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Department of Education Details ISIR Processing Approach in New Announcement
March 4, 2024 - The Department of Education (ED) on Monday doubled down on its commitment to begin transmitting FAFSA applicant information to colleges and universities in the first half of March, and provided more details on what schools, state higher education age... -
ED Initiates 2024-25 FAFSA Soft Launch, With Periodic Maintenance Outages
December 31, 2023 - The Department of Education this weekend has begun its soft launch of the overhauled 2024-25 FAFSA, during which time the application will be available to students and families periodically as the department pulls the form down from time to time to p... -
Thousands of Public Comments Prompt ED to Remove Third-Party Servicer Guidance Effective Date
April 12, 2023 - Department of Education (ED) Under Secretary James Kvaal on Tuesday published a blog post with an update to the department’s third-party servicer guidance, stating that ED will remove the Sept. 1, 2023 effective date for the guidance due to an ... -
Republican Senators Introduce Bill to Stop Student Debt Cancellation
May 20, 2022 - While the White House and lawmakers continue to mull the idea of student loan forgiveness, a group of Republican senators led by Richard Burr (R-N.C.), ranking member of the chamber's education committee, on Wednesday introduced a bill that would pro... -
Republicans Grill Education Department on Facebook Data-Sharing Bungle
May 12, 2022 - The top Republicans on Congress' education committees are pressing the Department of Education (ED) for answers, after a news outlet uncovered that student and parent data was being inadvertently shared with Facebook through the website students use ... -
In Reversal, ED Will Not Enforce Title IV Eligibility for CARES Act Student Grants, Still Excluding DACA Students
May 21, 2020 - After facing heavy criticism over guidance that would limit federal emergency student grants to those eligible to receive Title IV aid, including critique from NASFAA, the Department of Education (ED) late on Thursday pulled an about-fa... -
VA Distributes Coronavirus Guidance for Payout of GI Bill Student Benefits
March 13, 2020 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Friday circulated information to institutions that enroll students who use GI Bill educational benefits, directing them on how to respond to questions regarding the impact on recipients if instruction moves ... -
Senate Votes to Block Trump Administration Borrower Defense Rule
March 12, 2020 - In a rare showing of bipartisan cooperation, 10 Republican senators joined Democrats on Wednesday in voting for a measure to overturn the Trump administration’s borrower defense regulations, which have come under scrutiny from lawmakers and con... -
ED Issues Guidance to Institutions on Title IV Implications of Coronavirus Spread
March 5, 2020 - As concerns about the potential spread of the coronavirus continue to rise, the Department of Education (ED) on Thursday released guidance providing significant flexibility to institutions with students who may experience interruptions in study. The ... -
DeVos Defends 2021 Budget Proposal as House Appropriators Push for Answers
February 28, 2020 - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Thursday appeared before a House appropriations subcommittee to justify the Trump administration's fiscal year 2021 budget request, as it relates to education funding. The budget request, released earlier this month... -
Quarterly FSA Data Report Gives First Glimpse of Automatic Closed School Discharges
February 21, 2020 - In its quarterly report on federal aid applications, loan disbursements, delinquencies, and other measures of student aid programs, Federal Student Aid (FSA) also for the first time provided a summary of borrowers deemed eligible to receive automatic... -
Department of Education Releases Final Regulations on Accreditation, State Authorization
November 1, 2019 - The Department of Education (ED) on Friday released final regulations for accreditation and state authorization of distance education, to take effect July 1, 2020. The final regulations quickly accumulated statements of opposition from left-leaning h... -
ED Moves Forward With Payment Vehicle Pilot, Selects Institutions and Providers
October 23, 2019 - The Department of Education (ED) this week inched closer to rolling out a pilot program for its payment vehicle, which would function as a prepaid debit card for federal student aid, as it selected a number of universities and financial service compa... -
ED Announces Intent for Institutional Reimbursement for Cancelled Perkins Loans
September 11, 2019 - Following months of pressure from the higher education and financial aid community, the Department of Education (ED) on Tuesday announced that it will release guidance by the end of 2019 on how it will reimburse colleges and universities more than $4... -
Senate Democrats Pressure DeVos on Closed School Discharges
August 8, 2019 - A group of more than 30 Senate Democrats on Tuesday wrote to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urging her to take action to expedite assistance for more than 32,000 students affected by recent and sudden school closures. -
Court Contradicts ED Assertion That It Has Sole Control Over Student Loan Servicers
August 1, 2019 - While the Department of Education (ED) has previously asserted its sole authority over federal student loan servicers, a circuit court recently contradicted that claim, arguing federal law does not preempt state consumer protection law in cases in wh... -
Report: Evidence to Support Short-Term Pell Grants Is Scarce
July 24, 2019 - Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have in recent months shown interest in allowing students to use Pell Grant funds for short-term, non-credit-bearing programs. While some have touted that expanding eligibility for the federal aid program could gi... -
10 Questions With NASFAA’s New National Chair, Paula Luff
July 22, 2019 - As she begins her tenure as 2019-20 National Chair, Paula took some time to discuss with Today's News her goals for the next year and what inspires her as a financial aid professional. Read on for more about what Paula thinks are the bi... -
More States Are Mandating High Schoolers Complete the FAFSA—But Is it Helping?
