... Megan Coval, vice president for policy and federal relations at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said the guidance from the Education Department was generally consistent with her organization's views. NASFAA has a code of conduct that covers many of the same issues.

The organization has endorsed efforts to promote greater clarity among aid offers. However, Coval noted that the organization has also opposed what it terms 'rigid standardization' through legislation that would mandate a single aid notification method. Coval said that institutions have different missions, different student bodies and different aid resources, making it unrealistic to require that every aid notification look exactly alike.

At the same time, Coval said that the association takes seriously the need for colleges to be transparent with aid offers. She said the association receives 'a handful' of complaints a year about colleges that are not providing information to students compliant with the association code. In these cases, she said, the association investigates and works with colleges to improve the way they share information about aid with admitted applicants. In every case, she said, the colleges have made the changes requested.

'I don't think schools are coming from a place where they are trying to mislead or be deceptive,' she said."

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.