National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

NASFAA In the News

Despite Concern, Banks Give Student Loans the Old College Try

May 16, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty in an article about banks expanding to place a stake in student lending. "To be sure, private student loans should be taken only as a funding source of last resort, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrat...

Student Loan Changes: What You Need to Know Now

May 16, 2012 - U.S. News and World Report interviews NASFAA Policy Director Megan McClean about the ongoing political debate over how Congress will offset the cost of maintaining the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans. "Both Republicans and Democrats have indicated--and publicly--that they do want t...

What the Student Loan Rate Hike Means to You

May 15, 2012 - CNN Money interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about how the interest rate hike on subsidized Stafford loans will affect students if Congress fails to prevent the rate from doubling from 3.4 to 6.8 on July 1. "When you are talking about a student that's cobbling together a financial aid...

Require Colleges to Review All Lending

May 12, 2012 -  NASFAA President Justin Draeger writes for the New York Times Room for Debate blog. "All lenders should be required to have colleges certify a private loan before disbursing it, so schools will know who is getting these loans and can counsel them."

Three Dangerous Student Aid Myths (And What Higher Education Leaders Can do to Debunk Them)

May 9, 2012 - "Unless you live in a cave, you’ve seen the alarming headlines highlighting 'exploding' college costs and 'crushing' student loan debt," NASFAA President Justin Draeger writes for University Business. "Because the media is trying to grab readers’ attention, these articles often use the most startling case...

5 Top Websites for Snaring College Financial Aid

May 8, 2012 - Daily Finance cites NASFAA's website as one of the top five websites for financial aid information. "The site offers information under its 'Students, Parents Counselors' tab, where entities dole out financial aid, eligibility for financial aid, and a state-by-state look at various financial-aid programs ...

Officials: Rise in Loan Rates Would Hurt Older Students

May 3, 2012 - The Des Moines Register interviews former NASFAA Chair Laurie Wolf about proposed legislation to extend the 3.4 interest rate on subsidized student loans. "While an additional $1,000 may not sound like a lot to pay off over the course of a career, especially for young adults, Laurie Wolf, a financial aid ...

Student-Aid Offers Often Harbor Devil in Details

May 6, 2012 - The San Francisco Chronicle interviews NASFAA Policy Director Megan McClean about the push for the standardization of award letters. "While the group isn't opposed to requiring schools to use the same terms, members prefer the flexibility to design their own letters," McClean said.

Colleges Fight Fraud with More Coursework

April 30, 2012 - USA Today cites NASFAA in an article about fraud in the federal Pell Grant Program. "According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the rate of improper payments of Pell Grants is down, from 3.12% in 2010 to 2.7% in 2011, but the dollar amount is up, from $600 million in...

Florida: Students And Parents React To Interest Rate Debate

April 27, 2012 - First Coast News WJXX-TV interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about the push on Capitol Hill to prevent the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford student loan from doubling in July. "Chitty said if the interest rates do go up, it will only add about $9 more to monthly payme...

Too Little, Too Late

April 26, 2012 - University Business interviews NASFAA Policy Director Megan McClean about the challenges states face in funding higher education and how that affects students. "A major issue at hand is whether the financial aid resources of more states will begin to dry up early. 'I don’t really foresee there being fe...

Colleges Confuse Students With Letters Offering Aid That’s Debt

April 24, 2012 - Bloomberg interviews NASFAA Policy Director Megan McClean about the Department of Education's push for a standard format for award letters and NASFAA's response. "While the group isn’t opposed to requiring schools to use the same terms, its members prefer the flexibility to design their own letters."

Video: Obama Pushes Low-Rate Student Loans, Wooing Young

April 24, 2012 - Fox 5 interviews NASFAA Policy Director Megan McClean about the President's push for Congress to extend the 3.4 interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans for undergraduates for one year, and Republican rival Mitt Romney's endorsement of the plan.

On the Rise: Colleges Costs Affected by Politics as Tuition Rates Outpace Inflation

April 23, 2012 - The Daily Nebraskan interviews NASFAA Incoming Chair and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Scholarships and Financial Aid Director Craig Munier about the rise of college costs. "We’re finding an increase of students who are reaching the upper limits of available aid," Munier said.

