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NASFAA Office, Federal Agencies, Closed Due to Inclement Weather
The NASFAA office -- as well as all nonemergency federal agencies -- are closed today due to the weekend snowstorm and forecasts of another storm that will move into the Washington D.C. area today. NASFAA follows the same operating status as other federal agencies, as reported by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. NASFAA will continue as many member services as it can, but NASFAA members may experience some delays in phone and email response times. The NASFAA Web site and other online services will still be available.

Nominate Colleagues For 2010 NASFAA Awards
NASFAA has a wide range of awards to recognize financial aid professionals for their hard work, leadership, or special projects. The 2010 Awards Committee asks all states and regions to nominate colleagues who have gone above and beyond the call of duty for these awards. Award winners will be recognized during NASFAA's 2010 National Conference in July.

FINANCIAL AID IN THE NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS

Price and Value: Considerations for College Shoppers (The New England Journal of Higher Education)
"Families navigate a series of complicated financial decisions about how to save and pay for college, beginning early in a child's life and lasting years beyond graduation -- often a 40-year effort in money management," The New England Journal of Higher Education reports. "The choices families make can significantly change the price they will pay for college as well as the value of their purchase. Yet, families often make these decisions with incomplete or late information, which can result in serious consequences."

Audio: In a Washington Minute -- Obama Moves to End a Bush-Era Grant Program (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
"The Obama administration has no plans to renew two merit-based grants -- the Academic Competitiveness and Smart Grants -- created by President Bush," The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. "Paul Basken and Sara Hebel explain why the grants never got off the ground and discuss reaction to President Obama's 2011 budget proposal."

Snow Freezes Legislative Action (Politico)
"A winter that could turn out to be the snowiest in Washington history is having a serious impact on Capitol Hill, where the last legislative week before Congress's winter break could be lost as a second large snowstorm looms," Politico reports. "Among the votes that were canceled: a closely watched jobs bill. Lawmakers are under increased pressure to return to Washington before next week's legislative recess begins over Presidents Day weekend, as further snow delays or cancellations could mean Congress would remain at a standstill for two straight weeks."

Dartmouth Drops 'No Loans' (Inside Higher Ed)
"Dartmouth College announced Monday that it is restoring loans to the aid packages of students from families whose incomes exceed $75,000 -- ending a no-loans policy that was announced with much fanfare two years ago," Inside Higher Ed reports. "Dartmouth will continue to exclude loans from the aid packages of those with smaller family incomes and will continue to be 'need blind' in admissions, meaning that financial need will not be taken into consideration in admissions decisions."

STATE NEWS

Colorado: New Bill Would Allow Students to Transfer Credits From For-Profit Colleges (Denver Post)
"State Sen. Keith King thinks there could be one solution [to overcrowding at colleges]: Let the state's for-profit colleges take the heat off. The Colorado Springs Republican is sponsoring a bill that would let students who take general education classes at private schools, including for-profit colleges such as Colorado Technical University and Westwood College, transfer those credits to public schools," the Denver Post reports.

Michigan: College Food Banks Step Up for Students Struggling to Pay Bills (Detroit Free Press)
"College campuses aren't places where you expect to find a food bank," the Detroit Free Press reports. "But students are turning to college-sponsored food banks for help because of ever-increasing tuition costs, the loss of financial aid programs like the Michigan Promise scholarship and financial support from home being cut-off or diminished because parents have lost jobs."

Michigan: Fighting the College That Pizza Bought (Detroit News)
"Tom Monaghan, who built his Domino's Pizza fortune on the promise of 30-minute delivery, opts for a slower and more circuitous route in litigation," Detroit News reports. "Just ask Kate Ernsting: Six years after being fired from Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, which was founded by Monaghan, she's still trying to get her case in front of a jury. In 2004, as director of development, financial aid and public relations at the Ypsilanti college, Ernsting found herself caught between U.S. Department of Education investigators who said she was required to provide them with financial aid information and Ave Maria officials who urged her to say silent."

Illinois: Northwestern Students to Borrow Directly From Feds (Associated Press)
"Northwestern University is switching the way it offers federal student loans starting this fall, allowing students and parents to borrow directly from the government," the Associated Press reports.

Washington: State Colleges Face Cuts To Work-Study (Pacific Public Media)
"Thousands of college students hope state senators will spare some financial aid dollars when they release their version of the budget," Pacific Public Media reports. "Governor Chris Gregoire has called for cuts to student aid programs to close revenue gaps. That includes the state's work-study program."