos’ claim that it protects taxpayer integrity, and explains why a borrower may need to report negative earnings to qualify for full debt relief under the new plan. “Off The Cuff” will return to its regularly-scheduled content after the holidays!

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie delve into a House hearing featuring Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on the status of outstanding borrower defense cases. First, at 7:45, Allie recaps a new methodology DeVos announced this week for calculating partial relief for students seeking forgiveness under the regulations, and why higher education experts were quick to denounce it. Following a discussion about DeVos’ new plans and testimony on the Hill, at 28:16 Megan shares promising news about the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act. Finally, at 34:57 Jill dives into proposed rules for the TEACH Grant program and faith-based entities for which the Department of Education (ED) is seeking public comment. Plus, the team poses a new question to listeners: What is the one luxury that you indulge in once in a while? Tune in next week for a special episode in which Justin dives into DeVos’ new methodology for debt relief with Ben Miller of the Center for American Progress.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie discuss financial aid developments coming out of Reno, Nevada, at the annual Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Conference. First, at 10:50, Allie talks about Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ suggestion that FSA should be a stand-alone agency. At 20:55, Jill delves into new data released during the conference showing less FAFSA applications selected for verification due to new technology, and recaps a session focused on a possible federal income-share agreement experiment. And at 35:43, Megan talks about a Senate-amended version of the House-passed Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act, which would provide $255 million in permanent, annual mandatory funding to Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and simplify the financial aid application, verification, and student loan repayment process. Plus, the team poses a new question to listeners: What would be your ideal location for an FSA Conference?

In this special episode of “Off The Cuff,” NASFAA President Justin Draeger talks about recent changes to the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s (NACAC) code of ethics with Jon Boeckenstedt, vice provost for enrollment management at Oregon State University. The changes come amid an investigation from the Department of Justice into the group’s possible violations of laws related to restricting competition. In September, delegates voted to strip provisions that previously prohibited colleges and universities from recruiting students already enrolled at other universities, offering incentives to students to apply early decision, and soliciting transfer applications from previous years. In the interview, Jon tackles outstanding questions, such as what impact these new rules will have on students weighing their options for higher education and institutions attempting to fill seats and balance their budgets for the upcoming school year, among other unintended consequences. Plus, Justin and Jon discuss which types of students the new rules will have the greatest effect on, and how that plays into college access and financial aid. "Off The Cuff" will return to its regularly-scheduled content after Thanksgiving with a new episode!

This week on "Off The Cuff," Megan rejoins the team as they discuss the latest news on the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week. First, at 2:25, Allie, Rachel, and Megan discuss member feedback from the previous episode. At 6:37, Megan dives into the details of the DACA case and three possible outcomes for the program's future. Rachel brings everyone up to speed on the federal budget process at 15:20, as lawmakers approach another deadline on November 20. And at 19:27, Allie explains news out of the Department of Education, as the agency announced Friday it would forgive the student loan debt and restore Pell Grant eligibility for more than 1,500 former students who attended certain Dream Center institutions. Plus, the team poses a new question to listeners: What strange superstitions or rituals do you perform on a regular basis?

This week on "Off The Cuff," the team dives into a number of issues, including a recent community letter from more than two dozen higher education organizations calling into question the Department of Education's recent guidance on foreign gifts reporting. First, Allie gives a group a rundown of feedback from last week's episode, as members shared the most embarrassing ways they've been injured. At 5:23, Justin shares his experience on a recent trip to California for the CASFAA conference before heading to Las Vegas (7:20) for NASFAA's Board of Directors meeting. At 8:30, Rachel covers the background of the federal foreign gifts reporting requirement and why some institutions have come under fire by ED, while Justin expands on the community letter NASFAA joined 29 other organizations in submitting. At 17:28, Jill examines the final regulations on accreditation and state authorization and how the changes — including new disclosure requirements — will impact institutions. At 24:09, Justin and Jill cover more guidance from ED on revisions to standard term lengths, before the team poses a new listener question for the week: Do you think it's OK to decorate for the holidays before Thanksgiving?

This week on the Halloween episode of “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Allie, Rachel, and Joelle discuss their holiday plans, and Allie spooks the group by almost spoiling a major plot twist in a TV show everyone is in the midst of binge-watching. Rachel and Joelle detail a three-day hearing in which the House Committee on Education and Labor voted to move Democrats' bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act to the floor for a full vote, and the group delves into the shocking and disappointing amendments that lawmakers introduced. Allie talks about plans from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to potentially allow athletes to benefit from the use of their name or likeness, and what implications that income could have on their eligibility for financial aid. Listen on, and send us your answer to our weekly listener question: What is the most embarrassing way you’ve been injured? Skip to 10:11 to head straight to the policy discussion.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Allie, and Rachel discuss a new bipartisan bill introduced this week, which built on feedback from the financial aid community to find a path forward for FAFSA simplification. The team discusses and ins and outs of the bill and its chances for moving through Congress while a full Higher Education Act reauthorization appears unlikely. Plus, Federal Student Aid was in the spotlight late this week as A. Wayne Johnson, formerly the chief operating officer at FSA and currently the Department of Education’s chief strategy and transformation officer, abruptly resigned from his position and announced a run for Senate — on the platform of forgiving a significant amount of student loan debt. Calling the student loan system "fundamentally broken," Johnson's departure stands in contrast to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's recent appearance on Fox News, in which she said Democratic presidential candidates proposals for debt forgiveness were "crazy." Listen on for more, and send us your answer to our weekly listener question: What topic could you give a 20-minute presentation on with no preparation?

This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Erin, and Allie dive into former Vice President Joe Biden's higher education platform, which proposes among other things doubling the maximum Pell Grant award, overhauling income-driven repayment, and restructuring the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Justin discusses news that a federal judge weighed publicly the idea of taking action against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos through sanctions or holding her in contempt for violating a previous court order to halt debt collection on former Corinthian Colleges students. Allie gives an overview of the latest quarterly data from Federal Student Aid, which showed the processing of borrower defense claims remained at a standstill as of June, and Erin examines the findings from an American Enterprise Institute report that claims loan servicers may not be entirely at fault when it comes to complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Plus, the team wants to know: Do you have favorite kitchen items (like a "bacon plate" or "potato drawer") that you use only for specific purposes? Skip to 7:10 to get straight to member feedback and the policy discussion.

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Justin, Erin, Rachel, and Joelle jump into the text of a scaled-back Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bill and how it aligns with NASFAA’s priorities. Justin discusses recent changes to the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s (NACAC) code of conduct that would change the way institutions compete for students, and Joelle catches the group up on the latest developments in a case climbing through the courts involving Harvard’s affirmative action policy. Erin talks about a slew of student debt relief scams plaguing borrowers, and the team delves into a story about a woman who got married at 19 to change her dependency status on the FAFSA. Plus, the group poses a new listener question: If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be? Skip to 8:40 to get straight to the policy discussion.

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?