By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
Financial aid experts gathered on Thursday to discuss the recent challenges with the return to student loan repayment after the Covid-19-related pause, along with possible solutions and approaches financial aid offices can take to help inform borrowers.
The return to student loan repayment has been confusing for borrowers and financial aid offices alike, with changing guidance from both the Biden and Trump administrations, legal challenges to the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan, and more. Already, the Department of Education (ED) has begun a campaign to remind borrowers to reenter repayment and resume their student loan repayment plans and has called on institutions to reach out to their borrowers.
At the NASFAA 2025 National Conference, multiple sessions were held to discuss the current state of student loan repayment.
In a session focused on counseling graduate and professional borrowers on repayment, Heather Boutell, director of financial aid at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and Emily Osborn, director of the Chicago office of financial aid for Northwestern University, gave an important update regarding the Congressional reconciliation bill that could potentially impact graduate students and how the bill’s drafted language is creating confusion.
Notably, the Senate parliamentarian advised that several provisions of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” would be subject to a 60-vote threshold if they remain in the bill. That includes a provision in the reconciliation bill that prohibits borrowers from qualifying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) if they make payments while they are in medical or dental internships or residencies.
While not flagged by the Senate parliamentarian, the reconciliation bill also eliminates the Grad PLUS loan program, which was concerning to both Boutell and Osborn.
Beyond the reconciliation landscape, the flurry of student loan debt news – such as the pending litigation on SAVE, along with the multiple initiatives from the Biden administration to forgive student loan debt – has led to borrower confusion. This was also a main point of discussion in another NASFAA 2025 session focused on approaches to helping students understand their repayment options, titled “Navigating the New Repayment Paradigm: It’s Not What It Used to Be.”
During this session, Boutell, along with Patti Kohler, vice president of Western Governors University, and Stephen Queisser, vice president of strategic partnerships at Student Connections, listed possible approaches financial aid offices could take to help communicate with the students about loan repayment.
That includes aid offices considering enhancing exit counseling once the student completes their degree or credential. Additionally, aid offices could email and mail borrowers, or work with a third-party vendor to notify borrowers on their loan amounts. The panel also suggested that aid offices partner with financial wellness groups on campus, or engage with their alumni associations to reach borrowers.
Our Today's News team is on the ground in Anaheim, keeping you up to date on NASFAA 2025 sessions and special events. Be sure to follow our social media channels, where you can share your experiences and connect with your colleagues. Check out all of our conference news coverage and stay tuned to Today’s News for more throughout the conference.
Publication Date: 6/27/2025
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