July 18, 2019 - Texas made headlines recently for enacting a law requiring high school students to complete a FAFSA in order to graduate, becoming the second state in the nation to do so after Louisiana approved a similar policy in 2015. And while initial results of... -
Here’s Where the Left and Right Agree on Accountability in Higher Education
July 16, 2019 - Whether Congress makes progress toward reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA) this year or after the 2020 presidential election, it’s been made clear that both sides of the aisle are interested in holding colleges and universities more ac... -
House Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Eliminate Student Loan Origination Fees
July 15, 2019 - A bipartisan group of representatives on Wednesday introduced a bill to eliminate student loan origination fees, which essentially function as a tax on federal student loans. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate last month. -
Study: Student Debt Relief Improves Job, Income, Credit Outcomes
July 8, 2019 - As outstanding student loan debt continues to increase, lawmakers and higher education stakeholders have proposed different methods for relieving borrowers of their debt, from making changes to repayment plans to allow for a quicker path to forgivene... -
Four Questions That Will Determine the Future of Student Aid
June 28, 2019 - With a presidential election and potential reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) on the horizon, opinions abound regarding how to reform the country’s higher education system to better serve students. While lawma... -
U.S. Department of Education Federal Update, 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
June 26, 2019 - Officials from the Department of Education (ED) kicked off the third day of the 2019 National Conference with an update on federal higher education policy and regulations. -
Parent PLUS or Minus: Promoting Access or Putting Parents at Risk?, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
June 26, 2019 - The function of the Parent PLUS Loan program can be a double-edged sword, according to a Wednesday morning panel. While on the one hand the extra money can help bridge the gap for some families, it can have negative consequences for low-income famili... -
NASFAA Leadership Recounts Year of Work and Advocacy, Bestows Awards on Members, Colleagues, 12:45 - 2:30 p.m.
June 26, 2019 - Conference attendees received updates on the current state of NASFAA at Wednesday’s Award Luncheon and Business Meeting at the 2019 NASFAA National Conference, including information about the Certified Financial Aid Administrator™ (CFAA) ... -
Beyond Tuition: Getting to the True Cost of Attendance, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
June 25, 2019 - Accurately calculating and communicating to students the costs to attend college can be critical to their success. But the numerous variables that go into the cost of attendance (COA) can make that calculation complex. -
Student Reflections About Financial Aid: Pre, During, and Post-College, 9:45 - 10:45 a.m.
