Below are NASFAA's recent appearances in the media.
Why the CEO of a Roaring Ed-Tech Startup Quietly Moved to Buffalo August 11, 2022-"What if?, the Concourse Global team asked. What if high school counselors had a tool they could give their students, where all they have to do is create a profile with their test scores, grades and interests. What if those profiles – scrubbed ...
The Status of Federal Student Aid Programs August 10, 2022-"The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators compiles an annual report of the latest data on major federal student aid programs. The new National Student Aid Profile provides an overview of how federal student aid programs are be...
After President Biden Cancels Student Debt August 3, 2022-"With more than 43 million borrowers owing more than $1.6 trillion in outstanding federal student loans, the nation is at a critical juncture on the shared problems of college cost and student loan debt. For years, rising costs, state disinvestment i...
Reps. Bonamici, Fitzpatrick Sponsor Bill to Help Student Borrowers Repay Debt July 29, 2022-"U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) are sponsoring a bill to help student loan borrowers avoid default. The Streamlining Income-driven, Manageable Payments on Loans for Education (SIMPLE) Act would automatically enroll st...
Maryland Ranks Second in Highest Student Debt July 27, 2022-"Maryland residents on average have the second highest student debt burden in the nation, while the majority of financial aid administrators are concerned about their ability to help students navigate a complex system," NPR reports. "The burden on fi...
What Will Biden Do on Loans? July 22, 2022-"The clock is ticking for the Biden administration to let borrowers know whether it plans to extend the pause on federal student loan payments, which is currently set to expire on Aug. 31. If the pause is not extended, 45 million borrowers will have ...
With “NASFAA Gives Back” Program, Group Reinvests in Its Members July 14, 2022-"Over the course of the pandemic, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators provided so many valuable services and benefits that not only was its renewal rate high but new members joined in droves. Now, as its members struggle ...
3 Major Changes in Biden’s Borrower Defense Proposal July 12, 2022-"Last week, the Biden administration proposed sweeping regulations that would overhaul the nation’s student loan system. One element of the proposal is an updated borrower defense to repayment rule, which forgives federal loans for students who...
Simplifying Student Loans July 7, 2022-"The Education Department released a series of proposed rules Wednesday that would simplify federal loans, to make it easier for students who attended fraudulent colleges or who are public service workers to get loan forgiveness," Inside Higher Ed re...
Biden Administration Wants to Ease Student-Loan Forgiveness for Some July 6, 2022-"Students could have a clearer path to loan forgiveness and affordable repayment of their education debt under plans unveiled Wednesday by the Biden administration," The Washington Post reports.
Canceling Student Loan Debt Is Just the Start July 1, 2022-"There is much we don’t yet know about President Biden’s anticipated plan for student loan forgiveness. One thing is certain though: while this will benefit millions of borrowers, it will not fix our broken student loan system. We need to...
Colleges Struggle With Severe Financial Aid Staffing Shortages June 27, 2022-"As much of the U.S. labor market continues to contend with major shortages, college financial aid offices are struggling to find and retain qualified employees. While many had vacancies prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this issue has become exacerbat...
Purdue Backs Off Income-Share Agreements June 23, 2022-"Purdue University has paused new enrollments in its income-share agreement program, a financing mechanism both praised as a bold experiment to make college more accessible and criticized as a predatory scheme that traps students in dodgy and expensi...
Support for Debt Forgiveness, But… June 21, 2022-"A poll conducted by NPR and Ipsos found that although debt forgiveness is popular among Americans, a majority would prefer the Biden administration focus on efforts to make college more affordable," Inside Higher Ed reports.
Need-Based Financial Aid: What It Is and How to Qualify June 20, 2022-"If you can’t pay for college out of pocket, you can apply for need-based financial aid. Need-based financial aid is college funding that is awarded based on your financial situation. Federal need-based aid is available through the Free Applica...
Is Student Loan Debt Bad? 5 Experts Weigh In June 16, 2022-"With the prospect of loan forgiveness looming, student loan debt continues to be a lightning rod issue. This debt has ballooned to nearly $1.75 trillion in the U.S. That figure is spread across 43.4 million Americans for an average of $37,358 p...
