NASFAA COVID-19 News Coverage

• Graduate Student Unions Push Back Against Institutions’ COVID-19 Policies, Perceived Unfair Treatment on Campus
  September 22, 2020 - As institutions of higher education across the country return to instruction for an unprecedented semester due to the ongoing pandemic, graduate students are increasingly voicing their concerns over who will be called upon to provide in...
• CARES Act Review Highlights Lack of Support for Public Colleges
  September 21, 2020 - While the ongoing pandemic and stalled congressional negotiations over additional coronavirus aid continues to squeeze the fiscal belts of higher education institutions, a new report found public colleges were provided with insufficient...
• In Wake of Pandemic, Student Groups Raise Aid for Peers in Need
  September 17, 2020 - With the onset of the fall semester and the prevalence of the coronavirus continuing to take a toll on students’ fiscal well-being, a number of peer-led groups are aiming to fill those gaps through fundraising efforts to support t...
• Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Releases Stimulus Bill Compromise
  September 17, 2020 - A bipartisan House caucus on Tuesday released what it’s billing as the “March To Common Ground” plan to serve as a possible COVID-19 relief package as Congress is locked in a stalemate over another piece of legislation...
• ED’s Internal Watchdog Outlines Challenges With Implementing and Overseeing CARES Act
  September 15, 2020 - The Department of Education’s (ED) internal watchdog recently released a report detailing the issues the agency has faced in implementing and providing oversight of the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, ...
• Following CARES Act Unemployment Benefits Expiration, Options Remain for Working Students
  September 10, 2020 - As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, Americans across the country are grappling with the worst economic recession and highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression. Among the millions of individuals impacted by job losse...
• Senate Rejects Republicans’ Latest Effort to Advance COVID Aid Package
  September 10, 2020 - The Senate on Thursday was unable to advance a slimmed down, Republican-crafted coronavirus aid package — and with the legislative calendar winnowing down, it’s becoming increasingly uncertain that an additional round of aid...
• Senate Republicans Unveil Latest COVID Aid Package as Bicameral Negotiations Remain Stalled
  September 8, 2020 - Senate Republicans on Tuesday unveiled their latest iteration of a coronavirus aid package, a narrowed down version of their opening relief effort and plan to consider the measure as soon as this week. The measure would provide an Educa...
• Amid Pandemic-Induced Boost, Schools Look to Address Food Insecurity
  September 4, 2020 - Even before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the economy and disrupted higher education, many students faced food and housing insecurity. And according to a new survey, the situation has only become more acute in the last several months, w...
• Reminder: ED Announces Reopening of HEERF Application Period 
  September 4, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) in a Federal Register notice published Friday, September 4 announced it would be reopening the application period for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), which provides more than $14 bill...
• Federal Judge Rules Against ED in Latest Legal Challenge to Implementation of CARES Act
  September 4, 2020 - A federal judge in Massachusetts has ruled against the Department of Education’s (ED) implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, blocking the department’s guidance on allocating aid for...
• Watchdog Group Warns of Risks to 2020 Census Accurately Counting Off-Campus College Students
  September 3, 2020 - The Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has called for the immediate attention of the U.S. Census Bureau over concerns of not accurately accounting for university students living off campus for the 2020 cens...
• More Than Two Dozen GEER Award Reports Released, With States Pledging Support for Higher Ed Programming
  September 2, 2020 - An additional batch of state reports have been released detailing how agencies plan to utilize a subset of federal funds provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, with nearly all states pledging investm...
• ED Releases Updated Reporting Guidelines for Student Portion of CARES Act Emergency Relief
  August 31, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) has revised its May 6 Electronic Announcement (EA) outlining school requirements to publicly post certain student emergency grant information on the institution's primary website as part of the reporting...
• Massachusetts Joins Legal Challenges to ED Over Implementation of CARES Act
  August 28, 2020 - Massachusetts is now suing the Department of Education (ED) over its implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which the state says has led to the exclusion of tens of thousands of vulnerable Mass...
• Higher Ed ‘Baby Bonds’ Gain Traction in New Jersey’s Revised Budget Proposal
  August 27, 2020 - New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy is looking to enact a proposal that could garner a baseline investment in children’s higher education pursuits by providing a savings bond, so-called “baby bonds” to c...
• In Case You Missed It
  August 27, 2020 - NASFAA realizes that, while in the throes of closing out the 2019-20 award year and preparing for the 2020-21 award year, schools might have missed important guidance and revisions that took place over the summer. In some cases, existing Electronic A...
• Extended Borrower Relief Will Count Toward PSLF, Federal Student Aid Says
  August 21, 2020 - Federal Student Aid responded in a tweet that payments that student loan borrowers would have made, but are no longer required to make under the extended suspension of payments stemming from President Donald Trump's executive order...