June 25, 2019 - Applying for financial aid and navigating how to set up a budget to pay for college can be challenging for students, particularly those from low-income families or those who are the first in their families to go to college. -
Reducing Student Loan Debt: Does the Way We Award Loans Make a Difference?, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
June 25, 2019 - The way institutions present and award loans to students could influence their behavior, according to representatives from Duke University. -
Be a Lighthouse: Financial Aid Administrators Convene for 2019 NASFAA National Conference
June 24, 2019 - It's something we're told from a very young age: Don't judge a book by its cover. Steve Pemberton said that although he was given a life sentence as a child—“not a chance in the world”—he was able to persevere and find his pla... -
In Final HEA Reauthorization Hearing, House Committee Tackles Innovation
June 20, 2019 - In its fifth and final bipartisan hearing covering topics for consideration when reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA), the House Committee on Education and Labor on Wednesday dove into issues around innovation and alternative pathways to a co... -
Report: Cutting Grad PLUS Could Limit Access for Vulnerable Students
June 18, 2019 - Looking for ways to address issues with student debt, some lawmakers and policymakers have suggested making changes to the Grad PLUS loan program. While some have said the loan program has contributed to high levels of student loan debt among graduat... -
Report: Most Who Default on Student Loans Live Close to Poverty, Dropped Out of School
June 17, 2019 - It's well known that many borrowers struggle to repay their students loans, with many saying the debt has contributed to decisions to delay homeownership, marriage, starting a family, or saving for retirement. A new report from the Institute for Coll... -
Report: In Addressing Student Loan Reform, Policymakers Need to Consider Current Borrowers, Too
June 13, 2019 - As lawmakers in Congress and presidential candidates continue to put forth ideas to improve college affordability, particularly with respect to tuition and lowering student debt for future students, policymakers should also keep in mind changes to th... -
ED Publishes Proposed Regulations on Accreditation for Public Comment
June 12, 2019 - The Department of Education (ED) on Wednesday published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for an overhaul of federal accreditation regulations. A negotiated rulemaking committee convened earlier this year to discuss these and other federal regul... -
House Subcommittee Examines Student Loan Servicing Oversight
June 12, 2019 - Democrats and Republicans on the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations came to agreement on Tuesday in their view that there is a problem with student loan debt in the country. But while Democrats viewed the issue stem... -
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Eliminate Student Loan Origination Fees
June 5, 2019 - A bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday introduced a bill that would remove federal student loan origination fees, which essentially function as a hidden tax on student loans. The senators - Mike Braun (R-IN), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Rick Scott... -
FTC: Student Debt Relief Scheme Boss Agrees to $11 Million Settlement
June 3, 2019 - The leader of a California-based student loan debt relief scam last week agreed to an $11 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), admitting that he swindled borrowers out of hundreds of dollars under the guise of lowering their mo... -
Report: More Undergraduates Are From Low-Income Families - But Mostly at Less Selective Colleges
May 23, 2019 - In the last two decades the growth in the college-going population has been driven by an influx of students from low-income families. But the increase in the number of low-income college students has been most pronounced in public two-year colleges, ... -
House Oversight Subcommittee Criticizes For-Profit Oversight Under DeVos
May 23, 2019 - The House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy on Wednesday held a hearing focused on oversight of the for-profit college sector, during which Democrats and Republicans took starkly different stances on how to address college accoun... -
ED: Updated College Scorecard Includes Non-Degree Granting Institutions, Preliminary Program-Level Data
May 22, 2019 - The Department of Education (ED) on Tuesday announced several updates to the College Scorecard, including the addition of data from 2,100 non-degree granting institutions, and preliminary data on program-level student loan debt. -
ED Announces New Experimental Site to Expand Federal Work-Study to Private Sector Jobs
May 21, 2019 - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Monday announced plans outlining a new experimental site focused on the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, which would give colleges and universities the flexibility to allow students to receive FWS funds in apprenti... -
ED Is Preventing Access to Loan Servicer Information for Oversight, CFPB Says in Letter
May 17, 2019 - The Department of Education (ED), through guidance issued to federal student loan servicers in December 2017, is preventing the nation's consumer watchdog agency from accessing information it needs to conduct oversight of those companies tasked with ... -
Senators Urge ED, DOD to Retroactively Apply Zero Interest Loan Benefit to Military Borrowers