How Would Student-Loan Forgiveness Really Work? June 8, 2022-"Nearly 18 months into the term of President Biden, his administration continues to grapple with whether and how to provide blanket forgiveness to the more than 40 million people who hold nearly $1.6 trillion in student-loan debt," The Chronicle of H...
Reform to Student Loans: What Higher Ed Wants June 7, 2022-"As President Biden moves closer to canceling at least some student debt in the near future, many higher education advocates and members of Congress are concerned that cancellation without broader reforms to the federal loan system at large will...
A Radical Change for Admissions June 6, 2022-"Imagine a new way for colleges to admit students: students don’t apply. They just create a single, basic portfolio, showing their grades, their interests and relevant information. They can include their test scores if they want to. Colleges wo...
10 Steps to Minimize Student Loan Debt June 6, 2022-"Students should choose a college wisely and learn about loans before borrowing," writes U.S. News and World Report.
Biden Administration Discharges $5.8 Billion for Defrauded Loan Borrowers June 2, 2022-"The Department of Education announced it is forgiving $5.8 billion in federal student loan debt from borrowers who were deceived over a period of two decades by for-profit Corinthian Colleges, the largest single cancellation of debt in the depa...
Student Loan Debt, Equity, and Forgiveness May 31, 2022-"Student loan forgiveness is a politically fraught business. How do we develop equitable policy in this space," Inside Higher Ed reports.
2 Big Problems That Could Be Caused By A Financial Aid Staffing Crisis May 27, 2022-"Staffing shortages are reaching crisis levels in financial aid offices, leaving administrators concerned about serving students adequately and complying with regulations. Responses from more than 500 colleges and universities “paint a grim pic...
College Enrollment Declines Are Here to Stay May 26, 2022-"Enrollment in colleges and universities fell across the U.S. this spring, worsening an ongoing crisis that many had thought would show signs of rebound by now," writes U.S. News & World Report.
Pandemic Exacerbated Financial Aid Office Staffing Problems, Survey Says May 24, 2022-"Higher education has not been immune to what’s being dubbed the Great Resignation. It describes a mass exodus of workers from many industries amid the pandemic, although it is somewhat of a misnomer, as in many cases employees are jumping ship...
Aid Office Staff Shortages Reach ‘Crisis,’ Survey Shows May 24, 2022-"Increasing staffing shortages at college financial aid offices have been a point of concern throughout the pandemic. According to a recent survey, reduced capacity, high turnover rates and difficulty hiring over the past two years have institut...
Financial-Aid Offices Are Short-Staffed — and Some Are ‘Drowning’ as a Result May 24, 2022-"Many financial-aid offices are understaffed and struggling to fill open positions, according to new survey results from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. The findings, released on Tuesday, echo a major concern wi...
How Purdue U.'s Income-Share Agreement Confused Students May 20, 2022-"A Purdue University financial-aid program that promised to reshape the way students paid for college has come under national scrutiny from some consumer advocates and disgruntled borrowers," The Chronicle of Higher Education reports.
Ed Dept Will Continue to Waive Financial Aid Verification Rules for 2022-23 May 19, 2022-"The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday it will continue to waive parts of its process for auditing students’ financial aid documentation through the 2022-23 enrollment cycle," Education Dive reports.
Education Department Extends FAFSA Verification Waivers May 19, 2022-"The Department of Education will extend waivers for certain verification requirements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Had the department not extended the waivers, more than 100,000 students could have been forced to pause or leave p...
Education Dept. Extends Waiver Limiting Audits of Financial Aid Forms May 19, 2022-"The Biden administration said Wednesday the Education Department will continue to temporarily relax its audit of students who apply for federal grants and loans, with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic still rippling thr...
Biden Hints at Student Loan Forgiveness, But Many Questions Remain May 19, 2022-"President Biden has hinted that he is considering relieving at least some of the $1.7 trillion in debt owed to the federal government by more than 40 million student loan borrowers. However, with the final proposal still up in the air, the feasibili...
