National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Press Releases

For more information about NASFAA’s public policy positions, go to NASFAA On the Record

NASFAA Statement on HR 1911, The Smarter Solutions for Students Act

May 23, 2013— The following statement was issued by NASFAA President Justin Draeger.

New NASFAA Chart Clarifies Student Loan Interest Rate Proposals

May 21, 2013—Last week saw a flurry of legislative proposals created to address the subsidized Stafford loan interest rate increase scheduled to occur on July 1—a change that could impact 9.4 million people nationwide.  These proposals join previously offered proposals from both President Obama and Senate Republicans. ...

NASFAA Statement on “Smarter Solutions for Students Act”

May 9, 2013—In response to HR 1911, the “Smarter Solutions for Students Act” put forth by the House of Representative’s Committee on Education and the Workforce, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) President Justin Draeger issued the following statement.

NASFAA Statement on President’s 2014 Budget Request

April 10, 2013 -- In response to President Obama's fiscal year (FY) 2014 budget request, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) President Justin Draeger issued the following statement...

Independent Consumer Testing Demonstrates Concerns with Standardized Financial Aid Award Letters

April 2, 2013 -- As college costs and student debt continue to expand, lawmakers and the public have increasingly called for better and more useful consumer information about the true cost of college. In an effort to improve financial aid award letters, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (...

Tax Day is April 15: NASFAA Guide Helps Families Understand Education Tax Benefits & Make the Most of Their Return

March 28, 2013 -- Looking forward to a big tax return this year? Or seeking ways to reduce the amount you shell out to Uncle Sam? The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has released a new, free Tax Benefits Guide for Tax Year 2012 designed to help students and families navigate the so...

NASFAA President Justin Draeger to Testify Before Congress on Loan Programs

March 13, 2013 -- Today at 10:00 am ET Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), will testify before the U.S. House of Representatives at the Committee on Education and the Workforce’s hearing on "Keeping College Within Reach: Examining Opportunities...

NASFAA Task Force Issues 8 Recommendations for Reducing Student Loan Indebtedness

Feb. 27, 2013 -- Student financial aid administrators, policymakers, and the general public have all expressed increasing concern about student loans, debt levels, and rising default rates, which coincide with worries about college costs, affordability, and transparency. That’s why NASFAA—the association representing n...

NASFAA Provides School-by-School Estimates of Potential Sequester Cuts: How Will Your Local Students be Harmed?

Feb. 26, 2013 -- Student financial aid administrators, college presidents, and consumers have all seen recent reports about the impact of March 1 across-the-board spending cuts (e.g. “sequestration”) on key federal programs that assist students and families in paying for college. To provide some context on what these c...

NASFAA Reimagines the Design & Delivery of Student Financial Aid

Feb. 13, 2013 -- As the student aid programs rapidly approach reauthorization in 2014, they continue to face severe funding and efficiency problems. With grant assistance from the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation through their “Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery” (RADD) project, NASFAA today released a policy brief exam...

NASFAA Board of Directors Renews President Draeger's Contract for Two More Years

Jan. 16, 2012 -- The board of directors of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators has voted to extend NASFAA President Justin Draeger's contract for two additional years, through June 2015.

Free Resources Help Students Apply For Financial Aid & Reduce the Cost of College

Jan. 16, 2012 - The release of the new 2013-14 FAFSA marks the start of the planning-for-college season, and NASFAA is pleased to offer resources to provide critical information to all stakeholders in this process.

NASFAA Statement On Rep. Petri’s Bill To Move to Full Income Contingent Repayment

Dec. 18, 2012 -- In an effort to reduce complexity, improve default rates, and increase the effectiveness of federal student loan subsidies, Rep. Tom Petri (WI-R) introduced the Earnings Contingent Education Loans Act of 2012 yesterday that would replace and restructure Federal Direct Student loans. The new loans would...