May 17, 2019 - Despite a decade-long existence of a benefit exempting military student loan borrowers from paying interest on federal student loans while serving in hostile areas, hundreds of thousands of eligible service members continued to pay interest, a group ... -
Report: Comprehensive Support Programs Most Effectively Improve Student Outcomes
May 16, 2019 - Education beyond high school remains one of the surest pathways to social mobility, yet many students face personal, academic, financial, and other barriers that prevent them from completing their programs and earning their degrees and credentials - ... -
Tuition Discounting Hits Record High at Private Institutions, NACUBO Reports
May 13, 2019 - The upward trend in tuition discounts provided at private colleges and universities continued its upward trend in 2018-19, reaching a new record high, according to an annual study by the National Association of College and University Business Officer... -
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Keynotes Education Writers Association Conference
May 7, 2019 - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Monday gave the keynote address at the opening session of the Education Writers Association’s annual conference in Baltimore. In DeVos’s first appearance at the conference, she spoke mainly about policy ... -
Sen. Warren Presses New Federal Student Aid Chief for Plans to Improve
May 7, 2019 - In a 23-page letter to the newly-appointed leader of the Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) asks General Mark Brown to lay out in writing his plan for the federal agency tasked with ... -
Report: How to Improve Oversight of Office of Federal Student Aid
May 2, 2019 - The branch of the Department of Education (ED) that doles out approximately $120 billion in federal financial aid each year is just one of three performance-based organizations (PBO) within the federal government, and has come under scrutiny by thoug... -
Quinnipiac Poll: Most Voters Oppose Free College
May 2, 2019 - As the race for the 2020 presidential election ramps up, a new Quinnipiac University National Poll released Wednesday found the majority of voters oppose the idea of making all public colleges free—an idea that has been floated in one form or a... -
Report: Average Debt Per Borrower Jumps by More Than 40% in Most States
May 1, 2019 - As lawmakers work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA), a central issue has been college affordability, and specifically how to address growing student loan debt. A new report from LendEDU took a different approach to examining debt, looking... -
Report: Eliminating Subsidized Loans Would Cost Students Thousands
April 29, 2019 - Proposals to eliminate subsidized federal student loans could result in an increase of as much as nearly $13,500 in borrowing costs for students due to accrued interest, according to an analysis from the Institute for College Access and Success (TICA... -
Getting It Right: Panel Examines How to Better Handle School Closures
April 24, 2019 - It’s not always a bad thing if an institution of higher education closes its doors, a senior Department of Education (ED) official said during a panel discussion at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Tuesday morning. But in order to reach that ... -
Quarterly FSA Data Gives Update on FAFSA Applications, Loan Default and Forgiveness, and Borrower Defense
April 23, 2019 - In its quarterly report on student aid programs, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) presented data showing, among other things, that in the fourth quarter of 2018, FAFSA applications declined, enrollment in income-driven repayment plans continue... -
Report Argues Against Capping or Eliminating Grad PLUS Loan Program
April 18, 2019 - As total outstanding student loan debt continues to grow and the public is confronted with shocking, though atypical, stories about students with upward of $100,000 in student loan debt, some lawmakers have targeted the federal student loan program c... -
Report: Fix Weak Parent PLUS Policies to Benefit Borrowers
April 17, 2019 - A lack of tough standards around federal student loans for parents through the Parent PLUS Loan program has led to an unnecessary number of parent borrowers struggling to repay these loans, according to a new report published this week. In the report... -
Senate Democrats Introduce Bill to Overhaul Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
April 15, 2019 - A group of 15 Democratic senators last week introduced legislation that would expand the types of loans and repayment plans eligible for borrowers seeking loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The Department of ... -
Democrats Give DeVos the Third Degree in House Education Committee Hearing
April 11, 2019 - For the third time in just a few weeks, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made her way to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, this time to testify before the House Committee on Education and Labor on the Department of Education’s (ED) policy priorities. T... -
Report: Millions in Taxpayer Dollars Flow to 'Worst of the Worst' Institutions
April 10, 2019 - While many institutions of higher education are serving their students well by helping them complete their programs, earn a living wage, and make headway in repaying their student loans, a significant amount of taxpayer money still flows to instituti... -
NASFAA Members Talk HEA Reauthorization, Campus-Based Aid on Capitol Hill