Yet Another Time Bomb

April 23, 2012 - Inside Higher Ed interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about the current proposals to stop the student loan interest rate hike on subsidized Stafford loans. "We’re looking at a temporary solution, and an expensive temporary solution," Draeger said. "We are interested in working with everyone to tr...

Characteristics of a Top Notch Financial Aid Director

April 23, 2012 - University Business mentions NASFAA's professional credentialing program in an article about job opportunities and training for financial aid administrators. "A job posting could read something like a hybrid circus performer: juggler/tight-rope walker/magician with excellent communication, supervisory ...

No Way Out of Default

April 18, 2012 - Inside Higher Ed interviews NASFAA policy analyst Karen McCarthy about the processing delays many borrowers in repayment have encountered as they work to repay their loans.

Student Loan Interest Rates Set to Double

April 15, 2012 - MSNBC reports on the doubling of interest rates on federally-subsidized Stafford loans come July 1, unless Congress fails to act. "The number of students applying for financial aid, which includes grants, work study and loans, increased from 12.9 million in 2006-07 to nearly 19.5 million in 2010-11," a...

Obama to Grad Students: Pay Up

April 4, 2012 - The Village Voice reports that starting in July, graduate-student loans will no longer be subsidized while student are in school. NASFAA's Megan McClean said the organization is troubled that a lot of recent changes to financial aid have come as part of budget negotiations, instead of being deliberate...

Hundreds of Local Students May Lose Grant Money

April 1, 2012 - The Middletown Journal interviews NASFAA Policy Director Megan McClean about the eligibility changes to the Pell Grant program and how that will affect students. "It is that grant that makes a difference in whether or not they can go to college," McClean said.

Double Trouble: Looking For A Long-term Solution To Federal Student Loan Interest Rates

March 28, 2012 - In an interview with University Business Magazine, NASFAA President Justin Draeger applauds "the administration’s proposal to postpone the doubling of the Subsidized Stafford Loan interest rate," but says "in the future we must find a permanent, sustainable solution to providing low-cost, predictable f...

House Republicans Seek To Cut Pell Grant Funding, Raise Interest Rates On Student Loans

March 27, 2012 - The Colorado Daily interviewed NASFAA's Director of Communications Haley Chitty about discretionary and mandatory Pell Grant funding.  

Ohio: Many Local Students May Lose Grant Money

March 24, 2012 - Dayton Daily News interviews NASFAA Policy Director Megan McClean in a report about how changes to eligibility requirements for the Pell Grant program may affect Ohio students. "It is that grant that makes a difference in whether or not they can go to college," McClean said.

Tough Budget for Loans and Pell

March 21, 2012 - Inside Higher Ed interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about the proposed GOP fiscal year 2013 budget request that would further limit eligibility for Pell Grants and change the accounting mechanism for federal student loans in a way that would make the loan program more costly. "It’s troubling th...

NASFAA President Justin Draeger Answers Students' Questions About Paying For Graduate School

March 20, 2012 - In a video interview for U.S. News World Report, NASFAA President Justin Draeger answers questions from students about loans and student financial aid.

Delayed Release Of Student Health Plan Rule Scrambles Financial Aid Calculations

March 16, 2012 - Kaiser Health News interviews NASFAA policy analyst Karen McCarthy about the federal government's delay in releasing new rules for college student health plans. McCarthy said health insurance costs factor into the cost of attendance and that affects how much financial aid students receive from the fede...

Interest Rate Could Double on Some Student Loans

March 9, 2012 - USA Today interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about the President's proposal that Congress prevent the July 2012 interest rate hike on some federal student loans. "We're just going to have to see how much public pressure there is to keep this subsidized Stafford loan interest rate low," Draeger s...

Problem With a Private Student Loan? Federal Agency Will Take Your Complaint

March 5, 2012 - In an article about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's effort to begin collecting complaints regarding private student loans, the Chronicle of Higher Education references the bureau's Ombudsman Rohit Chopra's speech at NASFAA's 2012 student-aid symposium.

New Federal Initiatives Help Students Understand Loans

Feb. 29, 2012 - Equal Justice Works refers to NASFAA's coverage of the student loan negotiated rulemaking process in U.S. News and World Report's Student Loan Ranger blog.