• ED Considering Changes to Final Rule Restricting CARES Act Emergency Aid
  August 21, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) is considering making changes to its interim final rule that stipulated emergency relief grants allocated in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act be restricted to only students ...
• ED Announces Trump’s Executive Order Extending Borrower Relief Will Be Automatic
  August 21, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) on Friday officially announced that student loan borrowers' federal loan payments, as a part of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, will be automatically paused through December 2020, ...
• Students Point to Pandemic as Biggest Hindrance to Financial Future, New Survey Finds
  August 20, 2020 - The coronavirus pandemic has not only upended the college landscape for students — it has also changed how they feel about their financial futures. According to a new survey released by WalletHub, 66% of college students say COVID...
• Senate GOP Proposes Stripped Back COVID-19 Relief Bill
  August 20, 2020 - On Tuesday evening, Senate Republicans released a slimmed down version of the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools (HEALS) Act, the $1 trillion economic stimulus bill introduced in July to supplement the earlier...
• ED Releases Details on New Grant Program for Institutions With Unmet Need
  August 20, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) in a release on Wednesday announced the availability of a new grant program for higher education institutions, in an effort to help those that demonstrated the most need due to disruptions caused by the ...
• Roundtable Highlights Struggles of Nevada Higher Education While Additional Federal Aid Remains Elusive
  August 19, 2020 - On Tuesday Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) participated in a Facebook Live roundtable on supporting Nevada higher education — particularly community colleges — during COVID-19, which included discussions on higher education workforc...
• ED Appeals Ruling From California Emergency Aid Allocation Lawsuit
  August 18, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) in a recent legal document filed to a federal appeals court formally gave notice that it intends to appeal a California judge’s ruling, which blocked the department’s guidance and interim fin...
• Trump’s Executive Orders Come With Questions as Borrower Relief Will Soon Expire
  August 18, 2020 - President Donald Trump’s executive orders issued earlier this month in response to the ongoing pandemic may provide a short-term reprieve to student loan borrowers whose payments were set to restart in just over a month, but it's ...
• First-Generation Students Struggle With Finances, Unsafe Environments, Online Learning Amid Pandemic, New Report Finds
  August 17, 2020 - The ongoing pandemic caused by the continued prevalence and spread of the novel coronavirus has been especially trying for first-generation college students, with a new survey finding that the cohort was especially vulnerable to experie...
• Survey of Higher Education Business Officers Shows Drop in Confidence in Financial Stability
  August 13, 2020 - For the first time in the history of Inside Higher Ed’s survey on the matter, chief business officers’ confidence in the financial stability of their institutions over the next five years dropped below 55% and was eclipsed b...
• College Student Population Counts for 2020 Census Imperiled by Onset of Coronavirus
  August 12, 2020 - There was some optimism at the start of the year that the U.S. Census Bureau would get a better count of college-aged students — many of whom undergo a transient period of life — due to the availability of new digital report...
• New Research Calls for Post COVID-19 Federal and State Work-Study Programs to Consider Student Access to SNAP
  August 12, 2020 - While institutional planning for higher education programs remain in flux for this fall, a new paper is urging colleges to consider the implications that awarding — or not awarding — Federal Work-Study (FWS) may have on thei...
• COD System Changes to Comply With CARES Act Cause Headaches for Aid Offices
  August 11, 2020 - As a disrupted fall semester full of uncertainties approaches, financial aid administrators learned recently that they will have to manually check boxes updating disbursement records directly in the Common Origination and Disbursement (...
• Trump Seeks to Extend Student Loan Relief Via Executive Order
  August 10, 2020 - Seeking to work around the currently stalled congressional negotiations for the next coronavirus relief package, President Donald Trump on Saturday issued an executive order to provide deferments to borrowers on student l...
• ED Indicates Institutions Without Subawardees Exempt from FFATA Reporting Requirements for CARES Act Funds
  August 7, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) last month published an Electronic Announcement (EA) notifying institutions that their Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Section 15011 quarterly reporting requirements would be s...
• With Outstanding Policy Differences Unabated, Negotiators Try to Agree on Timeline for Latest Aid Package
  August 6, 2020 - Since last week’s unveiling of Senate Republicans’ counter proposal to House Democrats' coronavirus relief package, few policy differences have been resolved, but negotiators appear to be coming to a consensus on a timeline ...
• Low-Income Borrowers More Likely to Fall Behind on Student Loans Amid Pandemic, Report Finds
  August 6, 2020 - The ongoing pandemic has had an outsized impact on low- and moderate-income student loan borrowers, with twice as many borrowers from that group falling behind on payments compared to their middle- and higher-income counterparts, a new ...
