NASFAA's Off the Cuff Podcast

This week on "Off the Cuff," Beth is joined by Jill and Hugh to discuss some of the latest headlines impacting student financial aid. Kicking things off on an exciting note, Beth provides some background on NASFAA's new President & CEO, Melanie Storey, who will be joining the team on May 1. Jill then shares some breaking news concerning ED's planned negotiated rulemaking session focusing on regulations that would streamline current federal student financial assistance programs with a focus on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Income Contingent Repayment (ICR). Hugh then debriefs listeners on President Trump's executive order seeking to dismantle ED. Jill wraps things up with more updates on the application status of IDR plans that ongoing legal challenges have impacted.

This week on "Off The Cuff," David and Hugh are joined by Tonya to discuss consumer information. The team works through a number of checklists that institutions should be aware of and dives into some potential blind spots or commonly misunderstood compliance requirements. David and Tonya then walk listeners through administrative capability requirements, guidance concerning Constitution and Citizenship Day educational programming, and more.

This week on "Off the Cuff," Beth is joined by Karen, Allie, and Hugh to dig into the Department of Education's (ED) plan to lay off nearly 50% of its workforce and the potential impacts on student financial aid programs. The team discusses many questions raised by the action and what we've learned since Tuesday's announcement. Karen and Hugh then discuss the chances of a government shutdown this weekend and provide updates on where things stand with a House-passed spending bill that could keep the government operational. The team then recaps last Friday's executive order seeking to revise PSLF eligibility.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Jill and Sarah discuss FAFSA updates concerning a new definition for Federal Tax Information (FTI) and 2026-27 guidance. Jill kicks things off by detailing the new FTI definition and its implications for data sharing policies. Sarah then walks through last week's electronic announcement from the department outlining the specifications guide for the 2026-27 FAFSA. Sarah then shares some updates on the identity verification process.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Beth and Karen are joined by Megan and Jill to discuss multiple updates from the Department of Education (ED). Karen kicks off the episode by debriefing listeners on ED's Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) that directed institutions to cease using race preferences as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring, training, and other institutional programming, or be at risk of losing federal funding. Megan then discusses the latest updates with income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, including ED taking down the online application for the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) program and other income-based plans. From there, Jill unpacks the availability of batch correction functionality for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 FAFSA, and what financial aid professionals can expect. Lastly, the team discusses Linda McMahon's pending confirmation as ED secretary, and the pending executive order from President Donald Trump that could seek to dismantle ED.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Allie and Karen are joined by Megan and Nalia to discuss the latest news reports that President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that would seek to dismantle the Department of Education. Karen and Megan debrief listeners on what NASFAA knows so far and walk through the complex roadmap that would be required to actually terminate ED. From there, Nalia updates listeners on a special budget tool known as the reconciliation process, which Congress is currently in the beginning stages of drafting, and how that legislation could impact higher education policies.

This week on "Off the Cuff," David and Hugh work through some possible blindspots for standards for academic progress (SAP) and discuss how institutions can review their policies and procedures to ensure they are up to date with the latest regulatory requirements. David kicks things off with a walkthrough of qualitative and quantitative components that schools should be measuring and explains how institutions can calculate those requirements. David then provides more details on the evaluation and appeals process.

This week on "Off the Cuff," Jill and Sarah discuss some last-minute actions from the Biden administration impacting NSLDS Postscreening Results and the upcoming gainful employment (GE) and financial value transparency (FVT) reporting process. Jill kicks things off with a recap of the NSLDS postscreening functionality along with a new report that is now available to schools. Sarah then provides listeners with an update on beta testing for batch corrections and explains what the department's reopening of the gainful employment (GE) and financial value transparency (FVT) reporting process means for schools.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Beth and Karen are joined by U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary James Kvaal. With just a little under a week until a new administration takes over, James discusses ED's priorities over the past four years, including FAFSA simplification and student loan debt relief. The group also digs into the upcoming gainful employment (GE) and financial value transparency (FVT) institutional reporting deadline. Finally, James wraps things up by discussing what is next for ED as his tenure comes to an end.

This week on "Off The Cuff," Beth and Karen are joined by Jeremy Singer, the president of College Board, who earlier this year was hired by the Department of Education (ED) to serve as FAFSA executive advisor for the launch of the 2025-26 FAFSA. During the episode, Jeremy reflects on his tenure at ED, which ended earlier this month, and answers questions from Beth and Karen on the rollout of the 2025-26 form, including beta testing of the new FAFSA. The team also discusses communication from the department to stakeholders on the launch of the 2025-26 FAFSA, and how ED rebuilds trust with the financial aid community. The episode ends with the team looking forward to the 2026-27 FAFSA.