April 9, 2019 - NASFAA members from Virginia and Maryland institutions late last month traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with congressional staff members on Capitol Hill to discuss pressing issues in student financial aid, including the reauthorization of the Hig... -
GAO Report Identifies Second Chance Pell Implementation Challenges, Urges ED to Evaluate
April 8, 2019 - In evaluating the Department of Education's (ED) on going Second Chance Pell pilot program, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified several challenges some participating schools faced—such as establishing eligibility and navigatin... -
Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Reaches Consensus on Slew of Issues
April 4, 2019 - In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the negotiated rulemaking, or neg reg, committee convened to re-write federal regulations on accreditation and innovation, distance education, faith-based entities, and the Teacher Education Assistance for Col... -
Neg Reg Committee Zips Through Accreditation, TEACH Grant, State Authorization Issues in Penultimate Meeting
April 3, 2019 - The negotiated rulemaking committee focused on accreditation and innovation reconvened Tuesday and worked toward discussing the remaining issues in proposed regulatory language before beginning voting on Wednesday. After a full day of discussion on M... -
Pleas for Consensus as Neg Reg Committee Enters Final Session
April 2, 2019 - Higher education stakeholders gathered for a final negotiated rulemaking, or neg reg, session on Monday in an attempt to rewrite regulations on accreditation, distance education, faith-based entities, and the Teacher Education Assistance for College ... -
Neg Reg Day 3: Committee Digs Deeper Into Accreditation Issues
March 28, 2019 - Throughout the day Wednesday, the negotiated rulemaking committee tasked with making changes to accreditation regulations continued its discussion on outsourcing, accreditor approval of institutional and programmatic changes, the geographic area of a... -
Neg Reg Day 2: Committee Focuses on Outsourcing, Accreditation Standards in Third Session
March 27, 2019 - The full negotiated rulemaking committee tasked with writing federal regulations related to accreditation, distance education, faith-based entities, and the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program on Tuesda... -
Neg Reg Committee Kicks Off Third Session With Distance Education
March 26, 2019 - Higher education stakeholders tasked with developing regulations for accreditation, among several other issues, reconvened Monday for their third session, spending the day focusing on proposed changes to regulations for distance education. The full n... -
University of Utah Hosts Open House to Curb “Verification Melt”
March 21, 2019 - While in recent years policymakers have made strides in simplifying the process by which students apply for financial aid, many still face obstacles in obtaining that aid due to the complicated nature of financial aid verification. That’s why t... -
Senate Democrats Push DeVos for Information on Payment Card Pilot
March 19, 2019 - A group of three Democratic senators earlier this month wrote to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, expressing concern over the Department of Education’s (ED) plans for a pilot program to test the “payment vehicle” to use a debit card... -
White House HEA Reauthorization Priorities Mirror Trump Budget Proposal
March 19, 2019 - The Trump administration on Monday released its priorities for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), with proposals focusing on institutional accountability, curbing student loan debt, and increasing the use of alternative pathways t... -
House Higher Education Act Reauthorization Hearing Covers Range of College Affordability Issues
March 14, 2019 - Following their counterparts in the Senate, the House Committee on Education and Labor on Wednesday kicked off its Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization efforts with a nearly four-hour hearing that ran the gamut of topics on college cost and aff... -
Senate HELP Committee Kicks Off Reauthorization Hearings With FAFSA Simplification, Verification
March 13, 2019 - The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Tuesday once again renewed its efforts to work toward reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA) by holding the first of several planned hearings, focusing on simplifying the FAF... -
Bobby Scott’s Journey-Themed Paper Outlines Higher Education Act Priorities
March 10, 2019 - Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, on Friday released a report detailing which issues he intends to focus on in reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA). In short, his message to fellow lawmakers, pol... -
Murray Outlines Priorities for Higher Education Act Reauthorization
March 1, 2019 - Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the ranking member on the Senate education committee, on Thursday laid out her goals for a Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bill. The committee’s chairman, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) also recently put forth ... -
Financial Aid Professionals Dive Deep Into Leadership Issues at NASFAA Conference
February 27, 2019 - More than 300 financial aid professionals from across the country continued to network, learn, and build leadership skills on the second day of NASFAA’s 2019 Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo. Throughout the last ... -
Neg Reg Committee Wraps Up Second Session, Adds Fourth Meeting in April