• Higher Education Will Need to Innovate to Survive in Post-COVID World, Panelists Say
  August 5, 2020 - Much has been discussed in recent months about the future of higher education following the massive disruption caused by the ongoing pandemic, and one thing panelists on Tuesday made clear is that innovation will be needed for higher ed...
• States Pledge Investments in Broadband and Community Colleges in First Batch of GEER Award Reports
  August 4, 2020 - About half a dozen states have released detailed reports on how they plan to prioritize a subset of funding provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, aimed at giving governors increased flexibility in a...
• Students and Families Look for Backup Plans Should Fall Semester Be Disrupted
  August 3, 2020 - With few higher education institutions offering discounts for a semester that will largely take place online, some students and their families are seeking to obtain tuition insurance in an effort to safeguard their payments with the ong...
• ED Announces Additional Reporting Requirements for CARES Act HEERF Funds
  July 30, 2020 - On Wednesday, the Department of Education (ED) posted in the Federal Register an information collection request on a data collection form to satisfy Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) reporting requirements specified in sect...
• Democrats Pan Senate GOP Coronavirus Aid Proposal, Which Addresses Liability, Campus-Based Aid, Foreign Institutions
  July 29, 2020 - Democrats, following Senate Republicans' unveiling of their latest coronavirus aid proposal that aims to build on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, are urging their colleagues to come to the negotiating tab...
• Higher Ed’s Biggest Funding Challenge: State Budgeting Calendars
  July 27, 2020 - Higher education funding has been severely hampered by past economic downturns, but what makes the fallout from the novel coronavirus more dire has stemmed primarily from the outbreak’s timing. The virus has led to unpreceden...
• Senate Republicans Offer Their Opening Pitch for Latest Coronavirus Aid Package
  July 27, 2020 - Senate Republicans on Monday unveiled their opening marker for the next coronavirus aid package, which formally starts the negotiation process for what could be the final measure aimed at abating the novel virus’ impact before the...
• Schools That Were Not Allocated CARES Funding Can Now Apply for Reserve Funds
  July 23, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) has released information on how potentially-eligible institutions that were not allocated funds in the original formula-based allocation table under Section 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, an...
• Using Data to Drive Enrollment Decisions: The Impact of COVID-19
  July 23, 2020 - The process of administering and awarding need-based aid can be complicated, and by not utilizing available data the challenges become needlessly obtuse. In the latest session of NASFAA’s 2020 Summer Training Series, a group of hi...
• Window for Passing Next Federal Relief Package Shortens as Democrats, GOP, White House Face Off
  July 22, 2020 - As Republicans prepare to unveil their latest pandemic aid proposal in the coming days, top Democrats are touting their own proposals and calling on the GOP-controlled Senate to take up the legislation, all while the White House hopes t...
• ED Releases Information About Application Process for Additional HEERF Funding for Needy Institutions
  July 22, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) has released supplemental reporting requirements for certain institutions that apply for Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) funding under Section 18004(a)(3) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, a...
• Alexander Unveils Bill Text for Student Loan Reform, FAFSA Simplification
  July 22, 2020 - Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has released a measure that would modify the current student loan repayment system before borrowers are required to resume monthly payments on October 1, simplify the FAFSA, ...
• For Higher Education, CARES Act Emergency Grants Come With Lessons Learned
  July 21, 2020 - As a vast majority of the funds allocated in the latest stimulus package have been disbursed to institutions and students, the higher education community has its sights set on the next federal stimulus package and is hoping both lawmake...
• Massachusetts Congressional Delegation Calls on ED to Reallocate Federal Aid to In-State Schools
  July 20, 2020 - The entire Massachusetts congressional delegation has called on Department of Education (ED) Secretary Betsy DeVos to redistribute aid that was provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and returned by ...
• Report: Pandemic Exacerbates Inequities Present in Financial Aid, With Particular Impact on Low-Income Students
  July 20, 2020 - A new report, published last week by public policy-focused think tank Third Way, examined the ways in which the ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has exacerbated inequities that already exist within the financial aid system, finding th...
• Recent and Currently Enrolled College Students Discuss Unique Needs During Coronavirus Pandemic
  July 17, 2020 - Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, college students have been at the forefront of economic hardships imposed by the ongoing crisis. Between coursework suddenly being administered remotely and having to relocate from their coll...
• Community College Coursework Improves Chances of Bachelor Degree Completion, New Paper Finds
  July 16, 2020 - Supplemental enrollment in community college coursework offers students a leg up on college completion and affordability, according to a new paper from the Community College Research Center. The report utilized data from the Educational...
