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CampusLogic. Shift Summit is the connection point for higher ed leaders to come together and eliminate financial friction, crumbling enrollment, and debt-without-degree. Register your entire team to rally around student financial success.

A shrinking proportion of Americans hold a positive view of the country’s higher education system as a whole and the impact it is having on society, according to a new survey from New America. In its fifth annual report on public perceptions of higher education, titled Varying Degrees, researchers at New America found that 58% agree that colleges and universities were having a positive effect on the way things were going in the country, a more than 10% drop from the previous year’s survey.

The Department of Education (ED) on Wednesday morning released its public hearing dates for its intent to establish negotiated rulemaking committees that will touch on regulations for a number of programs authorized under the Higher Education Act, including borrower defense, gainful employment, Pell Grant eligibility, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Those hearings are slated for June 21, 23, and 24. Stakeholders may submit written comments before July 1, 2021, and individuals who would like to present comments at the public hearings must register by sending an email message to [email protected] no later than 12:00 p.m. ET on the business day prior to the public hearing at which they want to speak. Individuals who wish to virtually observe the public hearings will need to register in advance. If you would like to submit comments for NASFAA to consider as it develops its public comments, please submit them using this form no later than June 7. If your institution submits comments on its own, please send a copy to NASFAA using the same form.

The Department of Education (ED) in response to a recently released oversight report is pledging to retool its verification process to align with the implementation of the FUTURE Act and FAFSA Simplification Act. “It is important to note that there are significant changes anticipated to verification processes and reporting,” Robin Minor, Federal Student Aid’s (FSA) acting chief operating officer, wrote in response to an internal watchdog report making recommendations over control activities concerning the verification process. “As these changes are implemented, FSA will review and revise our procedures as appropriate to ensure appropriate controls and monitoring.” ED’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) found some areas the agency could improve with respect to monitoring verification control activities and called on ED to develop a final corrective action plan within 30 days of the issuance of this report.

Schools that previously received HEERF II grant funds and are receiving supplemental HEERF III award under ARP (a)(1) or (a)(4) are required to start drawing down funds from both the student and institutional portions of HEERF III within 90 days of the date of each supplemental award--that is the date indicated on each Grant Award Notification (GAN). 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.

No. See AskRegs Q&A, How Can Schools Use Campus-Based Funds As Emergency Aid? If you don't see an exception listed there, an exception does not exist at this time, and all other Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) rules continue to apply. 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.

Immigration policy is constantly changing, especially with the recent election. DACA and undocumented students remain in limbo, with few options for financial aid and no long-term immigration solutions passed by Congress. Join in this 60-minute webinar tomorrow, May 27, at 2:00 p.m. ET for a discussion on how to advise DACA and undocumented students in the current climate, and share best practices and resources. 

Have you scheduled your certification knowledge exam yet? Exam dates and times are filling up, so be sure to schedule your exam session soon. The upcoming testing window is open from June 2-16, 2021. Learn more about the testing process and make sure you meet all of the technical requirements. If you haven't already applied, it's not too late to complete your certification application online.

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