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Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced a bill on August 5 to increase risk-sharing in administering federal student aid by institutions. Citing problems with the current default rate metric, the senators propose to replace default rates with a new measure of institutional accountability based on Direct Loan repayment rates. The “Student Protection and Success Act” would require a school’s repayment rate to be high enough to justify continued participation in the federal student loan program.

The “undermatching” phenomenon in higher education on the surface appears to have a fairly straightforward solution: High-achieving, low-income students need more information about their options, and more selective colleges and universities should do a better job of reaching out to those students and making room for them on campus.

Although my time with NASFAA is coming to an end, my calendar and to-do list remain full. Among the many exciting events that I got to attend recently, there are two events in particular that I am excited to share with you. Read on to learn more about my experiences as NASFAA's policy intern and don't forget to check out my Facebook album for pictures I've taken while in D.C.

Registration is currently open for NASFAA's 2015-16 Webinar Series. Planned topics for the fall include Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals, a Washington Update on the latest political happenings in Washington, D.C., Title IV Funds Late Disbursements, 2016-2017 Verification, and more. Each webinar is $120 for members, and $240 for non-members. Those who purchased the entire Webinar Package must still register in advance for each webinar they plan to attend; during the registration process, the balance will be $0.

New for the 2015-16 program year, the Satisfactory Academic Progress Self-Study Guide provides an overview of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) concepts and guides the learner through evaluating SAP, appeals, and additional policy considerations. Quick quizzes, learning activities, and reflection questions help reinforce content and help individuals understand SAP. Completion of this self-study guide qualifies individuals to take the NASFAA University credential exam on satisfactory academic progress.

On July 31, 2015, the Department of Education released a pre-publication copy of the Federal Register notice that invites postsecondary educational institutions to apply to participate in a new institutionally-based experiment under the Experimental Sites Initiative (ESI).

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority designed to demonstrate promising practices in the use of career pathways to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015.

The Secretary proposes to amend the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) governing direct grant programs and State-administered programs as they relate to faith-based organizations. The Secretary also proposes to amend the regulations governing uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for Federal awards.

This notice sets forth the schedule and agenda of the meeting of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

Sections 102 and 103 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) require a State Governor to submit a Unified or Combined State Plan for approval every four years in order to receive funds under six core workforce development programs. Modifications to these plans must be submitted at least every two years.

"Elida Gonzalez feared drowning in college debt on her road to a middle-class job, so instead she sold investors a piece of her future," The Wall Street Journal reports. "The now-23-year-old daughter of a farm worker from Santa Maria, Calif., signed up with 13th Avenue Funding, borrowing $15,000 to complete her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Sacramento-based nonprofit group agreed to fund her college expenses in exchange for a share of her future earnings in an arrangement called an income-share agreement."

"Everyone, it seems, is trying to measure the value of a college degree. For many elected officials in the states, that amount boils down to a fairly simple number: The earnings of the person who received that credential," The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. "But while higher-education officials often tout the salary bonus conferred by a bachelor’s degree, for instance, many of those same officials worry about overrelying on wages as the only way to demonstrate the value of a college education."

"Being retired and still saddled with student loans can be a terrible burden, but getting rid of them -- short of paying them off -- isn't easy. You can't count on forgiveness," Bankrate reports.

"College affordability has recently become the preeminent issue in higher education, as student-debt figures have hit staggering levels," Business Insider reports. "But most conversations center around the ballooning tuition costs, rather than a less-well-known source that strains the wallets of college students: textbooks."

"A Senate committee looked at how colleges and universities might improve student success at a hearing on Wednesday. The simplest metric of student success are graduation rates. Senators and hearing witnesses said that too many students drop out of college or take too long to graduate," according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

"Laura Strong, a 29-year-old in suburban Chicago, owes $245,000 on student loans for the psychology Ph.D. she finished in 2013. This year, she says she hopes to earn $35,000 working part-time jobs as a therapist and yoga teacher—not enough to manage a loan payment of about $2,000 a month. But Strong isn’t paying anything close to that. She’s one of at least 3.8 million Americans who’ve qualified for federal programs that tie payments to income and eventually forgive debt for some struggling borrowers, leaving taxpayers to pick up the tab," Bloomberg Business reports.

"In order to stay competitive regionally and globally, states have been pushing for more residents to earn a college degree or certificate," Inside Higher Ed reports. "It's an initiative that has been picking up steam across the country, as free-two-year college programs grow and colleges work on closing achievement gaps -- all in an effort to get more college credentials into the hands of America's workers."

"An initiative that would ask Denver voters to increase the sales tax to provide college scholarships moved one step closer to the November ballot Wednesday," The Denver Post reports.

"Sixty students were left in the lurch this week when Missouri Tech, a for-profit business in St. Charles, abruptly closed its doors, locking students out in the middle of the term and producing uncertainty over what options they have to continue their education," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

"During a recent forum at South Carolina’s Trident Technical College, candidate Hillary Clinton proposed a tax incentive to encourage employers to take on more apprentices. With unemployment among 18 to 34 year olds at 7.8%, and nearly 15% among young African-American adults, the need for more apprenticeships and other forms of skills training for young people is clear," Nicholas Wyman writes for Forbes.

"... As we celebrate and recommit to this milestone of American progress, we should reflect upon a related bill of that watershed year. In November of 1965, President Johnson signed the Higher Education Act, which created the student aid program now known as the Pell Grants to help finance college opportunity. Upon signing the bill, Johnson declared that it would 'swing open a new door for the young people of America. For them, and for this entire land of ours, it is the most important door that will ever open—the door to education,'" Daniel Porterfield writes for Forbes.

"Education Secretary Arne Duncan has heard Democratic contenders for president propose making college tuition- or debt-free — and he's afraid the debate is missing something," Vox reports.

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