Financial Aid Administrators Offer Loan Repayment Advice to Recent College Graduates

Nov. 15, 2012 -- As May graduates exit their student loan repayment grace period, NASFAA provides tips on selecting a repayment plan. 

NASFAA Statement on College Board Trends Report

Oct. 24, 2012 -- NASFAA President Justin Draeger offers context for College Board financial aid and college cost data.

NASFAA Statement on Cohort Default Rates

Sept. 14, 2012 -- "As economic recovery limps along and the job market slowly bounces back, it’s no surprise that default rates continue to stagnate or increase," says NASFAA President Justin Draeger.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: NASFAA Offers Financial Aid Experts to Speak on Student Loan Default Rates

Sept. 14, 2012 - The U.S. Department of Education has said it will release the FY 2010 two-year cohort default rates (CDRs) on Sept. 17 and the FY 2009 three-year CDRs on Sept. 24 to schools, guaranty agencies and lenders.

National Initiative Will Explore How To Make Federal Student Aid Work Better For Students

August 27, 2012 -- NASFAA announced it has been awarded a grant from the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation to examine current systems of aid design and delivery, with an eye toward reimagining how they may be improved in the future. The grant was awarded to NASFAA as part of larger project, Reimagining Aid Design and Deli...

NASFAA Comments on Department of Education, CFPB Financial Aid Shopping Sheet

July 24, 2012 -- NASFAA President Justin Draeger issued the following statement regarding the the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB's) final version of the financial aid Shopping Sheet

Presidential Campaign Reps, Sen. Dick Durbin Begin NASFAA Conference With Policy Dialogue

July 23, 2012 – NASFAA’s National Conference opened with fanfare yesterday as 2,500 attendees welcomed key higher education policy advisors from the Barack Obama and Mitt Romney presidential campaigns.

Presidential Campaign Representatives, Sen. Durbin to Discuss Student Aid

July 12, 2012 -- It's not too late to make plans to attend and report on the 2012 National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) conference, held July 22-25 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Undocumented Students: What's the Policy Environment in Your State?

July 11, 2012 -- The National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good and NASFAA has created resources to help aid administrators determine their state's policies on undocumented students in higher education and to increase access to higher education for this student population.

NASFAA Statement on Deal to Temporarily Extend 3.4% Rate on Subsidized Student Loans

June 27, 2012 -- NASFAA President Justin Draeger issued this statement in response to the proposal to temporarily extend the 3.4 percent rate on subsidized Stafford loans and to permanently limit eligibility for these same subsidized loans to 150 percent of the program length.

Financial Aid Administrators Issue Updated National Profile of 2012 Federal Student Aid Programs

June 27, 2012 -- NASFAA released an updated edition of its annual federal student aid primer, to better inform members of the media, policymakers and other interested parties about the facts surrounding student aid issues and funding.

Presidential Campaign Reps To Discuss Student Aid At NASFAA National Conference, July 22 In Chicago

May 31, 2012 -- There’s a new reason to save the date for the 2012 National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) conference, held July 22-25 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Key higher education policy advisors from the Barack Obama and Mitt Romney presidential campaigns will kick off the conferenc...

NASFAA Supports Improved College Cost Disclosures

May 23, 2012 -- When students and families make critical decisions about which college to attend, they often rely on the information colleges and universities send them in a financial aid award letter. However, a lack of consistency between schools’ award letters can cause confusion and make it difficult for students a...

Leaders Convene In DC for Sen. Brown's Fifth Annual Ohio College and University Presidents Conference

March 27, 2012 -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) convened his fifth annual college and university presidents conference in Washington, D.C. today with more than 50 presidents from colleges and universities across Ohio. Brown’s forum – the first of its kind – is aimed at connecting educators with business leaders to adv...

April 17 Is Tax Day: NASFAA Guide Helps Families Understand Education Tax Benefits & Get The Money They Deserve

March 19, 2012 -- NASFAA has released a new, free Tax Benefits Guide designed to help students and families navigate the sometimes thorny task of determining which higher education tax benefits  you qualify to receive—and which will secure you the maximum return on April 17. The federal government provides roughly $15 ...