February 25, 2019 - The negotiated rulemaking committee focused on making changes to federal regulations governing accreditation issues wrapped up its second session on Friday by making a few minor changes to proposed regulatory language, and debating recommendations fr... -
Federal Judge Rules Against ED in Public Service Loan Forgiveness Lawsuit
February 25, 2019 - A federal judge on Friday decided the Department of Education (ED) acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” when it retroactively told three student loan borrowers that their jobs did not make them eligible for loan forgiveness under the Publ... -
Accreditation Neg Reg Committee Hears From Subcommittees, Struggles With Time
February 22, 2019 - After losing another day due to a winter storm in the Washington, D.C. area, the negotiated rulemaking committee focused on writing a slew of regulations related to accreditation, distance education and innovation, faith-based entities, and the Teach... -
‘This Is a Chaos Proposal’ — Neg Reg Committee Continues Debate on Accreditation Changes
February 20, 2019 - A group of higher education stakeholders reconvened for the second of three multi-day sessions organized to write federal regulations related to accreditation, and other issues such as distance education and innovation, faith-based entities, and the ... -
TEACH Grant Neg Reg Subcommittee Finalizes Recommendations for Full Committee
February 19, 2019 - A subcommittee of negotiators tasked with rewriting federal regulations related to the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program convened for its second two-day session last week. The group, which will presen... -
Senate Education Committee Chairman Outlines Reauthorization Proposals
February 5, 2019 - While Congress may still be focused on preventing a second government shutdown in less than two weeks, at least one lawmaker has his eyes turned toward higher education. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and... -
Neg Reg TEACH Grant Subcommittee Focuses on Recipient Eligibility, Program Administration, Application Procedures
January 22, 2019 - A subcommittee of higher education stakeholders convened to propose changes to the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program began its work last week with two days of discussion focused on changes intended to... -
Report: Lifting the Pell Grant Ban for Incarcerated Individuals Is Good for States, Employers, Students
January 17, 2019 - Lifting the ban on a provision that blocks incarcerated individuals from receiving a federal Pell Grant could not only have a significant impact on those currently in state or federal prison, but could also save state governments millions of dollars ... -
Study: College Affordability More Complicated Than Debt Load
January 10, 2019 - Increasing student loan debt is most commonly associated with a lack of college affordability. But in a new report published by the Manhattan Institute, researchers found that while borrowing increased across the board for students over a five-year p... -
Democrats Question Closure of For-Profit Education Corporation of America
January 3, 2019 - A group of Democratic lawmakers last week launched an investigation into the collapse of the for-profit college chain Education Corporation of America (ECA), which closed its doors early last month, shuttering about 70 campuses across the country and... -
A Year in Review: The Biggest Financial Aid News of 2018
January 2, 2019 - Higher education policy saw many changes coming down from Capitol Hill in 2018. Both Republicans and Democrats continued to push their priorities for Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization, with two bills competing in the House of Representatives... -
DeVos Outlines Vision to 'Rethink' Higher Ed
December 20, 2018 - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday outlined the Trump administration’s higher education agenda for the coming year, emphasizing a greater need for alternative pathways to education and increased innovation. -
Former Student Loan Ombudsman Challenges CFPB in New Report on Borrower Complaints
December 17, 2018 - Borrowers with both federal and private student loans continue to submit complaints about servicing, repayment, and other issues to the federal agency tasked with overseeing financial laws and protecting consumers. But this year, the Consumer Financi... -
Confusion Remains as Senator Presses VA to Reimburse Underpaid Student Veterans
December 10, 2018 - Despite assurances from the head of the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) that the agency would reimburse any student veterans who did not receive or were underpaid for housing allowances under their GI Bill benefits, one senator is pressing the age... -
ED Officially Announces Delay in Perkins Loan Fund Recall
December 10, 2018 - The Department of Education (ED) last week responded to requests from NASFAA and the American Council on Education (ACE) to reimburse institutions for Perkins Loans cancellations, which it has failed to do since fiscal year (FY) 2010. In the letter, ... -
Previously Unreleased CFPB Report Raises Concerns Over Payment Vehicle Pilot
December 10, 2018 - A previously unpublished report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on college-sponsored deposit and prepaid accounts—released Friday as the result of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request—shows some agreements betw... -
FSA Student Survey Shows Limited Knowledge of Loans
