This week on "Off The Cuff," Melanie and Karen discuss three new House bills focused on preventing fraud in the student aid programs, all of which were advanced by the House Education and Workforce Committee this week: https://ow.ly/UlkK50YwXkL Now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube!

#NASFAAinTheNews: "Melanie Storey, president of [NASFAA], said having Treasury manage defaulted borrowers is nothing new, for the most part... 'The devil is really in the details' as we ask 'what will happen next,' Storey added, 'and that’s not clear.'"

#NASFAAinTheNews: "Melanie Storey, president and CEO of [NASFAA], said that it’s important to remember that policy is often iterative and administrators can expect to see more right-sizing of the Pell Grant expansion efforts..."

NASFAA members have reported receiving an increase in the number of borrower defense to repayment (BDR) claims over the past several weeks. NASFAA's Policy Team have the answers to our members FAQs about this sudden uptick in BDR claims: https://ow.ly/mvcE50YwQO7

The Department of Education announced it is shifting its student loan portfolio responsibilities to the Treasury Department through a new interagency agreement, with the subsequent goal of phasing out other Federal Student Aid functions to the agency. More details: https://ow.ly/Wu6C50YwNyA

The legislative session is underway in dozens of states, and higher education is very much on the agenda. Here's the latest. https://chroni.cl/4uQr4Vc

"We call on Congress to continue its bipartisan support of federal student aid programs—which combine grants, work-study, and loan programs—to enable low- and middle-income students to succeed." Learn more: https://ow.ly/ob5r50Ywiqn

The @USGAO published a report examining the extent to which the @usedgov's reduction in force has affected how FSA carries out its responsibilities to oversee loan servicers and warning that a lack of oversight could be harmful to both borrowers and ED: https://ow.ly/BrXU50YvS3Z

The House Education & Workforce Committee advanced three bills focused on preventing fraud in the federal student aid programs. The markup follows an executive order that President Trump signed, establishing a task force to “eliminate fraud” in the federal government: https://ow.ly/1siL50YvTJw

College opportunity shouldn’t depend on who knows how to navigate financial aid forms. States like Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, and Louisiana are making FAFSA completion the norm — helping more students unlock the aid they deserve. Our latest report breaks down what works. https://edtru.st/4usMuHP

A federal judge has delayed enforcement of the ACTS reporting deadline to March 25 after a group of Democratic states attorneys general filed a lawsuit arguing that the ACTS reporting requirement was rushed and created a “considerable” burden for institutions: https://ow.ly/K5Xh50Yvscj

Calbright College, the state’s free online community college, is growing rapidly, despite concerns about its effectiveness. Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes tripling its annual budget. bit.ly/3NvJARE 📸 iStock

A new legal filing from the Department of Education shows an uptick in the backlog of Public Service Loan Forgiveness buyback applications, along with progress in processing income-driven repayment applications. Learn more: https://ow.ly/Voia50YvlM7

ED Creates E-App User Reference Guide The guide provides detailed instructions for completing the Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs (E-App) and offers details on how to resolve Partner Connect access issues: https://ow.ly/4OGV50YuQwl

Career Advice | 5 Ways Presidents Can Better Support Financial Aid Officers With workload increasing and burnout high across the financial aid profession, university leaders can offer meaningful support. https://bit.ly/4s7UKv7 #EDUSky #HigherEd #AcademicSky

This week on "Off the Cuff," Hugh, Jill, and Sarah share some takeaways from last week’s Federal Student Aid training conference, where officials from the Department of Education provided policy updates geared towards financial aid professionals: https://ow.ly/iIqc50Ytui1

Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Foreign Influence in Higher Education The Senate HELP Committee touched on many issues, such as the U.S.-China relationship, research, academic integrity, foreign gift reporting, and more. Read our recap: https://ow.ly/E2uG50Ytu8W

A coalition of 17 states are challenging a policy that requires higher education institutions to collect data showing they aren’t considering race in admissions. https://www.wpri.com/news/education/states-sue-the-trump-administration-to-challenge-policy-requiring-colleges-to-collect-race-data/

National immigration enforcement crackdowns and the loss of a Colorado data tool has caused some students not to fill out the form.

Drawing on federal workforce data, a new report from NASFAA examines how staffing levels, workforce composition, and departure patterns shifted across the Department of Education in 2025, and how these shifts may impact financial aid administration. Explore the report: https://ow.ly/SL4L50YsTzx

Drumroll, please! 🥁 We are excited to announce the opening keynote speaker for the #NASFAA2026 National Conference is celebrity drummer, cancer survivor, rockstar speaker, and global authority on performance: Mark Schulman: https://ow.ly/NsCr50Ysuzl

As part of the Trump administration's effort to reform the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the Department of Education recently released a report outlining several recommendations to further “reimagine” the agency. Learn more: https://ow.ly/gY6f50YswoK

Poll: Voters Generally Support Limiting Grad School Borrowing https://bit.ly/4s2uWjX

The Department of Education announced upcoming changes to several Federal Student Aid systems to support the expansion of Pell Grant eligibility for eligible workforce programs and revised limits on federal student loans enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: https://ow.ly/x9Qi50YsozI

A week after a district court dismissed a lawsuit and proposed settlement between the Department of Education and Missouri regarding the SAVE plan, a federal appeals court reversed the dismissal, leaving many questions for millions of borrowers on where they stand: https://ow.ly/PogJ50YskRe

The deadline for institutions to submit data to the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) is Wednesday, March 18, but institutions that require additional time may qualify for an extension, the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) confirmed.

