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NASFAA, along with 29 other higher education organizations, on Tuesday signed on to a letter offering comments about the Department of Education’s (ED) proposed rules on foreign gift reporting requirements. ED’s Information Collection Request (ICR), released in September, was immediately met with outcry from many colleges and universities around the nation.

On November 1, the Department of Education (ED) released its final rules regarding accreditation, state authorization of distance education, and student assistance general provisions. The rules become effective July 1, 2020. This article is the second in a series of three analyzing the rules, and will focus on institutional eligibility, general provisions, and the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship program.

The federal government, states, and institutions have historically offered students financial aid in the form of grants to help defray the cost of tuition and increase college affordability. However, a new and early working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) suggests grant offers on their own do little to ensure that low-income students remain in college and complete their degrees, and in some cases can even negatively impact persistence rates.

Colleen Campbell, the director of postsecondary education at the Center for American Progress, will be moving to a new role at the Department of Education (ED) in the Office of Federal Student Aid later this month to oversee communications for its overhaul of the student loan system, known as the Next Generation Financial Services Environment. Campbell told POLITICO in an interview that she intended to use relationships she established, specifically with those on the left, to help ED showcase the “meaningful difference” that borrowers will feel under the new system. Campbell on Twitter Wednesday wrote that while working for the government is hard, she believes “that there is so much space for agreement and potential to build something lasting and positive for all stakeholders, but especially borrowers.”

NASFAA President Justin Draeger put it best when he said, "Sometimes you need an outside, trusted advisor with specific expertise to help clarify an issue and create a path forward. Blue Icon offers financial aid administrators that extra layer of support however they need it." With the launch of Blue Icon Advisors, the association's comprehensive consulting services, NASFAA took exactly that step to provide another trusted resource to members across the country. With a team of experienced financial aid consultants, Blue Icon can assist institutions with compliance and operational evaluations; writing and reviewing policies and procedures; developing and delivering customized staff training; interim leadership; coaching and assistance for staff at all levels; consulting on financial aid and enrollment management issues; and more. Read more about Blue Icon in NASFAA's 2018-19 annual impact report, and contact the Blue Icon team for more information.

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