November 30, 2018 - A survey of students conducted by Federal Student Aid (FSA) shows a significant percentage of borrowers said they knew little to nothing about student loans at the time they started college. The survey was presented during a session at the FSA Traini... -
ED Officials Emphasize Borrower Responsibility, Changing Culture at FSA Conference
November 29, 2018 - As thousands of financial aid professionals reconvened Wednesday morning at an annual training conference on federal student aid, Department of Education (ED) officials continued a drumbeat on the importance of strengthening the relationship between ... -
DeVos Convenes Financial Aid Conference With Warning of Higher Ed Crisis
November 28, 2018 - Standing before thousands of financial aid professionals gathered to begin a weeklong conference hosted by Federal Student Aid (FSA) on Tuesday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced that American higher education is in crisis, and that it’... -
ED Announces Plans for PSLF Help Tool at FSA Training Conference
November 28, 2018 - The Department of Education (ED) on Tuesday announced that it will launch an online tool next month to help borrowers interested in applying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). -
Report: One-Time FAFSA Is a Logical Step for Low-Income Students
November 27, 2018 - Higher education policymakers have long been looking for a way to make a college education—and applying for financial aid to pay for it—more accessible to a wider range of students. While simplifying the FAFSA is a step in the right direc... -
Study: Standard Option for Student Loan Repayment Sets Borrowers Up for Failure
November 21, 2018 - The federal government’s standard option for student loan repayment plans may have a hand in driving more borrowers into default, according to a new study released this week. -
How to Get Student Loan Repayment Rates Right for Accountability
November 15, 2018 - With a new Congress poised to renew efforts to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) in the new year, conversations around institutional accountability and student outcomes will likely resurface. A key issue at hand is how to better hold institu... -
Report: White Students Continue to Be Overrepresented at Selective Public Colleges
November 14, 2018 - Despite efforts some colleges and universities have made to increase diversity on their campuses, white students remain significantly overrepresented at the most selective public institutions—an issue stemming largely from “misguided admi... -
With a Divided Congress, Will HEA Move Forward?
November 8, 2018 - Although votes are still being tallied in some races, it’s clear that Democrats have cemented a majority in the House of Representatives for the first time since 2010—and they plan to bring more oversight and scrutiny to the entire Trump ... -
With Democrats in Control of House, More Scrutiny Likely for DeVos
November 7, 2018 - As votes continued to be tallied Tuesday night, many current lawmakers on congressional education committees held onto their seats, while Democrats managed to regain control of the House of Representatives. -
Sen. Ron Wyden Expresses Privacy Concerns With ED's Payment Vehicle Pilot
November 2, 2018 - The ranking member of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), on Thursday wrote to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, expressing concern over the potential for abuse of student data through the recently announced solicitation for compan... -
House Democrats Question ED's Decision to Remove College Scorecard Metric
October 31, 2018 - A group of four House Democrats on Monday wrote to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, questioning the reasoning behind a recent decision to remove a metric from the Department of Education’s (ED) College Scorecard, which allowed users to compare ... -
Borrower Defense Neg Reg Meets Anti-Climactic End Without Consensus
March 21, 2016 - Months of negotiation over regulations to create a system for borrower defense ended in frustration Friday as negotiators failed to reach a consensus by their 6:00 pm deadline. Department of Education (ED) officials can now write the proposed rules t... -
Washington Monthly Rankings Measure Colleges That Best Serve Needy Students
August 25, 2015 - For the fourth year in a row, Washington Monthly analyzed data from hundreds of colleges to compile a list of those that best serve low- and middle-income students, based on measures of affordability and student success. -
ED: Income-Driven Repayment Usage Up, Delinquency Rates Down
August 21, 2015 - An increasing number of student loan borrowers are taking advantage of income-driven repayment plans that cap their monthly payments at a certain percentage of monthly earnings, the Department of Education (ED) said Thursday. -
Change the College Affordability Rhetoric By Putting Students First, Lumina Foundation Says
August 20, 2015 - There’s recently been much discussion about the importance of college affordability, and how policymakers should make the issue more of a priority. The problem with moving forward, however, is that college affordability means something differen... -
ED Launches Effort to Clarify and Streamline Debt Relief for Defrauded Students
August 20, 2015 - The Department of Education (ED) on Wednesday announced it will begin the process to develop regulations to streamline the loan forgiveness process for students who file defense to repayment claims on their federal student loans, similar to the situa... -
Report: Job Growth Largely Benefits College-Educated Workers
