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The Department of Education (ED) has confirmed verbally that schools that receive unsolicited personally identifiable information (PII) from a student or parent through an unsecured manner, do not currently have to report it as a data breach to ED. Discussions on this topic are continuing at ED.

Looking for guidance on late disbursements? Wondering how to factor in combat pay? Take a look back at last month's most read Q&As. If you have a question that's not on the list, you can find a credible and reliable answer on the AskRegs Knowledgebase site by browsing or searching the answers provided by our Training and Regulatory Assistance staff. You may also submit your own question using the Request Support feature.

Working on compliance? Don't go it alone. The Compliance Engine's Self-Evaluation Checklists and Policies and Procedures (P&P) Builder allow you to work collaboratively by assigning checklists and manuals, topic sections, and even individual line items to colleagues. Each area or item can be assigned to one person, but you can manage those assignments to get input from several staff members. Assignees can view all parts of the checklist or manual, but can only edit the pieces they've been assigned, preserving work entered by other users. Checklist and manual owners can monitor progress, print a customized view of assignments, and manage notifications using the Assignments dashboard. Work together today in the NASFAA Compliance Engine's Self-Evaluation Checklists and P&P Builder.

The Department of Education is pleased to announce the availability of the Application and Verification Guide (AVG) of the 2018-2019 Federal Student Aid Handbook.

In accordance with sections 413D(d)(2) and 442(d)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended (HEA), if a school returns more than 10 percent of its Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) or Federal Work-Study (FWS) allocations in a given award year, the allocation for the second succeeding award year is reduced by the dollar amount returned unless the Secretary waives this provision. The deadline to request a waiver of the 2018–19 Award Year penalty of FWS and FSEOG for the underuse of 2016–17 Award Year funds is February 5, 2018. 

"Amanda Lawson-Ross planned her career around a government loan forgiveness program. But after making payments for four years, it turns out she doesn't qualify," CNN Money reports. 

"Rep. Tom Garrett, a freshman Republican congressman from Virginia, has introduced new legislation known as the Student Security Act that would allow student loan borrowers to make an interesting choice. It would give borrowers the option to have some of their student loan debt forgiven in exchange for a higher Social Security full retirement age," according to The Motley Fool. 

"Students in the Dell Scholars Program — the majority black or Hispanic, many the first in their family to attend college — are 23 percent more likely than their peers who aren’t in the program to earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, according to research in a forthcoming paper in The Journal of Human Resources," The 74 reports.

"More Latinos are going to college than ever, but only about half of them earn a bachelor’s degree. Angelica Sanjuan Bermudez, a junior at the University of Texas at Dallas, says she understands why it’s a challenge for many students. She struggled at first. The mountain of schoolwork was overwhelming," The Dallas Morning News reports. "A new report by The Education Trust found that despite a dramatic increase in enrollment, schools need to redouble efforts to get more students like Bermudez through graduation." 

"In the two weeks after it was announced in November, more than 150 high school seniors rushed to sign up for the first tuition free community college program in Virginia. The Harvest Student Excellence in Education (SEED) initiative...makes the first two years of college at Patrick Henry Community College free of charge for all qualifying spring 2018 high school graduates in Martinsville and Henry County," Virginia Business reports.

"Alexander Cartwright is convinced he owes higher education something. Everything, actually. His gratitude helps shape his approach to his new role as chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia," according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "There’s a soft spot in his heart for Mizzou’s new affordability initiatives, such as grants to cover tuition for low-income students." 

"While 2017 saw a lot of attention placed on adult learners, the industry still has a long way to go on properly serving these students. With this in mind — and with a little help from some individuals and groups around the country who are keeping a close eye on the industry — we bring you five trends Education Dive expects higher education leaders to focus on in 2018," Education Dive reports. 

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