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ELM Resources. It's official, ELM re-certified as a Great Place to Work! These exceptional results affirm our core values of delivering exceptional, speaking up, innovating, doing what's right, and giving back. During this special time of year, we send our wishes for a wonderful holiday season on behalf of ELM's entire team. Learn more about ELM at www.elmresources.com or contact us at [email protected].

The Department of Education (ED) on February 16 released planned revisions to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) quarterly reporting form for public comment in the Federal Register. The majority of the revisions to the form include adding data elements from the HEERF annual reporting form to the quarterly report. ED plans for implementation of the revised form prior to this year’s first quarter reporting deadline of April 10, 2022, using emergency clearance requested from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB.)

Meet Dr. Nicholas Prewett, FAAC^®. Nick has now been working in the financial aid profession for two decades and has become increasingly involved in development opportunities as a way of paying forward the skill set he’s developed thanks to countless others who have helped him along the way. “I like to consider financial aid as a profession,” Nick said. “That involves work on our part to make sure that we tell other people that this is a profession and it's not just a job.”

The Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) on Wednesday took the next step in its overhaul of the student loan servicing apparatus, posting a request for information as it seeks to implement a new loan servicing model that it says will better serve borrowers. The notice said FSA will publish a procurement in the coming weeks to bring on board multiple servicers that will assist more than 35 million borrowers with federally-held student loans through repayment.

Attending the NASFAA National Conference for the first time can be an overwhelming experience, even more so if you are attending alone. We want attendees to have a great time and come back year after year. While NASFAA has always hosted a welcome reception for first-time attendees, we continue to look for creative ways to help first-time attendees connect with colleagues. All members of this task force will be required to attend NASFAA 2022 and participate in conference mentor activities prior to the conference and on-site. Please review the task force charter on the volunteer information page and if interested, complete the volunteer form by Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 5:00 pm ET.

This AskRegs Knowledgebase Q&A was updated on February 22, 2022 to note that the COVID-19 national emergency has been extended until March 1, 2023 unless the President ends it earlier than that. View the full answer to this question to learn more.

A recent Aspiring Director Group Coaching participant was promoted to assistant director and said, "The course was beneficial for me in developing leadership skills, understanding various financial aid practices at other institutions, and the skill of developing effective policies and procedures." The registration deadline is Friday, February 25, and the first meeting will take place on Friday, March 4. Classes fill quickly, so register now to save your seat!

Preparing for a federal program review can make the difference between a collegial experience and a costly one. Herzing University wanted to ensure they were prepared for a future federal program review. To experience the anticipated weight and burden of a review, the institution reached out to Blue Icon Advisors, NASFAA Consulting, to receive an assessment of its readiness. Join this webinar on Tuesday, April 5 to learn how Herzing strengthened their financial aid compliance and operations in advance of a program review by working with Blue Icon. This 60-minute webinar is free to NASFAA members, but you must register in advance.

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