• Students Face Obstacles, Lack of Motivation in Transition to Remote Learning Amid Pandemic, Report Finds
  July 16, 2020 - As students across the country gear up for a fall semester that will look much different than in previous years, a new report identifies the lack of motivation for remote learning as the biggest obstacle for undergraduate, graduate, and...
• Government Rescinds Rule Preventing International College Students From Studying Online
  July 14, 2020 - A federal judge announced that the government has agreed to rescind its recently proposed rule from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which would prohibit international students from remaining in the country should the...
• States, Colleges Navigate Fall Plans Amid Pressure to Reopen
  July 13, 2020 - A small batch of states and individual institutions have released detailed plans as to how institutions of higher education can safely return to in-person instruction for the upcoming fall semester, but with just a few weeks left, some ...
• Federal Rule Aiming to Force International Students to Take In-Person Classes Faces Mounting Opposition
  July 10, 2020 - A recently published rule from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which would prohibit international students from remaining in the country should their fall coursework operate fully online, has been swiftly met with gr...
• ED Releases New Reporting Requirements for HEERF Grants to Institutions
  July 9, 2020 - Yesterday, the Department of Education (ED) released a Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act quarterly reporting communication that outlined a process for schools to meet legislative reporting requirements. The CARE...
• Lawmakers Divided on How Government Should Support Higher Education as Fall Semester Approaches
  July 8, 2020 - A virtual hearing of the House Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee on Tuesday served as a prime example of the litany of questions that remain as the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus continues to disrupt the c...
• FAFSA Renewals See Steady Increase After Turbulent Spring
  July 7, 2020 - Following a dismal spring of FAFSA submissions due to the disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus, renewals of the application for federal financial aid are starting to level out, registering just a 1% decrease through the middle of...
• Senate Democrats' Latest COVID Relief Proposal Would Direct $130 Billion to Higher Education
  July 1, 2020 - Senate Democrats led by Patty Murray (D-Wash.), ranking member on the Senate education committee, put forward a new coronavirus relief package that would provide additional aid for institutions of higher education and impose a number of...
• Panel Discusses Policy Options to Support Student Borrowers Through COVID-19 Crisis
  June 26, 2020 - With less than 100 days until student loan repayments are set to resume following their suspension under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a group of higher education policy experts discussed what continued...
• ED's 'Evolving Communications' on Emergency Student Aid May Have Delayed Distribution, GAO Finds
  June 26, 2020 - The Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Thursday released its report examining the federal government's response to the ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, notably outlining the Department of Education’s (ED) &...
• Support for Higher Ed Remains Strong, Despite Uncertainty for Fall Enrollments, Survey Finds
  June 25, 2020 - A group of higher education experts convened in a virtual webinar to discuss how the distribution of new polling and survey data, gathered during the onset of the novel coronavirus, has impacted colleges and universities in their attemp...
• COVID-19 Pandemic Significantly Dampened Students’ Job Prospects and Future Earnings, Survey Finds
  June 24, 2020 - While millions of Americans have lost jobs and faced economic hardship due to the ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, the global crisis has had an acute impact on college students in particular, in some cases delaying grad...
• Distribution Methods Vary for Student Emergency Grants, But Attention to Detail Remains Consistent in Reporting
  June 23, 2020 - As colleges and universities work to get emergency funds into students’ hands as quickly as possible during the global COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve also been meticulously documenting each step of the process along the way to c...
• New Survey Finds 90% of Students Likely to Continue Education This Fall
  June 18, 2020 - The vast majority of students at research universities plan to continue their education in the fall of 2020 even as states continue to grapple with containing the novel coronavirus, according to a new study reporting that only 1% of dom...
• In Limbo, Graduate Students Wonder if Fall Assistantships Will Be Available
  June 17, 2020 - Graduate students face a different set of financial questions as they grapple with the new economic reality imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, their livelihood depends on their school being operational with the campus open &mda...
• Federal Judge Strikes Down ED Policy Restricting CARES Act Grant Eligibility for California Community Colleges
  June 17, 2020 - A California district court judge has blocked the Department of Education’s (ED) guidance and interim final rule on distributing emergency grant funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, serving...
• Report Offers Perspective on Pandemic’s Early Impact on Students, Highlighting Economic Insecurity and Anxiety
  June 16, 2020 - Mental and economic strains are mounting significantly for college students in the wake of the novel coronavirus, according to a new survey with nearly 60% of students reporting that they have experienced basic needs insecurity. &n...
• Opening Pitches Being Made for What Could Be a Final Coronavirus Aid Package
  June 12, 2020 - While Congress resumes consideration of legislative activity in an amended form, negotiations over the latest COVID-19 aid package have begun to gradually unfold, with congressional Republicans pitching liability protections for institu...