Looking to Compare Colleges? Try This Online Tool May 18, 2022-
"With thousands of colleges and universities to choose from – varying in cost, size, location, majors and extracurricular activities – narrowing down a list of top choices can be daunting But there is a tool that allows students and fam...
Education Department Extends Changes to Federal Student Aid Verification May 18, 2022-"The Education Department will extend temporary changes to how it reviews federal student aid applications as part of an effort to offset steep college enrollment declines recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic," Politico Pro reports.
The Priceless Plan from 22 Higher Ed Groups That Might Trump $1.7T Student Loan Fix May 17, 2022-"The Biden Administration is forging a plan that will be released in the coming weeks on how to address the student loan crisis and the $1.7 trillion in debt facing 43 million Americans. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator...
Financial Aid Administrators Call for Student Loan System Reforms May 16, 2022-"The federal government’s student financial aid system has long come under fire, drawing a range of accusations: the U.S. Department of Education is lax in monitoring loan servicers, loan forgiveness is difficult for borrowers to secure, studen...
Student Aid Group Releases Ideas for Loan Reforms May 16, 2022-"While many wait to see what President Biden will do about forgiving student debts, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators today released a report on other ideas that it thinks are necessary," Inside Higher Ed reports.
Afternoon Update: How to Solve the Student-Disengagement Crisis May 12, 2022-"Based on today’s auction of the 10-year Treasury note, the rates after July 1 are likely to rise from 3.73 percent to 4.99 percent for undergraduate direct loans, 5.28 percent to 6.54 percent for graduate and professional loans, and 6.28 perce...
All About Public Service Loan Forgiveness May 3, 2022-"Many student loan borrowers have received some relief in recent years, as the U.S. Department of Education paused student loan payments and collections on most federal student loans in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. And while it's ...
Why Talk of Student-Debt Cancellation Is Creating Headaches for Colleges May 3, 2022-"After years stuck in limbo, the idea of widespread federal-student-loan cancellation has suddenly picked up momentum over the past week. But with the details yet to be determined, colleges are struggling to explain to current students what debt forg...
As Smaller Colleges Close, Competition Increases May 1, 2022-"When the pause on student loan repayments was extended through the end of August, 43 million borrowers may have breathed a collective sigh of relief. But former students paying off loans is just one facet of a complicated college planning environmen...
Student Loan Borrowers Will See Two New Changes from the Education Department Soon April 21, 2022-"The U.S. Education Department is taking steps to forgive certain types of student loan debt under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. A recent investigation by NPR revealed that Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans for federal stud...
Changes in 2 Loan Programs April 20, 2022-"The U.S. Education Department on Tuesday announced changes to two key student loan programs: the Public Service Loan Forgiveness and income-driven repayment programs," Inside Higher Ed reports.
Millions of Loan Borrowers Get More Relief in Sweeping Plan to Fix Student Loan System April 19, 2022-"More than 3.5 million borrowers will be credited with three years of payments on their student loan plans and another 40,000 will have their debt immediately canceled through Public Service Loan Forgiveness as the Department of Education overhauls i...
Williams Gets More Generous With Aid April 14, 2022-"Williams College is significantly expanding its financial aid offerings. College will be all grants, no loans for those with family incomes up to $175,000. No students will have to hold down jobs, even in the summer," Inside Higher Ed reports.
Biden Wants to Double the Maximum Pell Grant. What Difference Would That Make? April 13, 2022-"A $13,000 Pell Grant would just about fully cover today’s average annual cost of attendance for community-college students. Students at public four-year institutions would have more than half of their tuition, fees, room, and board paid for," ...
Biden Extends Student Loan Forgiveness, Bringing Political Clash April 7, 2022-"US president Joe Biden has extended the federal pause on student loan repayments into the summer and waived any records of past defaults for borrowers, stoking an election-year showdown over college affordability," Times Higher Education reports.&nb...
Here’s How Biden Could Double Pell Grant Financial Aid for College Students April 5, 2022-"President Joe Biden, at last, has a plan to fulfill his campaign promise to double the maximum Pell Grant award. Advocates lauded the president's promise to double the award by 2029 in his latest budget proposal," according to Best Colleges.