A Symbolic, But Pleasing, Budget

Feb. 14, 2012 - Inside Higher Ed interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about the President's 2013 budget. "The president continues to put forth budgets that seek to expand the student aid programs, to keep costs down and to increase transparency in what is becoming an even more complicated budget and student fundi...

Obama's Budget Proposal: Double College Work-study Jobs In Five Years

Feb. 14, 2012 - NASFAA's Director of Communications was interviewed by the Daily Camera about keeping interest rates low on Stafford loans. "It's difficult for students and parents to plan paying for college when they are not sure what the interest rate is going to be," Chitty said.

College Groups React to Obama's Higher-Education Budget With Praise and Caution

Feb. 13, 2012 - The Chronicle of Higher Education interviews NASFAA about the President's 2013 budget plan "to remake the Perkins Loan program, rewarding institutions that rein in tuition and produce good student outcomes." NASFAA said "it embraced 'the concept of shared accountability and responsibility in keeping cos...

Opinion: What's in That Obama Budget for You?

Feb. 13, 2012 - Reuters interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about the President's 2013 budget plan "to target more aid to schools that hold the line on price increases. 'Ultimately, that aid gets passed through to the students,' said Haley Chitty."

The American Opportunity Tax Credit: A Wasteful Way to Provide Student Aid

Feb. 13, 2012 - Stephen Burd references his Student Aid Perspectives article on the NASFAA website in his post for The Quick and The Ed blog about the American Opportunity Tax Credit as "an ineffective and wasteful way to help students and families pay for college."

Student Loan Grace Period Over: Now What

Feb. 10, 2012 - Fox Business News quotes NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty in an article on steps students should take once the student loan grace period is over.

Student Loans: Hit a Bull's-Eye With Your FAFSA

Feb. 6, 2011 - CNN Money interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about the importance of filling out the FAFSA. "Almost every family qualifies for some form of assistance," Chitty said.

College Graduates Struggle With Student Loan Debts: Plain Dealing

Feb. 3, 2011 - Cleveland Live interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about financial aid counseling for students. "One of the things campuses can do is counseling and really targeting students in danger of borrowing too much."

How You Pay for College Almost as Important as What School You Choose

Feb. 3, 2011 - Fox Business interviews NASFAA Director of Communications Haley Chitty about student loans. "It’s tricky to start to think what your monthly payment will be and what that percentage of your income the payment will be four years out," Chitty said.

Rising Tuition, Falling Aid Pose Risk

Feb. 2, 2012 - The Columbian reports on NASFAA President Justin Draeger's public affairs lecture series at Washington State University Vancouver. "American higher ed is being privatized, Draeger told The Columbian -- not in terms of public versus private schools, but in terms of who’s paying for college."

College Leaders Fail Obama’s Tuition Plan

Jan. 30, 2011 - Joanne Jacobs quotes NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty in an article on President Obama's blueprint for higher education in her Linking and Thinking in Education blog. Obama "threatened to cut some forms of federal aid to students at colleges that raise tuition or fail to provide 'good value.'...

A Warning To Wise Up On Tuition

Jan. 27, 2011 - The Valley News quotes NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty in an article about the Obama administration's proposed blueprint for college affordability. The plan would tie campus-based financial aid funds to college affordability. The metrics have yet to be defined. "That starts to get pretty sti...

College Leaders Question Obama’s Tuition Plan

Jan. 27, 2011 - Daniel de Vise quotes NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty in a post in the Washington Post College Inc. blog about Obama's plan to tie campus-based financial aid to tuition costs. "Ultimately, you’re keeping funding from these students," Chitty said.

Obama Outlines Incentive Plan to Reduce College Tuition Costs

Jan. 27, 2011 - The Washington Post interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about how the Obama administration would measure tuition rate increases against campus-based financial aid funding in its blueprint for college affordability. "That starts to get pretty sticky when you start to think of actual me...

Will President Obama’s Blueprint Cut College Costs?

Jan. 27, 2011 - The Daily Herald quotes NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about how the Obama administration would measure tuition rate increases against campus-based financial aid funding in its recently proposed blueprint for college affordability. "That starts to get pretty sticky when you start to think o...