• Federal Judge Blocks ED Policy Restricting CARES Act Grant Eligibility in Washington
  June 12, 2020 - A federal judge has sided with Washington state's attorney general Bob Ferguson and blocked the Department of Education's (ED) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act guidance restricting emergency grant eligibility f...
• NASFAA Survey Results Highlight COVID-19 Impact on Professional Judgment Requests
  June 11, 2020 - A newly released survey from NASFAA has found that the majority of financial aid administrators surveyed anticipate an increase in professional judgment (PJ) requests related to expected family contribution (EFC) and cost of attendance ...
• ED to Publish Interim Final Rule Barring Undocumented, International, and Non-Title IV Eligible Students From CARES Act Emergency Grants
  June 11, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) on Thursday issued a preview of its interim final rule regarding the distribution of coronavirus emergency relief grants to students, doubling down on its position that only Title IV-eligible students ca...
• Working Students and New Graduates Eligible for CARES Act Unemployment Benefits
  June 10, 2020 - As the unemployment rate climbs to its highest level since the Great Depression, more than 38 million Americans have filed new unemployment claims in the last three months. When Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic ...
• ‘Summer Melt’ Intensifies Amid Global Pandemic
  June 8, 2020 - If “summer melt” is the annual exercise of institutions watching as many as a third of students who enroll opting instead to not attend in the fall, then those in higher education are fearful of what a “pandemic melt&r...
• Citing Ongoing Rulemaking Process, ED Reiterates Call for Court to Toss Out Aid Distribution Challenge
  June 8, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) in its latest court filing, has called for a federal judge to disregard a lawsuit challenging its implementation of emergency grants from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, b...
• Consumer Protection Groups Say Financial Aid-Related Scams Using COVID to Target Students
  June 4, 2020 - Scammers are taking advantage of the ongoing pandemic in attempts to obtain students’ financial and personal information, in some instances posing as financial aid offices. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning last ...
• College Leaders Seeking to Bring Students Back in the Fall, But Say It Will Look Different
  June 4, 2020 - A handful of college and university presidents made clear that additional support from the federal government will be needed to safely bring students back to campus in the fall, namely the need for testing supplies and clear guidance fr...
• Report Finds Underlying Trends Imposing ‘Hard’ Realities in Higher Ed
  June 2, 2020 - While COVID-19 has beset the higher education community with a number of pressing challenges, a new report has highlighted noteworthy trends that have been causing significant long-term disruptions for institutions. But many of those di...
• Rep. Shalala Addresses Federal Higher Education Policy in Post-COVID World
  June 1, 2020 - The long-lasting and deep impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on federal higher education policy cannot be understated, said Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) Friday during a conversation hosted by Third Way, a center-left think tank....
• ED Urges Court to Toss out Challenge to Aid Distribution, Pledging Additional Guidance
  May 28, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) is urging a judge to disregard a lawsuit filed by the California Community Colleges System over eligibility requirements related to disbursement of funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Se...
• Deferments, Gap Year Programs: Uncharted Waters for Students and Schools in a Coronavirus Landscape
  May 27, 2020 - As colleges and universities begin to plot out the logistics of a fall semester, it’s unclear whether incoming students will defer enrollment. But even for students who opt to delay their higher education, filling in that time cou...
• Panel Discusses State Budget Challenges for Higher Ed in the Wake of Coronavirus
  May 21, 2020 - In a webinar hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center on Wednesday, a group of higher education experts outlined approaches to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on state higher education budgets, and highlighted potential policy options as ...
• In Reversal, ED Will Not Enforce Title IV Eligibility for CARES Act Student Grants, Still Excluding DACA Students
  May 21, 2020 - After facing heavy criticism over guidance that would limit federal emergency student grants to those eligible to receive Title IV aid, including critique from NASFAA, the Department of Education (ED) late on Thursday pulled an about-fa...
• Student Lawsuits Seeking Refunds of Tuition and Fees Grow in Popularity. But Is There a Case?
  May 19, 2020 - “I didn’t pay to attend Zoom” has become a common refrain heard from disgruntled students in online petitions and on social media, as they are forced to finish the academic year from home with virtually every college c...
• Until SCOTUS Acts, Financial Aid for DACA Students Largely Left Up to the States
  May 18, 2020 - The spring was slated to be a consequential season for individuals in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program — and that was before the health pandemic, which has now brought an added economic strain on the popul...
• House Democrats' Newest COVID-19 Relief Bill Includes Additional Reporting Requirements
  May 15, 2020 - House Democrats unveiled their newest proposal for the next phase of coronavirus relief on Tuesday, dubbed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. This new proposal calls for additional reporting requi...
