This week on "Off The Cuff," Justin, Stephen, and Allie are joined by NASFAA policy analyst Jill Desjean, who summarizes the Department of Education's new regulations on state authorization and distance education. Justin and Stephen discuss what's to come with the new Congress and a budget deal, as well as some areas of higher education policy that a Trump administration could focus on. Plus, Justin and Stephen share their favorite moments from the 115th Congress's swearing-in, and Jill tells us about a different kind of registry in the UK.

It may seem unlikely, but individuals over the age of 60 appear to be the fastest growing segment of student loan borrowers, according to a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

NASFAA is seeking volunteer judges to collaborate with NASFAA Training and Regulatory Assistance staff members to participate in a formal review process known as an "Angoff Study." During an Angoff Study, a team of judges evaluates the difficulty level of each credential test question and defines a minimally competent candidate in terms of passing or failing the test. Volunteer Judges will be assigned to one or more of 12 different teams, based on subject matter expertise and availability. View the volunteer form for more information.

Learn the answer to this question and learn how to instantly find credible and reliable solutions to your most pressing regulatory and compliance questions with NASFAA's AskRegs Knowledgebase. The Knowledgebase guide and video tutorials highlight the many features of this tool.

Department of Education federal offices as well as many of its Title IV processors and contact centers will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2017 to observe the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday. Additionally, the department's federal offices located in Washington, D.C. will be closed on Friday, January 20, 2017 for the Presidential Inauguration activities. Some of the contact centers and Title IV processors will also be closed on this day. See the attachment for the various centers' operation status.

This letter announces the availability of a new FSA Coach course for 2016-2017. The Intermediate Training course is designed for more experienced financial aid administrators and includes a closer look at packaging awards, Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4), Direct Subsidized Loan interest benefits, monitoring Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU), resolving Unusual Enrollment History flags, and administering federal student aid in nonstandard terms.

"College admission season is approaching fast. And because of a new date for federal financial aid applications, many students will be getting financial aid offers earlier from colleges that accept them," according to Consumer Reports. NASFAA President Justin Draeger is quoted in the article.

"'Free' is a word with a powerful appeal. And in the past year or so it has been tossed around a lot, followed by another word: 'college.' Both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton spent a lot of time talking about free tuition. And this week, the promise has been taken up by one of the largest public university systems in the country: New York state's," NPR reports.

"As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, Americans wonder about the fate of America. What will happen when President Trump gets sworn into office? How will it affect Americans? More specifically, how will his presidency impact minorities in America?" according to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. "On the campaign trail, Trump’s comments aimed at minorities led many to worry about how his time as president could become a step back for diversity in America."

"When Wanda Wright, director of civic and community engagement at Chicago State University, thinks about the past year, a single word comes to mind: 'nightmare,'" The Chronicle of Higher Education reports.

"Virginia Intermont College graduated its final class in early May 2014, holding commencement on a clear Sunday afternoon. Despite the sun shining, one faculty member who spoke at the ceremony likened it to a funeral. The 130-year-old college in Southwestern Virginia had been on life support for years as financial troubles fueled accreditation issues," Inside Higher Ed reports.

"The presidents of Oregon’s seven public universities are telling legislative leaders they need a big funding increase to keep tuition down. That’s the main message in a letter the university presidents intend to send to legislative leaders this week," Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.

"When a state budget impasse drained money from public universities and colleges in Illinois beginning in 2015, some were forced to lay off hundreds of employees, shorten their semesters, even warn they might shut down. Enrollment plummeted. Credit ratings fell to junk status," according to The Hechinger Report.

"Gov. Andrew Cuomo raised an exciting possibility on Tuesday when he unveiled a proposal that would cover tuition at public universities and colleges in New York State for families earning up to $125,000 by 2019. The plan, which requires legislative approval, recognizes that middle-income families that might not be eligible for student aid based on current measures of need are grappling with student debt, too," according to an editorial in The New York Times.

"During the recent presidential campaign, one of the few things the two major candidates for president agreed on was the need for increased technical education. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton said young people must be better prepared for higher salaried jobs in high demand job fields," according to an opinion piece in The Hechinger Report.

"It is safe to say that the idea of free public college has gone dormant at the national level with the election of Donald Trump and a Republican Congress. But a number of states are considering adopting free college plans in light of the Tennessee Promise’s success from both political and enrollment perspectives," Robert Kelchen writes for Washington Monthly.

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