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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.

In this special episode of “Off The Cuff,” NASFAA President Justin Draeger talks about recent changes to the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s (NACAC) code of ethics with Jon Boeckenstedt, vice provost for enrollment management at Oregon State University. The changes come amid an investigation from the Department of Justice into the group’s possible violations of laws related to restricting competition. In September, delegates voted to strip provisions that previously prohibited colleges and universities from recruiting students already enrolled at other universities, offering incentives to students to apply early decision, and soliciting transfer applications from previous years. In the interview, Jon tackles outstanding questions, such as what impact these new rules will have on students weighing their options for higher education and institutions attempting to fill seats and balance their budgets for the upcoming school year, among other unintended consequences. Plus, Justin and Jon discuss which types of students the new rules will have the greatest effect on, and how that plays into college access and financial aid. "Off The Cuff" will return to its regularly-scheduled content after Thanksgiving with a new episode!

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) released a letter on Wednesday requesting the Department of Education (ED) “immediately suspend” plans to implement verification measures for student loan borrowers enrolling in income-driven repayment plans, after receiving new information from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that she said invalidates ED’s concerns over fraud.

Congress managed to avoid a government shutdown Thursday by passing a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through Dec. 20, 2019, the second CR of fiscal year (FY) 2020 that began on October 1. Congress has not yet passed any of its 12 annual spending bills for FY 2020. While the House passed its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-H) spending bill, which included a $150 boost to the maximum Pell Grant, the Senate has not yet voted on its draft bill. Next month, Congress is expected to continue debates over President Donald Trump’s border wall as lawmakers seek to continue funding for the government, which may occur at the same time as the House votes on the articles of impeachment against him. Stay tuned to Today's News as Congress prepares for busy months ahead.

The Department of Education (ED) on Thursday announced that, moving forward, the confirmation process for all Master Promissory Notes (MPN) for federal student loans will require both student and parent borrowers to view their current outstanding debt and "acknowledge that they have seen this amount" before an institution can disburse the loan. The change, called the "Informed Borrowing Confirmation" process, differs from current practice in which students and parents may receive multiple Direct Loan disbursements through a single MPN. Currently, institutions may use an active or passive MPN confirmation process. While the new process will not require schools to change their MPN confirmation processes, it must be completed once each award year for the first loan a borrower receives for that award year, starting with loans associated with the 2020–21 award year. Read the full announcement. 

As the landscape of higher education and financial aid continue to shift, financial aid professionals are expected to adapt. Part of that change includes taking on new responsibilities, including having a stake in college and university enrollment management. Financial aid administrators need to understand the strategic role that their operation plays at their school. The Strategic Enrollment Management pathway at NASFAA's 2020 Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo can help you build those skills. Take a look at the pathway sessions for the 2020 conference. Early-bird registration ends December 6 — register today.

Please join us in congratulating Gloria Holt, associate director of financial aid, audit, and compliance at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), who will retire after over 30 years in financial aid; and Nancy Gray, executive director of financial aid at Aims Community College, who officially retired July 1 but has been doing a transition semester since August 1. Her last day working in financial aid after 30 years will be Dec. 19, 2019. Let us also congratulate Kathy Bialk, CFAA, on her job change from assistant provost/director of student financial aid at the University of Iowa to executive director of student financial aid & scholarships at the University of Kentucky; Ann Isackson on her promotion  from executive director of financial aid to associate dean of enrollment management and financial aid at Grand Rapids Community College; and Kacie Hall on her promotion from financial aid counselor to senior financial aid counselor at Los Angeles Pacific University. Learn more about other colleagues' accomplishments, recognitions, and achievements, and submit your own on our Movers and Shakers page.

As we head into the holiday season, NASFAA staff and elected officials continue to join members at events across the country, while state and regional associations host their own events. Coming up in December, the Connecticut Association of Professional Financial Aid Administrators (CAPFAA) will host its annual conference in Mystic, Connecticut, while NASFAA Vice President of Policy & Federal Relations Megan Coval speaks at the NJASFAA Government Relations Committee Symposium in Edison, New Jersey. Head to the Events Calendar to get all the details on these and many more upcoming speaking engagements — both in person and virtually.

In this announcement, Federal Student Aid is informing schools of a change to our approved Master Promissory Note (MPN) confirmation processes. All MPN confirmation processes will now require student and parent borrowers to view how much they currently owe in federal student loans, and to acknowledge that they have seen this amount before a school can make a first disbursement of the first Direct Loan that a student or parent borrower receives for each new award year.

The Department of Education requests an extension of this information collection tied to the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program regulations issued under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

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