• NASFAA Members Say ED Guidance Delayed Ability to Disburse CARES Act Student Grants
  May 15, 2020 - Higher education institutions are still struggling to disburse emergency aid grants to students allocated in the last federal coronavirus relief package, largely attributing their issues to confusing and inconsistent guidance from the D...
• ED Releases Additional COVID-19 Guidance on Distance Education Flexibility, R2T4, Campus-Based Aid
  May 15, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) on Friday released an electronic announcement detailing additional COVID-19 regulatory flexibilities, including those related to return of Title IV (R2T4) funds, satisfactory academic progress (SAP), and...
• ED’s Decision to Send Last of CARES Act Funding to Small Schools Draws Ire
  May 14, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) late last month began allocating roughly $350 million set aside in the federal stimulus package to help colleges most impacted by the novel coronavirus in a way that ensured every eligible higher-educati...
• Decision Day Still Looming as Viral Outbreak Delays College Admissions Process
  May 14, 2020 - When it comes to the academic calendar, the only certainty left in the wake of the novel coronavirus is that this current year is coming to a close. What that means for the fall semester has left students and admissions offices guessing...
• California Community Colleges Sue ED Over Emergency Aid Eligibility Requirements
  May 13, 2020 - The California Community Colleges system has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education (ED) in response to its recent guidance on distributing emergency grant funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (C...
• House Democrats’ Latest COVID-19 Relief Package Would Direct $37 Billion More to Higher Ed
  May 12, 2020 - House Democrats on Tuesday released another sweeping COVID-19 relief package with plans to consider and advance the measure as soon as Friday. The $3 trillion package would, among other things, direct more than $37 billion to higher edu...
• Should Wealthy Universities Use Their Endowments During the Pandemic? It’s Not That Simple.
  May 7, 2020 - As the Department of Education (ED) continues to issue guidance on how to distribute funding provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the issue of large endowments has come into focus, with wealthier i...
• FAFSA Renewal Declines Have More Than Doubled Since Before Pandemic
  May 7, 2020 - There has been a substantial drop in FAFSA renewals compared to this time last year, according to an analysis of federal data from the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), which showed the 2020-2021 aid cycle’s declines in ...
• Vehicles for Higher Education Act Rewrite Narrow as Congress Develops More Aid Packages
  May 6, 2020 - The novel coronavirus pandemic is forcing Congress to sort through what its daily operations will look like as lawmakers continue to assess the health and safety risks around in-person negotiations, further limiting the legislative rout...
• ED’s Internal Watchdog Releases Plan to Oversee Billions in COVID-19 Relief Funding
  May 6, 2020 - The Department of Education’s (ED) internal watchdog publicly released a plan Tuesday detailing how it will provide oversight as ED allocates more than $30 billion it was tasked with disbursing under the federal COVID-19 relief pa...
• ED Releases Interim Reporting Guidelines for Student Portion of the CARES Act Emergency Relief Fund
  May 6, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) on Wednesday released reporting guidelines for institutions that have received the student portion of their Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) allocation, which will be used to make emergency...
• ED OIG Coronavirus Relief Oversight Plan
  May 5, 2020 - Department of Education's (ED) Office of Inspector General (OIG) oversight report on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
• Consumer Groups Sue DeVos Over Student Loan Wage Garnishment
  May 4, 2020 - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is facing allegations that the Department of Education (ED) is continuing to garnish the wages of borrowers who have defaulted on their federal student loans, according to a new lawsuit. The class action ...
• For Some Financial Aid Offices the Latest Round of Federal Aid Was Not Worth the Political Headache
  April 30, 2020 - As the Department of Education (ED) continues to dole out guidance on how to utilize monies allocated under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, some institutions, facing pressure to abstain from grants due to...
• As COVID-19 Forces Students to Stay Home, Local Colleges Look to Promote Online Coursework
  April 28, 2020 - Schools are now beginning to grapple with how social distancing imposed by the novel coronavirus is going to impact their fall semester, possibly putting universities that rely on a geographically diverse cohort at a disadvantage. With ...
• Status of Higher Education Scholarships in Flux with Coronavirus Outbreak
  April 27, 2020 - As the world of higher education braces for budget cuts and furloughs in the wake of COVID-19, prospective and currently enrolled college students must now grapple with an impending recession that could further dampen their financial pr...
• Is the Pell Grant Reserve Fund in Trouble?
  April 24, 2020 - As millions of families across the country grapple with the financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, experts are concerned that more students becoming eligible for Pell Grants in the fall and coming years could leave the...
