By Megan Walter, Senior Policy Analyst
On Tuesday, a panel of financial aid and policy experts examined the ongoing debate over improving financial aid offers.
Panelists – including Megan Walter (NASFAA), Chad Olson (Iowa State University), Anika Van Eaton (uAspire), and Stephen Payne (Strada Education Foundation) – traced how the issue evolved from a niche concern into a major policy focus.
Throughout the session, attendees were provided with an overview of recent legislative efforts, such as the Understanding the True Cost of College Act and the Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act, and discussed why consensus has been difficult to reach despite years of advocacy.
The conversation highlighted differing yet complementary perspectives: uAspire's continued push for a standardized form grounded in research on student comprehension; Strada's focus on affordability and access as a funder of transparency efforts; and the institutional realities that Olson's campus has navigated as a College Cost Transparency Initiative (CCTI) participant.
Much of the discussion centered on NASFAA's College Cost Transparency Initiative, which has grown to include 750 partner institutions since its 2023 launch and offered a real-world alternative to a federally mandated form.
Panelists closed the session by identifying areas of emerging common ground and what they hope to see as the conversation continues to develop.
Publication Date: 7/1/2026
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