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Ocelot. Get insight into modern trends in student behavior that enable institutions to develop the appropriate engagement and support strategies to drive FAFSA completions and increase student success. Download report. 

"Even the best prepared, most financially-savvy students are not immune to unanticipated financial emergencies. Whether it be a broken-down car or a stolen laptop, a single financial crisis could be the deciding factor in whether that student drops out or persists to earn a degree. Given the high costs of postsecondary education, a personal emergency fund is a luxury few college students can afford. That’s where emergency aid programs come in," NASFAA wrote in a blog post for NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

The Trump administration has suspended the process of automatically forgiving student loans held by veterans with service-related disabilities, POLITICO reported last week, despite President Donald Trump’s promises to erase hundreds of millions of dollars of debt made during a speech at a veterans convention in August. The Department of Education (ED) ceased processing student loan forgiveness applications from over 20,000 disabled veterans who qualified for the program in late October. However, earlier this month Vice President Mike Pence claimed during a Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery that Trump “directed [ED] to eliminate every last penny of student debt owed by a permanently disabled veteran.” The program, which has bipartisan support, was halted after Trump administration lawyers determined that ED must first rewrite regulations governing the program before proceeding with automatic loan forgiveness for disabled veterans; ED began that process last week by issuing interim final regulations. While the program was operating, approximately 3,300 disabled veterans received student loan forgiveness, according to an ED spokesperson.

NASFAA is seeking an assistant director of state relations and advocacy to join its Policy & Federal Relations team. This position will provide advocacy support to states on state-based financial aid issues, with the goal of advancing the practitioner role in state policy development. Serving as a liaison for the states to the national (NASFAA) office, the assistant director will develop and implement strategies to track state-level student aid legislation and related advocacy campaigns, including conducting in-person trainings and assisting in the organization of state legislative days. The assistant director will also be responsible for ensuring that states are aware of and educated on federal policy positions that would have relevance at the state level, and will work with the NASFAA Policy & Federal Relations team on the production of resources to support the advocacy work of the states. This is fixed-term position funded for two years, with strong possibility of continued funding. It is preferred that this position be based in NASFAA's Washington, D.C. office. Read the full job description, and, if interested, apply by Monday, Dec. 16, 2019.

Yes. According to guidance NASFAA has received from the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the school can use the Income Estimator in FAA Access to CPS Online to calculate the revised taxes paid using the separated income of the student or parent of record on the FAFSA. NASFAA’s Member-Generated Content Library also provides sample calculation worksheets that were submitted by financial aid administrators. View the full answer to this question to learn more and search for answers to your other pressing regulatory and compliance questions, in NASFAA's AskRegs Knowledgebase.

For many in the financial aid profession, volunteering for your association at the state, regional, or national level is a rewarding opportunity to give back to the profession and help shape the best policies for the students you serve. But getting involved can be a daunting undertaking, especially if it is your first time volunteering. NASFAA's 2020 Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo is designed to help you confidently become an active volunteer and an effective leader. The Association Leadership pathway — revamped this year with new content — can help you build those skills. Take a look at the pathway sessions for the 2020 conference. Early-bird registration ends December 6 — register today.

An EDExpress for Windows 2019-2020, Release 3.0, program file that resolves import and export issues in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan module is now posted. The program file is now available for download from the Federal Student Aid Download website. 

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