• ED Outlines Requirements for CARES Act Emergency Relief Institutional Funds
  April 22, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) announced this week the availability of roughly $6 billion in institutional funds from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) created in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CAR...
• For the Class of 2020, the Coronavirus Poses Amplified Economic Strain
  April 21, 2020 - As college graduates approach what was meant to be their commencement season, they instead find themselves facing an abruptly bleak job market, setting up significant barriers to their economic well-being. With unemployment numbers spik...
• Higher Education Community Pushes for Expanded Student Debt Relief During Coronavirus Pandemic
  April 21, 2020 - NASFAA joined dozens of other higher education groups in signing on to a letter addressed to House leadership urging Congress to provide more financial relief for student loan borrowers adversely impacted by the novel coronavirus, such ...
• ED Releases Further Guidance on Use of CARES Act Emergency Funding for Students, Institutions
  April 21, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) on Tuesday announced that more than $6 billion is now available to institutions as part of the funding allocated in the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), and provided additional guidance on...
• Democrats Call on ED to Issue Updated Guidance to Stop Wage Garnishment of Defaulted Borrowers
  April 20, 2020 - A bevy of Democratic lawmakers signed on to a letter Thursday urging the Department of Education (ED) and Treasury Department to issue new guidance ensuring defaulted student loan borrowers no longer have their wages garnished during th...
• NASFAA Urges Treasury, IRS to Ensure CARES Act Emergency Aid to Students Is Non-Taxable
  April 17, 2020 - Several higher education groups — including NASFAA — have signed on to a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig, urging them to ensure the emergency grant ai...
• NASFAA to Maintain Operational Continuity During HQ Closure
  April 16, 2020 - Following federal guidelines to work from home whenever possible for the next 15 days, the NASFAA office has closed until further notice due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. NASFAA has had contingency plans in place for some time to maintain operatio...
• NASFAA Joins in Support of Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020
  April 15, 2020 - Community letter voicing support for the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 that would provide the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) important flexibility to address disruptions to veterans’ education benefits caused by COVID-19.
• Tax Break for Employer-Paid Student Loan Contributions in COVID Relief Bill Spurs Debate
  April 14, 2020 - As part of the more than $2 trillion stimulus package passed last month to provide relief amid the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, a provision was included to allow a tax break for annual employer contributions toward their em...
• COVID Adversely Impacting High School Seniors’ Outlook on College Enrollment
  April 13, 2020 - A recent batch of polling data has found that the timing of the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting high school seniors' outlook on the college admissions process particularly as families across the country are facing new financial realities...
• Student Debt Relief Gains Bicameral Traction in Congress Amid COVID Outbreak
  April 13, 2020 - As the federal government continues its rollout of financial aid assistance to students suffering in the wake of COVID-19, a bipartisan pair of House members have committed to introducing legislation that would allow college seniors gra...
• Lawmakers Urge ED to Exclude For-Profit Schools From COVID-19 Relief Funds
  April 9, 2020 - A group of Democratic senators sent a letter Wednesday urging the Department of Education (ED) not to deploy a portion of the $14 billion in emergency relief funds included in the third COVID-19 stimulus package to for-profit institutio...
• ED Provides Details on Institutional Allocation for $6 Billion in Emergency Funds for Students
  April 9, 2020 - More than $6 billion in emergency funds to help students impacted by the novel coronavirus will be distributed “immediately,” according to Department of Education (ED) Secretary Betsy DeVos. In a call with stakeholders on Th...
• Cuts Expected for State Higher Education Funding in the Wake of COVID-19
  April 8, 2020 - States aiming to circumvent the havoc that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely have on their annual budgets are looking toward their education departments to soften the blow. Missouri has already frozen millions of dollars to its department of higher e...
• ED Releases Updated COVID-19 Guidance Addressing Verification, Need Analysis, Distance Education
  April 4, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) late on Friday released an updated COVID-19 Electronic Announcement (EA), providing new guidance and flexibilities on verification, need analysis, and distance education. The EA provides some guidance re...
• Consumer Protection Groups on the Lookout for New Student Debt Relief Scams Amid COVID Outbreak
  April 3, 2020 - As the coronavirus outbreak continues to impose new financial realities on consumers, it also subjects student loan borrowers to uncertainty in their repayment plans, which could make them more susceptible to scams stemming from the outbreak.
• ED Directs Servicers to Implement COVID-19 Student Loan Relief by Next Week
  April 3, 2020 - As part of the third COVID-19 relief package signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, Congress mandated the Department of Education (ED) suspend payments and interest accrual on federally-held student loans until Sept. 30, 2020. As borr...
