The Department of Education (ED) on Thursday sent cease and desist letters to two third-party debt relief companies that were using ED's official seal without authorization.

Meet Gina Soliz, director of financial aid at Syracuse University's College of Law. Gina's career in financial aid started in 1992 by being in the right place at the right time. Find out her story, as well as what she would change about the current financial aid system, what's currently sitting on her desk, and what has been her most motivating experience.

As part of our 50th Anniversary Celebration, NASFAA is compiling stories about former students who received financial aid and went on to graduate and do something special with their lives. The goal is to select one or two stories from every region for publication; in particular NASFAA is looking for stories from states located in the Southwest and Western regions. Up to five individuals may be invited to speak at the 2016 NASFAA Conference to share their stories with conference attendees. Submissions are due by February 1 - share your story today.

NASFAA strives to represent your interests both in the financial aid office and on Capitol Hill. On our NASFAA on the Record page you will find comments in response to Notices of Proposed Rulemaking, draft FAFSAs, executive orders, and initiatives related to higher education; statements of support for, or in opposition to, proposed and enacted legislation; material presented by NASFAA to Congress or congressional staff; and much more. And check the NASFAA Legislative Tracker for a comprehensive list of all student aid-releated legislation introduced in this session of Congress. Want to get involved? Volunteer for NASFAA's Advocacy Pipeline.

Every year, NASFAA recognizes outstanding members and other higher education stakeholders for their achievements and contributions to financial aid. The February 5 deadline is quickly approaching, so submit your nominations online as soon as possible. Award winners will be announced at the 2016 NASFAA National Conference and 50th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C.

The attachments to this letter contain the 2016-2017 Award Year Federal Pell Grant Program Payment and Disbursement Schedules.

The Department recently discovered an issue with the FAA Access to CPS Online (FAA Access) Web site that is preventing corrections of student and parent means-tested benefits questions to blank from being retained and submitted for processing. This issue is occurring for both 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 corrections entered on the FAA Access site.

"The Obama administration recently joined a campaign to encourage students to take at least 15 credits per semester, following several statewide higher education systems and a growing number of individual public colleges," Inside Higher Ed reports.

"The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and USA Funds want employers to have more say in the accreditation process, and even to create an alternative, complementary form of quality assurance that would be employer driven," Inside Higher Ed reports.

"For thousands of Americans with student loans, repaying what they owe may be the least of their problems," CBS reports.

"As families continue to face major anxiety over paying for college, most of the country's wealthiest universities are growing richer, two reports released today show," according to Fortune.

"Three senior for-profit college executives were sentenced Tuesday on charges related to student financial aid and student visa fraud, the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced," Inside Higher Ed reports.

"Gov. Matt Bevin excluded K-12 schools from funding cuts in an austere state budget proposal that would slash funding to Kentucky's public universities," the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

"Westwood College is closing its doors. The career college with two campuses in the Denver area had previously announced it was not accepting any more students. Now it says it will shut down in March after this semester," CBS Denver reports.

"... Millennials like me need more ways forward in higher education than the standard two or four-year degree path. There are options that can reduce the cost of higher education and even provide quality alternatives," Wesley Coopersmith writes for U.S. News & World Report.

"Several new ratings reports from Moody's Investor Service that landed in my e-mail inbox this week give plenty of clues about where higher education is headed in the United States," Jeffrey Selingo writes for The Washington Post's Grade Point blog.

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