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This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Megan, Jill, and Allie discuss financial aid developments coming out of Reno, Nevada, at the annual Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Conference. First, at 10:50, Allie talks about Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ suggestion that FSA should be a stand-alone agency. At 20:55, Jill delves into new data released during the conference showing less FAFSA applications selected for verification due to new technology, and recaps a session focused on a possible federal income-share agreement experiment. And at 35:43, Megan talks about a Senate-amended version of the House-passed Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act, which would provide $255 million in permanent, annual mandatory funding to Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and simplify the financial aid application, verification, and student loan repayment process. Plus, the team poses a new question to listeners: What would be your ideal location for a FSA Conference?

The Senate on Thursday morning unanimously passed an amended version of the FUTURE Act, which provides $255 million in permanent, annual mandatory funding to Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and includes language to allow for direct data sharing between the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Education. NASFAA released a statement in support of the bill, and called on House leadership to take swift action to bring the bill to the full floor for a vote.

Discussions of college affordability have been more prevalent in the news as current lawmakers and Democratic presidential candidates alike put forward proposals to help more low-income students attend college. The Pell Grant program — the bedrock of the federal financial aid system — has been a target for reform. 

The Department of Education (ED) in September revealed in a court filing that it had erroneously targeted about 16,000 former Corinthian Colleges students with loan collection notices despite being ordered to cease collection by the court, which resulted in 3,000 borrowers making one or more payments. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim imposed a $100,000 fine on Education Secretary Betsy Devos and ED for the error, as well as held Devos in contempt of the court. This week, a new court filing showed the number of targeted borrowers is even larger than initially reported — closer to 45,000. ED has consistently said that the error was made due to isolated miscommunications and logistical errors. According to the filing, the government now believes the amount of borrowers harmed is accurate, and that ED has placed them back into the proper repayment statuses.

NASFAA's 2020 Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo is less than one month away. The annual conference includes two days of sessions designed to help financial aid professionals grow and thrive, wherever they are in their careers, followed by an optional day on Capitol Hill where participants can advocate on behalf of their students. Attendees will have their choice of four leadership pathways, including the brand-new Compliance Management pathway. Spaces are filling quickly — register to save your spot today.

Start the new year off right by focusing on your professional development with the NASFAA U Verification online course. This is an excellent course for both new and experienced staff. NASFAA instructors Tonya Hsiung, David Downing, and David Futrell will lead participants through the maze of verification requirements for both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 award years. The course begins Jan. 13, 2020 and will fill quickly. Don’t miss out on this great training opportunity. Register now.

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