Jobless Benefits’ Unintended Fallout: Reduced College Financial Aid April 1, 2022-"Unemployment benefits helped millions of people who lost their jobs in the pandemic, but now the payments may throw a wrench into the college financial aid process," The New York Times reports.
Ukrainian, Russian Students Face Financial Woes in U.S. March 30, 2022-"Viktoriia Yevtushenko, a freshman at Pace University, is caught between two worlds. Back home in Ukraine, her country is under siege from hostile Russian forces, which prompted her family to flee, losing their home and business in the process. But i...
Biden Seeks Big Increase for Pell March 29, 2022-"President Biden proposed a $2,175 increase in the maximum Pell Grant Monday in his budget proposal to Congress for fiscal 2023. That would bring the maximum annual Pell award to $8,670," Inside Higher Ed reports.
Biden’s Double Pell Promises Are Lofty, But Will They Pass in FY2023 Budget? March 28, 2022-"The Double Pell discussion is alive and well again, but for how long? In his 2023 fiscal year budget proposal, the Biden Administration doubled down again on its offer of sweeping relief for students across higher education – namely boosting t...
Good News for College Students: Pell Grants Have Gotten a Boost March 28, 2022-"College students could see their Pell Grant award go up by as much as $400 for the coming academic year, thanks to the federal spending bill signed into law March 15," Marketwatch reports.
What to Expect When Paying for College in 2022 March 22, 2022-
"The cost of college has long put a strain on many families, and the coronavirus pandemic's financial impact has heightened stress levels over the last two years. The federal government allocated several emergency funding streams to colleges to ass...
Another $400 in Free College Aid Could Be Coming Your Way March 18, 2022-
"College students could see their Pell Grant award go up by as much as $400 for the coming academic year, thanks to the federal spending bill signed into law March 15," NerdWallet reports.
House-Approved $400 Pell Grant Boost Is ‘Significant’ But Falls Short of Hopes March 10, 2022-"As part of the U.S. House passage of the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill late Wednesday night, representatives have approved a $400 annual increase for federal Pell Grant program recipients, the largest in a decade. But while every dollar matter...
Campus Financial Aid Supports Shine in Crisis but Are Otherwise Lackluster March 3, 2022-"As far as major life purchases go—home, car and college education—former financial aid administrator Amy Glynn can’t help but notice that only two out of three have revamped the experience to be highly personalized and relatively e...
Biggest Mistakes That Families Make When Appealing College Financial-Aid Decisions March 3, 2022-"As college financial-aid award letters trickle in, many families will find the offers coming up unexpectedly short because of how the pandemic has affected their lives. But they might have some wiggle room," The Wall Street Journal reports.
Is Biden Scaling Back His Higher-Ed Agenda? March 1, 2022-"President Biden is set to repeat some of his longstanding higher-education priorities in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, calling for more federal spending for low-income students and at minority-serving institutions," The Chronicle ...
Are Recommendation Letters a Form of Discrimination? February 22, 2022-"If you are applying to the University of California, Los Angeles, you can’t submit a letter of recommendation," according to Inside Higher Ed.
Don't Let the College Price Tag Intimidate You — Here Are 5 Ways to Finance Your Education February 19, 2022-"For the month of February, higher education institutions across the country celebrate Financial Aid Awareness Month. The purpose of this commemoration is to make college students and their families aware of crucial information about federal, state a...
How Does My Income Affect My Study Grant? February 17, 2022-"Finding money for college usually always feels like a stretch, and uncertain economic times can make it particularly difficult, especially with income changes that can affect your ability to pay for college. As a college student, your income also di...
Over $3B In Financial Aid Unclaimed in 2021, Researchers Find February 17, 2022-"Cash-strapped college students are not known for turning down free money, but new research suggests they are doing just that. The study from the National College Attainment Network found that the 2021 freshman class left an estimated $3.75 billion i...
NASFAA Survey Reveals Early FAFSA's Impact February 16, 2022-"The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) released findings from its survey that show students are starting to benefit from the Early Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which was implemented a...
Early FAFSA Process Is Working, Thanks to Quick Responses From Colleges February 15, 2022-"Nearly half of college and university administrators are getting financial aid offers into the hands of families and prospective students more quickly, according to a new report released by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administr...
