NASFAA Mention: Federal Efforts Pertaining to COVID-19

"Congress and the Trump administration are working on legislation and guidance related to federal student aid and other issues affecting colleges and students as a result of the coronavirus pandemic," according to Community College Daily.

"The U.S. Education Department (ED) soon will release more guidance on federal student aid as the number of colleges closing campuses and making programming adjustments increases. And colleges certainly have a lot of questions about how those changes affect student aid. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) on Tuesday held a webinar to answer questions related to coronavirus and student aid that drew 6,000 registrants.

Meanwhile, in Congress, House Democrats have introduced a companion bill to a Senate proposal that would provide emergency grants to eligible college students for basic needs. The two bills also would offer flexibility to some student aid requirements.

NASFAA expects Congress to work on other related legislation that lawmakers will likely package together in a week or two.

Q&A on student aid

NASFAA received advance notice of some information in the upcoming ED guidance. For example, the department won’t require colleges to make changes to cost-of-attendance requirements as a result of campus closures and other changes. However, colleges giving refunds to students that would affect an institution’s credit balance still must get approval from the department.

Colleges that are shortening their academic year — some are extending spring break or considering ending their academic year early — also must get ED’s approval.

The NASFAA webinar addressed questions related to Federal Work-Study (FWS) requirements. For example, FWS students can continue to get paid for their scheduled work hours if the program is affected by closures. FWS students also can work remotely, if it’s an option."

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

 

Publication Date: 3/18/2020

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