Look Out for These Federal Aid Changes in 2012

Jan. 26, 2011 - U.S. News and World Report interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about the July 2012 interest rate change on federal subsidized loans and the elimination of the six-month grace period subsidy for recent graduates. "This follows a pattern of changes to student aid that are probably not very clear an...

Obama Calls on Colleges to Rein in Costs, Urges Support for Students

Jan. 25, 2012 - Education Week interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about President Obama's plan to decrease federal support for colleges if tuition keeps rising. "We're always concerned about proposals that would penalize schools, and ultimately students, for tuition increases when many times what causes a tuiti...

On Notice

Jan. 25, 2011 - Inside Higher Ed interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about President Obama's State of the Union address, in which he proposed that Congress stop the federal student loan interest rate on undergraduate loans from doubling in July 2012.

Saving Pell

Jan. 25, 2012 -  "The time of unprecedented growth for the federal Pell Grant program couldn’t have come at a worse time for Congress," NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty writes for University Business. "As lawmakers were looking to cut federal spending to address the growing national deficit, record college e...

The Future of Pell Grants

Jan. 23, 2011 - Sandy Baum and Michael McPherson write in the Chronicle of Higher Education's Innovations blog about NASFAA's forum on "The State of College Access" and the future of the Pell Grant program.

Student Loans Aren’t Going Away, but They Could Be Improved

Jan. 19, 2011 - Beckie Supiano writes in the Chronicle of Higher Education's Innovations blog about a NASFAA Perspectives series article written by Mark Kantrowitz on the Occupy Wall Street movement. "Kantrowitz writes that refusing to repay loans will hurt borrowers more than the government or other lenders, and that ...

Forum Panelists Debate Efficiency, Structure of Pell Grant Program

Jan. 19, 2011 - Diverse reports on NASFAA's college access forum on Capitol Hill. The article highlights the debate about the structure and sustainability of the Pell Grant program in the panel discussion "The Future Role of Federal Pell Grants."

How To Get the Best Student Aid Deal Now

Jan. 18, 2012 - Reuters interviews NASFAA Director of Communications Haley Chitty about seeking student financial aid for college. "Savvy consumers can minimize the financial burden of higher education by maximizing the amount of aid they go after, and there's a lot of money to be had," Chitty said.

Louisiana: Time of Financial Aid Disbursement Depends on School

Dec. 10, 2011 - The Shreveport Times interviews NASFAA Director of Communications Haley Chitty about when in the semester institutions disperse financial aid. Some schools, like Louisiana Tech University, wait until further into the quarter of the semester to disburse money. 'More schools are looking toward this type o...

Amid Attacks on Pell Grants, Improper Payouts Fell 13 Percent in 2011

Dec. 8, 2011 - Jon Christian and Abraham White cite NASFAA in an article in Campus Progress about efforts by some members of Congress to cut financial aid spending. "One of the critiques of the program, improper payments of Pell Grant funds, should be less of a worry now as such instances fell by 13 percent in 2011, ac...

Fighting Pell Grant Fraud

Dec. 7, 2011 -  The Community College Times interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about student financial aid fraud. Chitty said that "colleges are addressing the issue, though media reports rarely focus on the successes of preventing such crimes."

Improper Pell Grant Payments Drop 13%

Dec. 7, 2011 - The Triangle Business Journal cites NASFAA regarding the rate of improper Pell Grant payments, which declined from 3.1 percent a year ago to 2.7 percent in 2011.

Some Students Are Leaving College with Huge Private Loans

Dec. 4, 2011 - The Baltimore Sun interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about student borrowing and the terms and conditions of all loans. Draeger said NASFAA will advise the consumer bureau to require that private loans be certified by schools to prevent overborrowing.

Student-Aid Group Gets Proactive on Improving Award Letters

Dec.5, 2011 - The Chronicle of Higher Education's Ticker blog reports on NASFAA's newly created task force to examine student aid award letter and consumer information best practices.

Deficit Supercommittee's Failure Triggers Steep Cuts for Education and Research

Nov. 22, 2011-NASFAA President Justin Draeger talks to the Chronicle of Higher Education about the looming cuts to student aid. 

Supercommittee Failure Means Cuts to Higher Ed

Nov. 22, 2011- NASFAA President Justin Draeger is quoted in the Minnesota Daily about the looming cuts to student aid.

