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Ocelot. New research shows the breakdown between institutions and students rests with inaccessible information, inconsistent advice, and confusing systems. Get the full results, insights, and case studies on how institutions can scale the personal touch and bridge the engagement gap. Download the report.

By some indications, the issue of college affordability is improving. The annual growth in sticker prices for tuition has slowed in both public and private nonprofit colleges, student borrowing has declined for the eighth year in a row, and the average grant aid awarded per student has been on the rise. But according to two annual reports from the College Board that track trends in student aid and college pricing, unresolved issues remain.

Policymakers and college and university leaders are constantly looking for ways to adjust our higher education system to meet the changing needs of today’s students. A group of higher education organizations, including NASFAA, recently argued that one way to do so is to provide students and employers with more information about the hundreds of thousands of credentials being offered nationwide, and encouraged stakeholders to utilize and expand the growing online database for logging them. 

On Tuesday, the Department of Education (ED) released a revised policy for standard term length. Institutions that use standard term academic calendars are subject to the simplest and least burdensome requirements for disbursement of student financial assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Many institutions have asked ED for increased flexibility to modify the length of their terms to better accommodate the needs of students and the specialized coursework associated with certain types of educational programs. In response, ED reviewed its “standard term” policy and announced the following changes in an Electronic Announcement: semesters and trimesters may now be between 14 and 21 weeks of instruction; quarters may now be between nine and 13 weeks of instruction; and standard terms are no longer required to be substantially equal. Read the full announcement from ED.

According to IRS Form 1040 Instructions for 2018, a tax filer might not be required to file any of the new schedules. For purposes of verifying FAFSA data, the Department of Education (ED) has indicated in GEN-19-02 that relevant information may appear on the new Schedules 1, 2, or 3, if filed by the tax filer with the 2018 federal income tax return. View the full answer to this question to learn more and search for answers to your other pressing regulatory and compliance questions in NASFAA's AskRegs Knowledgebase.

If you were unable to join us for the Oct. 23, 2019 webinar, Updating FAFSA Data: When and Why, you can still tune in for the on-demand webinar. You’ll have full access to the webinar archive and handout, as well as access to the Most Frequently Asked Questions document compiled from questions submitted by attendees during the live webcast. If you attended the live event, you can still use your registration link to access the on-demand event and FAQ document. Order today.

Please join us in giving NASFAA's newest members — Meadville Lombard Theological School and Raritan Valley Community College — a warm welcome. This month we also have the pleasure of welcoming back the following members: Henderson State University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Western State College of Law, McDowell Technical Community College, and Philander Smith College. We're glad to have all of you as NASFAA members!

Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced the availability of Volume 6 – Campus Based Programs of the 2019-2020 Federal Student Aid Handbook. The Federal Student Aid Handbook consists of the Application and Verification Guide, six numbered volumes, and appendices. Each volume and appendix is posted on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site after being reviewed and approved by the appropriate offices in FSA and the Office of Postsecondary Education.

Room blocks for the Federal Student Aid Training Conference for Financial Aid Professionals will close at all conference hotels on Sunday, November 10, at 8:00 pm ET. Updates will be on the FSATC website.

On March 29, 2018, the Department of Education issued an announcement concerning Single Audits performed under 2 CFR Part 200 - OMB Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards for fiscal years ending in 2018. This guidance serves to update Single Audit filers of audit submission requirements for fiscal years ending within calendar year 2019 and future fiscal years.

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