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In this week's Forward50 blog post, Ellen Peters, the director of institutional research and retention at the University of Puget Sound, gives an update on the group's progress. Using the Situational Leadership Model for context, Peters explains she believes the group is currently in Stage 2, which "is where the reality of the challenge of the work sets in." Read on for more about the significant challenges the accountability subgroup has identified and check back each week, now through mid-August, for a new post from a different Forward50 member.

A comprehensive student loan bill that includes the restoration of graduate student eligibility for subsidized loans, and another that creates a new loan forgiveness program for employees or managers of a qualified farm or ranch highlight this edition of the Capitol Recap. Members of Congress introduced only five different bills this month with implications for student aid. NASFAA’s Capitol Recap provides summaries of each bill introduced in April, while the NASFAA Legislative Tracker provides a comprehensive list of all student aid-related bills introduced so far this session.

It's not quite as simple as pulling from line 19 of IRS Form 8863, unless you know that it is the new, amended 8863 showing the correct 2018 amount. Based on the instructions for the 1040X, amendments to the combined tax credits listed on Form 1040A Line 33 or Form 1040 Line 50 would be indicated on Line 7 of IRS Form 1040X. View the full answer to this question for more on the stipulations, and search for answers to your other pressing regulatory and compliance questions, in NASFAA's AskRegs Knowledgebase.

NASFAA is accepting volunteers for the Assisting Displaced Students Working Group, which will assist students whose college or career school closed while they were enrolled, or shortly after they withdrew. Duties include responding to student submitted tickets on financial aid topics in a timely manner and providing NASFAA staff liaisons with questions for the Office of Federal Student Aid. View the working group charter and volunteer today.

NASFAA U’s summer course starts soon! Overview of the Financial Aid Programs introduces attendees to basic financial aid concepts, categories and types of financial aid, the Title IV aid programs, and other federal sources of assistance to students. This course is not only an effective training tool for new financial aid staff, it also offers your institution's non-financial aid staff a basic understanding of financial aid programs and requirements. Register Now.

During the period June 15-17, 2018, the Department of Education plans to implement additional Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System functionality for the 2018–19 Award Year. As part of the implementation, Federal Student Aid will move the TEACH Grant Exit counseling module from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS®) Student Access website to the StudentLoans.gov website. 

"Members of a special team at the Education Department that had been investigating widespread abuses by for-profit colleges have been marginalized, reassigned or instructed to focus on other matters, according to current and former employees," The New York Times reports.

"South Carolina's board overseeing the state's network of colleges and universities has approved its first-ever Student Bill of Rights in hopes of making higher education more affordable and keeping the state's institutions in the black," The Post and Courier reports.

"Student loans are one of the biggest stressors facing college graduates. In fact, the Federal Reserve of St. Louis says that nearly 44 million Americans owe $1.5 trillion in student loans. Many students don't have another option to finance their education, but more and more universities are doing their part to help," according to Yahoo! Finance.

"The total of all student loan debt just hit $1.5 trillion, so prepare for a slew of stories telling you how student loan debt is out-of-control and we must reform the program to avoid a crisis. Ignore the hype. The reality is that most borrowers are using student loans responsibly, graduate with a perfectly reasonable amount of debt, and are making a smart investment. Given the excellent return on investment from college educations, why is society acting like student loan debt is a problem? Instead we should be glad so many people are acting in a way that will make the country better off in the long run," Jeffrey Dorfman writes in an opinion piece for Forbes.

"This is the month when many Americans are rewarded with college diplomas — and punished with student debt. The average American borrower with a bachelor’s degree leaves campus with $28,400 in debt," according to The New York Times' The Upshot. "This number would not be that unusual in other advanced nations, but the bigger problem can be the student repayment system."

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