State Student Loan Programs Look to Fill Financial Aid Gap

Nov. 21, 2011-NASFAA President Justin Draeger talks to Stateline.org about state loan programs and reporting requirements.

New Student Loan Plan: Who Qualifies and How to Enroll

Nov. 11, 2011 - Fox Business interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about the Obama administration's changes to Income-Based Repayment (IBR). "Basically, the new IBR plan is more generous for those who qualify," Chitty said. "Under the new program, eligible borrowers will have their monthly student loan...

True Cost of Higher Education

Nov. 11, 2011 - PBS Nightly Business Report interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about financial aid award letters and whether they should be standardized. Draeger said "the draft is a good start. But, he says regulators should be careful about what disclosures they require of schools."

Yale Resists Financial Aid Distortions

Nov. 4, 2011 - Yale Daily News interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty about a recent study showing that financial aid at universities is often distorted for students with certain family circumstances. "I think this [issue] speaks to [the fact that] the family structure is changing and that the current [...

Loan Program No 'Slam Dunk'

Nov. 1, 2011 - The Orion quotes NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty in an article about President Barack Obama's plan to consolidate federal student loan programs and lower interest rates. "The plan could end up costing some students more money in the long term and doesn't reach out to the majority of students ...

Federal Changes on Student Loans Creating Anxiety

Oct. 30, 2011 - The Boston Herald interviews NASFAA Communications Director Haley Chitty on federal changes that eliminate the in-school student loan subsidy for graduate students. "This was one of the few federal subsidies provided to graduate students," Chitty said. "It is a pretty significant blow."

Financial Aid ‘Experiments’ Aim to Increase Efficiency for Universities, Students

Oct. 31, 2011 - The Daily Californian interviews NASFAA Director of Communications Haley Chitty about the Department of Education's invitation for postsecondary institutions to participate in experiments designed to test whether alternatives to current requirements can improve the administration of student financial as...

Student Loans Will Cost More

Oct. 31, 2011 -- The Columbus Dispatch quotes NASFAA's Director of Communications Haley Chitty about the elimination of subsidized student loans for graduate students. "This was one of the few federal subsidies provided to graduate students," Chitty said.

Is Student Loan Consolidation Right for You?

Oct. 31, 2011 -- NASFAA Spokesman Haley Chitty talks to Fox Business about what students should consider before consolidating their loans.

Loan Debt a Growing Worry For College Students

Oct. 29, 2011 -- NASFAA Spokesman Haley Chitty tells the South Cost Today that students should know that using an income-based repayment program can increase the total cost of student loans.

Audio: Changing Federal Student Aid

Oct. 25, 2011 - NASFAA President Justin Draeger talks to NPR's Marketplace about the transition to the Direct Student Loan program. Draeger told NPR that "some schools miss the financial literacy and debt counseling programs private companies used to provide. 'We're working with the Department of Education right now to...

Students Losing College Loan Breaks

Oct. 14, 2011 -- NorthJersey.com quotes NASFAA's Director of Communications about the elimination of subsidized student loans for graduate students.

House Republicans Propose Cuts To Pell Grants

Oct. 7, 2011 - CTI Career Search quotes NASFAA President Justin Draeger in a report on the the House proposal to make cuts to the Federal Pell Grant program by restricting eligibility requirements, but maintaining the maximum $5,550 grant award. "This shows a more thoughtful attempt to constrain costs without drastical...

10 Things Student Loan Companies Won't Say

Sept. 26, 2011 - Smart Money interviews NASFAA about tuition installment plants. "Financial aid officers acknowledge the risks and say that tuition installment plans aren't for everyone, but that there are benefits. 'Providing additional low-cost or no-cost payment options ultimately gives students and families more op...

Calculating Costs and Benefits

Sept. 20, 2011 - Inside Higher Ed interviews NASFAA President Justin Draeger about the "net price calculator" and how schools and servicers are implementing them. "Depending on how they implemented their net price calculator, it might be very accurate for students or it might be very general for students," Draeger said...

How to Avoid Defaulting on Your Student Loans

Sept. 14, 2011 - The Star Tribune highlights NASFAA's tip sheet to help students avoid defaulting on their loans, and if they've already defaulted, how to rehabilitate their loans.