August 18, 2015 - The surge in jobs during the economic recovery has mainly benefited college-educated workers, as millions of high-paying jobs with benefits have materialized over the last several years, according to a new study from Georgetown University’s Cen... -
In Case You Missed It: Economic Inequality Brings Higher Ed to the Forefront of 2016 Campaigns
August 14, 2015 - Education isn’t known to be a make-or-break issue in elections, even at the state level. And when candidates focus on education early on, the fanfare usually fades away after primary elections. But this time around, higher educati... -
Report: Millions in Federal Campus-Based Aid Go to Less Needy Students Due to Outdated Policies
August 12, 2015 - Most federal financial aid goes directly to the pockets of needy students, but some programs that first filter the money to institutions actually favor established and costly private colleges and universities due to outdated funding formulas, accordi... -
Report: Student Loan Debt Less of a Problem in States With Strong Economies
August 10, 2015 - Nationwide, borrowers have accumulated more than $1 trillion in student loan debt. But the burden of that debt looks much different for an individual living in New Hampshire than someone living in New Mexico, according to a new study from WalletHub. -
Answering the Complex Question of College Matching and Low-Income Students
August 7, 2015 - The “undermatching” phenomenon in higher education on the surface appears to have a fairly straightforward solution: High-achieving, low-income students need more information about their options, and more selective colleges and universiti... -
Senate Hearing Focuses on Improving Student Success in Higher Education Act
August 6, 2015 - The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Wednesday held its eighth hearing on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), this time turning its focus to finding opportunities to improve student success. -
Survey: Most Students Unfamiliar with Pell Grants, Federal Financial Aid
August 4, 2015 - Students and families often say the cost of college and how to pay for a higher education are among their top concerns when deciding on a school to attend, but many students are still unaware of several federal aid programs, such as Pell Grants and t... -
SUNY Cobleskill Makes Financial Aid Fun for Students, Families
July 31, 2015 - Financial literacy can be a dry topic, and one that’s particularly difficult to make interesting for students. But the State University of New York at Cobleskill found a way to make it more engaging – and cut its loan default rate nearly ... -
Congressmen Introduce Bipartisan Income-Share Agreements Bill
July 30, 2015 - A bipartisan team of congressmen on Wednesday introduced a bill for what they say will be a more innovative and affordable way for students to pay for college. The Investing in Student Success Act of 2015 – co-authored by Rep. Jared Polis ... -
CFPB Fines Student Financial Aid Services for Illegal Billing
July 24, 2015 - In its second student aid-related action in one week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) fined Student Financial Aid Services (SFAS) for an illegal recurring billing scheme, the bureau announced Thursday. -
ACE Report Examines Race, Class in College Admissions
July 24, 2015 - A recently-released report from the American Council on Education (ACE) details how issues of race and class affect college and university admission practices today. -
NASFAA National Conference Closes With Calls for Advocacy, Involvement
July 23, 2015 - As the newly-initiated 2015-16 NASFAA National Chair, Director of Student Financial Aid at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Dan Mann closed this year’s conference with a call to action. “I have an overarching ... -
CFPB Fines Discover Bank for Illegal Loan Servicing Practices
July 23, 2015 - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Wednesday fined Discover Bank $18.5 million for illegal servicing practices that negatively affected thousands of private student loan borrowers. The bureau ordered Discover to refund $16 million to ... -
Senator Alexander Urges Less Federal Regulation, Better Data in Higher Ed
July 17, 2015 - The nation’s higher education system needs to make several adjustments to better serve students and taxpayers – and now is the time to do it, according to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN). -
Panel Examines Long-Term Effects of Student Debt Crisis
July 16, 2015 - Student loan debt isn’t just a problem for new college graduates – the financial burden creates several long-term ramifications that prevent many borrowers from achieving their full potential, according to panelists at an event hosted by ... -
White House Report: Educational Disparities Are ‘An Injustice’
July 15, 2015 - Obstacles that prevent individuals from getting into and through college aren’t just problems for students – they cause a drag on the nation’s economy, too, according to a new White House report. -
Newly Released Money Magazine College Rankings Emphasize Value-Added
July 14, 2015 - Money magazine’s 2015 rankings, released Monday, analyzed data from more than 700 colleges on 21 factors in three categories including educational quality, affordability and alumni earnings. -
CFPB Report Highlights Issues with Military Loan Servicing
July 9, 2015 - Military student loan borrowers are still struggling to obtain federal benefits, according to a report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, despite increased attention to the issue by lawmakers and federal agencies.