• Major Disaster Guidance for Institutions in States Impacted by COVID-19
  April 2, 2020 - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared multiple states and U.S. territories affected by COVID-19 as major disaster areas — and it is expected that more states may be added to the disaster area list in the future. These decl...
• NASFAA Urges ED to Quickly Release Coronavirus Emergency Funds
  April 2, 2020 - NASFAA joined the higher education community in a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urging her to quickly release emergency funds to institutions amid the coronavirus outbreak.
• Lawmakers Push Relief From Withheld Tax Refunds for More Student Borrowers During COVID-19 Outbreak
  March 31, 2020 - On March 13, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency due to the novel coronavirus outbreak — which also became the date on which the Department of Education (ED) announced it would retroactively apply a policy to stop requests to w...
• American Council on Education Simulates Distribution of CARES Act Emergency Funds
  March 30, 2020 - In the wake of the $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress last week, colleges and universities across the country are beginning to consider how the legislation might impact their campuses. In an effort to provide schools with a rough ...
• Universities Get Creative With Emergency Funds for Students Displaced by Coronavirus
  March 26, 2020 - College and university emergency funds — a relatively new concept in the world of higher education — have taken on added significance as thousands of displaced students continue to grapple with the fallout from the novel coronavirus outbr...
• NASFAA Members Share Remote Experiences, Best Practices During COVID-19 Outbreak
  March 25, 2020 - As the novel coronavirus continues to temporarily shut down institutions and move instruction online, colleges, universities, and their financial aid offices are having to adapt to a new reality for higher education — such as addressing student...
• ED Halts Collections on Defaulted Student Loans Due to COVID-19
  March 25, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) officially announced Wednesday it has stopped requests to withhold the wages, tax refunds, and Social Security benefits of borrowers who are in default on their federal student loans for at least the next 60 days as a...
• Congress Strikes Deal for $2 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Package
  March 25, 2020 - After a series of long negotiations that spanned through the weekend and into early this week, the Senate passed the third COVID-19 relief package early Thursday morning by a vote of 96-0. The bill, dubbed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Se...
• Private Student Loan Borrowers to See Some Reprieve Amid Coronavirus Relief Efforts
  March 24, 2020 - While efforts from the federal government and lawmakers to support student loan borrowers during the COVID-19 outbreak have focused on federally-held loans, some student advocacy groups are pushing for relief for private student loan borrowers, and a...
• Senate, House Leaders Negotiate Toward Third COVID-19 Package
  March 24, 2020 - As states and cities across the country implement measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are scrambling to come to a compromise on their latest stimulus package to alleviate some financial burden being placed ...
• Congress Passes Emergency GI Bill Fix as Colleges Close Due to Coronavirus
  March 20, 2020 - The House on Thursday passed emergency legislation that will ensure student veterans continue to receive the full benefits of the GI Bill as colleges and universities across the country have shifted to online-only classes in response to the ongoing n...
• ED Issues Additional COVID-19 Guidance Regarding Federal Work-Study, Cost of Attendance
  March 20, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) released additional guidance in the form of an attached Q&A document Friday to its original guidance issued on March 5. ED will continue to provide answers to questions it receives in response to the current guida...
• ED Clarifies Details of Interest Accrual Pause, Allows Temporary Administrative Forbearance
  March 20, 2020 - The Department of Education (ED) on Friday further clarified the method by which borrowers with federally-held student loans will receive a pause on interest accrual, how long the delay will last, and what options borrowers have to pause payments &md...
• Experts Question the Impact of Trump’s Pause on Student Loan Interest Accrual
  March 17, 2020 - President Donald Trump — during a press conference Friday in which he declared a national emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak — excited student loan borrowers when he announced intentions to pause the interest accrual on their federal ...
• VA Distributes Coronavirus Guidance for Payout of GI Bill Student Benefits
  March 13, 2020 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Friday circulated information to institutions that enroll students who use GI Bill educational benefits, directing them on how to respond to questions regarding the impact on recipients if instruction moves ...
• Trump Pledges to Pause Student Loan Interest Accrual in Wake of Coronavirus
  March 13, 2020 - At a press conference Friday afternoon in which President Donald Trump declared a national emergency due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, he also announced he would be pausing the interest on federal loans to support impacted student borrowers &mda...
• House, Senate Introduce Coronavirus Legislation Addressing Title IV Concerns
  March 13, 2020 - On Friday, Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced the Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act (S. 3489), a bill that would provide more than $3 billion in funding for a variety of s...
• ED Issues Guidance to Institutions on Title IV Implications of Coronavirus Spread
  March 5, 2020 - As concerns about the potential spread of the coronavirus continue to rise, the Department of Education (ED) on Thursday released guidance providing significant flexibility to institutions with students who may experience interruptions in study. The ...