New Online Tools Expected to Lift Veil on College Sticker Prices

Sept. 14, 2011 - U.S. News and World Report interviews NASFAA Director of Communications Haley Chitty about net price calculators. "The Department of Education's template is very bare bones, to the point of not being too useful to institutions without some customization," he said.

Education Dept. Gathers Ideas on Model Format for Financial-Aid Offers

Sept. 13, 2011 - The Chronicle of Higher Education cites NASFAA President Justin Draeger in a report on a Department of Education public meeting on the model award letter format. Draeger was a panelist at the meeting. "There are a lot of variables that just can't be fixed in one standard award letter that's going to wo...

Student Aid Award Letters Continue to Mislead Students

Sept. 13, 2011 - Mark Kantrowitz refers to NASFAA in his article in the New America Foundation's Higher Ed Watch blog about student aid award letters. Katrowitz argues for a mandatory standard, but makes note of several voluntary industry standards, including NASFAA's "Award Letter Evaluation Tool."

Overcoming the Top Student Aid Compliance Issues

Sept. 12, 2011 -  NASFAA's Standards of Excellence (SOE) Program Coordinator Kenneth McGhee writes in University Business Magazine about the SOE Review Program, "which provides peer reviews of financial aid offices to assess strengths and weaknesses and recommend ways to improve overall operations. Through SOE, experie...

From Washington to Campus: How Will Budget Cuts Affect Student Loans Programs?

Sept. 12, 2011 - The Cavalier Daily interviews NASFAA Director of Communications Haley Chitty about how the recently passed debt resolution plan affects student aid programs. "The year-round Pell Grant, which allowed students to collect two grants in one year for summer classes, will no longer be available in fall 2012...

Federal Grants to Those in Need Surge

Sept. 6, 2011 - The Beacon Journal interviews NASFAA Director of Communications Haley Chitty about the increase in applicants and costs for the Federal Pell Grant Program. "The Obama administration asked for $41.2 billion in Pell funding for the current academic year, but it is unclear how much of that aims to pay down...

Financial Aid Not Falling at St. Edward's

Sept. 6, 2011 - In an article about budget cuts at university's and financial aid offices around the country, St. Edward's University newspaper Hilltop Views reports on a NASFAA survey showing that two-thirds of 1,000 financial aid administrator respondents said their financial aid offices were facing hefty shortages.

Government and Colleges Crack Down on Pell Grant Fraud

Sept. 6, 2011 - University of North Carolina's newspaper the Daily Tar Heel interviews NASFAA Director of Communications Haley Chitty about the federal effort to stop individuals from scamming the Federal Pell Grant Program. "Any time you’ve got a large government program like this, you’re going to have people who try ...

Graduate Students to Start Paying More on Loans Next Year

Aug. 30, 2011 - NASFAA's Director of Communications Haley Chitty spoke with the Daily Sundial regarding the federal government's decision to have graduate students pay back interest on their student loans while still in school.

Video: Earthquake Rocks East Coast

Aug. 23, 2011 - NASFAA President Justin Draeger is interviewed in ABC Nightline's report on the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that was felt from Martha's Vineyard to South Carolina. NASFAA staff was unharmed by the quake and the NASFAA office was undamaged. Financial aid offices in the area also reported they made it throug...

With End of Subsidy on Stafford Loans, Interest Will Accumulate Right Away

Aug. 16, 2011 - The News-Gazette interviews Dan Mann, UI director of financial aid, about the elimination of a subsidy that helped lower student loan debt for graduate students. "The impact will be felt by students starting in fall 2012. About 30 percent of the University of Illinois' graduate and professional students...

At Aid Officers' Meeting, Colleges Share Tips on Lowering Loan-Default Rates

July 19, 2011 - The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on the "Secrets to a Successful CDR" session that took place at the 2011 NASFAA Conference in Boston. "Colleges seeking to lower their cohort default rates should focus their efforts on borrowers who have withdrawn from college, missed their first payment, or fa...

Frustration with the Feds

July 19, 2011 - Inside Higher Ed reports on the 2011 NASFAA Conference in Boston. "In a tough budgetary environment for federal financial aid, with even the bedrock Pell Grant Program on the chopping block, anxiety is omnipresent at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators’ annual convention, be...