Earlier Aid Awards February 14, 2022-"Changes made in federal financial aid policy five years ago are having a positive impact on the awarding of aid, according to a survey released today by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators," Inside Higher Ed reports.
2 Changes to Your Admissions Policies That Can Increase Access and Enrollment February 3, 2022-"The National Student Clearinghouse’s recent report that college enrollment continues to decline is not a surprise to most enrollment leaders. The impact of The Great Pandemic that will roll right into The Great Demographic Decline is already a...
Considering A PLUS Loan? Here Is Everything You Need To Know February 1, 2022-"If you thought Gucci and Prada were expensive, try getting a college degree. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average U.S. student pays $35,720 a year for their college education. While most students are eligible for some form of...
A Racial Reckoning for College Access in America January 27, 2022-"For the third time in two decades, the Supreme Court will hear a case involving the consideration of race in college admission decisions. By deciding to consider the combined complaints against Harvard University and the University of North Car...
College Admission Trifecta Hopes to Build Back Better January 27, 2022-"It has been quite a week in college admission. On Monday we learned that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear challenges to Affirmative Action and the use of race-conscious admission practices. On Tuesday the College Board declared their plans to take t...
Community College’s Controversial Partnership Draws Federal Scrutiny January 26, 2022-"The U.S. Department of Education is investigating the use of federal financial aid at an Ohio community college that has come under fire for poor teaching quality and an unusual relationship with a for-profit company that recruits labor union member...
5 Keys to Creating True Equity in College Admissions and Financial Aid January 21, 2022-"Understanding the link between selectivity and racial inequity in college admissions is one of several key strategies in dismantling long-standing and system barriers to college access," University Business reports.
Delayed Vote on Pell Grant Increase Could Disrupt College Financial Aid Offers January 21, 2022-
"For many students, the grants and scholarships they receive determine which college they attend or whether higher education is even within reach. But college and universities will have a tough time this year giving admitted students a clear, tim...
Education Department Drops Trump-era Student Loan Requirement January 21, 2022-"The Biden administration is abandoning a Trump-era policy that would have required federal student loan borrowers to sign an online acknowledgment about their total student debt each year before taking out new loans," Politico reports.
A Radical Approach to Who Gets In January 20, 2022-"The admissions system should be totally overhauled to make it more fair, especially for students of color, said a report issued Wednesday by the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the National Association of Student Financial ...
Panic at the ACC: How Alston Case, Feds Fueled Financial-Aid Frenzy January 10, 2022-"In October, the Atlantic Coast Conference reached out to the Department of Education to solicit guidance about the financial-aid implications of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in NCAA v. Alston, which determined that the NCAA could...
FAFSA Changes Are Coming But 52% of Colleges Aren't Prepared January 6, 2022-"The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will see some key changes for the 2023-24 academic year, but more than half of higher education institutions in the U.S. say they are not ready for those changes, according to a new study fro...
Pressure Builds on Biden Ahead of Student Loan Cliff December 17, 2021-"President Biden is facing an avalanche of pressure over his administration’s plans to require millions of Americans to resume student loan payments in the coming weeks," The Hill reports.
Not Enough Financial Aid? Here Are 10 Ways To Pay For College December 10, 2021-"If your financial aid package falls short, applying for merit-based aid, looking into tuition assistance programs — and even crowdfunding, are some viable options you could explore to help cover the costs of college," moneyunder30.com reports.
Recap: Rule-Making Committee Struggles to Reach Consensus December 10, 2021-"Following a months-long process, negotiators are meeting with the Department of Education this week for the final time to discuss regulatory changes to several federal student aid programs, with hopes of reaching agreement on the new language that o...
How to Renew the FAFSA December 6, 2021-
"The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA, can be a time-consuming and tedious task for many students and families," according to U.S. News & World Report.
The Top 2 Concerns for Colleges as They Assess Pending FAFSA Changes December 1, 2021-"With changes not coming to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Federal Methodology until the 2024-25 award year, it is not surprising that only half of all institutions have started prepping for it. Nor is it a shock that admini...