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On Wednesday, November 18, NASFAA President Justin Draeger will testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and House Committee on Education and the Workforce about the experiences and challenges NASFAA members have faced interacting with the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). The hearing, which is open to the public, will be held at 9:00 am on November 18 in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building– we encourage members in the D.C. area to join us. A link to the site where the webcast of the hearing can be watched will be provided the morning of the hearing in Today’s News. FSA is a valued partner in NASFAA's commitment to college access and success and we approach this hearing in the spirit of seeking solutions to current challenges many schools have expressed in recent months.

This week many of your presidents will receive a letter from the American Council on Education and multiple undersigned organizations, including NASFAA, asking for institutional support to extend the Perkins Loan Program for an additional year. This is an additional attempt to revive the program by attaching it to the upcoming final fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget bill after an extension failed in the Senate in September. NASFAA is aware and supportive of this effort and encourages institutions to sign-on to help the effort gain momentum.

Tuition and required fees at public and private nonprofit institutions increased slightly between the 2012-13 and 2014-15 academic years, according to newly-released data from the Department of Education (ED), while decreasing slightly at private for-profit institutions.

The next iteration of the College Scorecard should include data to help create a “value-added” rankings system that examines student earnings after college, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution.

Learn the answer to this question and learn how to instantly find credible and reliable solutions to your most pressing regulatory and compliance questions with NASFAA's AskRegs Knowledgebase. The Knowledgebase guide and video tutorials highlight the many features of this tool.

NASFAA is here to help you stay up to date on the top policy events occurring throughout the week in Washington, D.C. and, when applicable, across the country. Make sure to check back in to Today's News each morning for coverage of some of the events, and email us at [email protected] if you're aware of upcoming policy events that could be of interest to the financial aid community.

Congress:
The House is in session Monday through Wednesday. The Senate is in session Monday through Friday.

Tuesday:

• Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Meeting for Borrower Defense, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET
• State of the Union Address, 9:00 pm ET

Wednesday:

• Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Meeting for Borrower Defense, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET

Thursday:

• Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Meeting for Borrower Defense, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET

The Department's federal offices as well as its Title IV processors and contact centers will be closed on Thursday, November 26, 2015 to observe the Thanksgiving Day federal holiday. In addition, some of the Title IV processors and call centers will be closed on Friday, November 27, 2015.

As a reminder, every organization enrolled for a Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) account is required to review and validate its assigned TG numbers and Electronic Services user accounts by December 11, 2015. Currently, approximately 70 percent of accounts still require validation.

The COD Processing Update provides information related to COD System processing and includes the following sections: COD News and Updates, Current Issues (with a subsection for All Programs, Direct Loans, and Grants), and Reminders.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education (Department) is required by regulation to develop an earnings survey to support gainful employment (GE) program evaluations.

"Grace season is coming to an end. No, this has nothing to do with the holidays. For millions of college graduates from the class of 2015, the end of grace season means this month or next they will be making their first required federal student loan payment," according to The Kansas City Star. "The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators said borrowers new and old who are unsure or having problems should be asking their financial aid office or loan service provider the following questions."

"Student loan debt is about to clear $35,000 per student for the first time. If you want to go to a private university or graduate school, your debt is going to be even higher," according to MSN's Money.

"Higher education reform is emerging as a key priority among Southern Nevada leaders as they begin drafting a policy agenda for the upcoming legislative term in Carson City," the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

"Graduate from college this year? Congratulations! If you borrowed money, you likely need to pay back more than $35,000," Slate reports.

"East Central College trustees last week took the first look at a proposed financial aid code of conduct related to the administration of the college's financial aid programs," The Missourian reports. "In a memo to the board, [ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer] said that the code consists primarily of best practices identified by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)."

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