NASFAA Statement on Obama's 2013 Budget Request

Feb. 13, 2012 -- National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) President Justin Draeger issued this statement in response to President Obama's fiscal year (FY) 2013 Budget Request.

Student Aid in Obama's 2013 Budget Request

Feb. 10, 2012 -- The Obama administration plans to kick off the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 budget process on Monday by releasing the President's FY2013 Budget Request. Administration officials have said that the FY13 Budget request will include additional details about the college affordability policy proposals mentioned by...

National Study Will Examine the Use of Earlier Income Data in Student Aid Eligibility

Jan. 30, 2012 -- NASFAA has been awarded a grant from the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation to study the use of prior-prior year (or two years prior) income data to determine eligibility for student financial aid.

Free Resources Help Students Apply For Aid, Reduce the Cost Of College

Jan. 24, 2011 -- NASFAA has developed three free resources to help students accurately file the FAFSA. These resources provide a wealth of information for students, families and counselors who advise families trying to pay for college.

Financial Aid Experts Discuss Pell Grants and College Access at NASFAA Forum

Jan. 18, 2012 --  Student financial aid experts discussed the importance (and limitations) of the Federal Pell Grant program in increasing college access  at a forum held Jan. 18 at the U.S. Capitol

NASFAA Task Force to Present Congress with Higher Education Act Policy Recommendations

Jan. 9, 2012 -- As the 2013 Higher Education Act expiration approaches, NASFAA has formed a task force to consult with NASFAA’s membership and other important groups and agencies to develop recommendations to the NASFAA board on policy issues and specific statutory changes in the federal student aid programs and their ...

NASFAA Partners with White House & Education Dept. to Connect Work-study Jobs to Career Goals

Dec. 9, 2011 - NASFAA announced yesterday that it is partnering with the U.S. Department of Education and other stakeholders on a White House initiative to encourage college campuses to use the Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) to place students in positions related to their learning and career interests and goals.

Financial Aid Administrators to Examine Award Letter and Consumer Information Best Practices

Dec. 5, 2011 - NASFAA announced the creation of a special Task Force to examine best practices in award notification and consumer information.

Micah Jordan Joins NASFAA to Bolster Online Training

Dec. 5, 2011 - Micah Jordan has been named NASFAA's Training Support Specialist, a new position created to enhance NASFAA's online training.

NASFAA President Statement on Low Pell Grant Payment Error Rate

Nov. 5, 2011 - In response to the Obama administration's announcement that the rate of improper payments in the Pell Grant program fell to 2.7% in 2011, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator President Justin Draeger issued this statement.

New Tools Help Students Evaluate College Costs and Quality

Oct. 31, 2011 - NASFAA has published a new resource to help students and families evaluate colleges and universities and estimate the out-of-pocket costs, or "net price," of higher education. NASFAA's issue brief highlights some of the consumer information colleges provide and analyzes what this information says about ...

Web Marketing Association Names NASFAA.org 'Best Association Website' of 2011

April 8, 2011 - The newly redesigned NASFAA.org receives a second prestigious award.

NASFAA Website Wins 'Best in Class' from Interactive Media Awards

March 24, 2011 - The new NASFAA.org received highest honors for planning, execution and overall professionalism.

Facebook Campaign Seeks to Save Student Aid

Feb. 22, 2011 - NASFAA joins forces with USPIRG and the U.S. Student Association to oppose legislation that would cut college students' federal student aid this fall.

Statement on President's FY2012 Budget Request

Feb. 14, 2011 -  NASFAA President Justin Draeger issued this statement in response to President Barack Obama's fiscal year (FY) 2012 request.

Students Negatively Impacted by Strained Financial Aid Offices

Feb. 7, 2011 - Financial aid offices and the student services they provide are being strained by increasing regulatory and administrative burdens, according to our recent survey.