NASFAA Endorses the Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Allie Arcese
Sr. Director, Strategic Communications
[email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 29, 2026 — The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, which represents more than 29,000 financial aid professionals at higher education institutions across the country, is pleased to support the Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act as a thoughtful, practical step toward improving clarity and transparency in financial aid communications.
The bill establishes meaningful guardrails to ensure that financial aid offers are understandable, consistent, and consumer-friendly. By requiring colleges and universities to use standardized terminology and specific content elements in their own design or a federal model form, the bill provides helpful guidance while recognizing the diversity of colleges and universities and the students they serve.
This approach aligns closely with the principles and standards of the College Cost Transparency Initiative (CCTI), a national movement to improve aid offers led by NASFAA in partnership with the American Council on Education (ACE), which includes more than 750 institutions serving over 7 million students. Institutions that have joined the CCTI have committed to clarity, comparability, and transparency in financial aid offers, demonstrating that the higher education community is dedicated to student-centered communication about college costs.
“Students and families benefit when all institutions communicate the complexities of college costs and financing clearly and consistently. When institutions define and present terms differently, it can be difficult for students and families to make clear comparisons or fully understand their financial responsibilities. By standardizing key terminology and presenting core information in a consistent order, this legislation improves transparency and comparability while preserving institutions’ flexibility to communicate in ways that best serve their students,” said Melanie Storey, NASFAA President & CEO.
“Importantly, the bill recognizes that a financial aid offer is not a standardized consumer product. It is a personalized calculation that reflects each student’s enrollment status, housing choices, program of study, and eligibility factors. A rigid, one-size-fits-all form risks oversimplifying these individualized variables. By allowing institutions to maintain their own design or adopt a model form developed by the U.S. Department of Education, the legislation strikes the right balance between uniformity and flexibility while advancing clarity and transparency.”
NASFAA policy experts are available to speak to members of the media about financial aid offer transparency and the Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act. To set up an interview, please email [email protected].
###
About NASFAA
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership organization that represents more than 29,000 financial aid professionals at approximately 3,000 colleges, universities, and career schools across the country. NASFAA member institutions serve nine out of every 10 undergraduates in the U.S. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial aid administrators.
Publication Date: 4/30/2026