State Lawmakers Step In to Support Minority-Serving Institutions Since the Education Department axed funding to MSIs last fall, state policymakers have proposed bills to recognize and sustain such colleges and universities moving forward. https://bit.ly/4rmY3NR #EDUSky #HigherEd #AcademicSky

NASFAA is endorsing the Lowering Student Loans Act, new bipartisan legislation that would amend the Higher Education Act and set a fixed 2% interest rate for all federal Direct student loans. Learn more: ow.ly/720H50YrU9Q

ED Publishes NPRM to Implement Pell Provisions Enacted Under OBBBA The proposed regulations largely reflect the consensus language reached during the neg reg process, with a few technical clarifications and conforming changes. Comments are due April 8. Learn more: https://ow.ly/CWHn50YrugS

The legislative session is underway in dozens of states, and higher education is very much on the agenda. Here's the latest. https://chroni.cl/40bkCKj

FSA’s Federal Update Details New Webinar Series and Works Through OBBBA Provisions NASFAA was on the ground at the FSA conference keeping our members informed of the latest news and guidance. Read our recap of the final day of the 2026 FSA conference: https://ow.ly/h2A050Yrfqu

🆕🎧 In this episode of The Key Podcast, host Sara Custer is joined by Kristin Hultquist, the founder and CEO of HCM strategies to explore what a long-term funding strategy for a modern Pell Grant program could look like.. Listen now ➡️ https://bit.ly/4srNn1c

McMahon Touts First Year in Office; Dems and Students Push Back The Education Department says that in just one year McMahon has secured reforms in higher ed that conservatives have championed for decades. Critics say her work is creating barriers to college access. https://bit.ly/4lbpHf5 #EDUSky

A federal court doubled down on its decision to dismiss the state of Missouri’s lawsuit and proposed settlement with the Department of Education over terminating the SAVE plan when the judge denied Missouri’s subsequent request to temporarily halt this dismissal: https://ow.ly/SeWr50Yq8YS

FSA Training Conference Commits to Another ‘Early December’ In Person Conference and Provides Updates on Workforce Pell, OBBBA, and More Read our recap of the second day at the FSA Conference: https://ow.ly/Klpp50Yq9tN

Lawmakers and Universities Push Back on Loan Caps Politicians from both sides of the aisle sharply criticized the Education Department’s narrow interpretation of the legislation, which limits the number of students with access to large federal loans. https://bit.ly/47nXHzb #EDUSky #AcademicSky

McMahon Recounts First Year Priorities, FAFSA Launch, Focus on ROI, OBBBA Implementation, and More During FSA’s In-Person Conference The FSA training conference kicked off its first session on Wednesday, marking its first in-person convening since 2019: https://ow.ly/CEzo50YpChg

The Consumer Bankers Association's recent white paper discusses the implications the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has on graduate student lending and the ability of private lenders to meet new demand, along with recommendations to ensure that graduate education is accessible: https://ow.ly/mkCJ50Yp9lE

NASFAA and dozens of #HigherEd orgs led by the American Council on Education are urging U.S. Department of Education to expand the list of professional degree programs, improve the neg reg process, and abide by the master calendar in the Higher Education Act. Learn more: https://ow.ly/A1zy50Yp6cO

The Latest in Program and Personnel Cuts February brought a small wave of job cuts heavily concentrated at a few institutions that shed dozens of positions, while others enacted more incremental layoffs. https://bit.ly/4sjYLw7 #EDUSky #AcademicSky #HigherEd

ICYMI | WASHINGTON, D.C.—Education under secretary Nicholas Kent opened day two of the @aceducation.bsky.social’s annual meeting with a clear and pointed statement—American higher education needs a “hard reset.” Read more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4r62Nr6 #EDUSky #HigherEd #AcademicSky

NASFAA submitted comments to U.S. Department of Education on proposed regulations tied to student loan changes in the OBBBA. NASFAA points out where regulations should be more student-friendly, highlights the need for prompt, clear guidance and systems updates, and more: https://ow.ly/fFaO50Yoiog

A federal court judge on Friday dismissed the Department of Education’s lawsuit and proposed settlement with the state of Missouri over terminating the SAVE plan, leaving more questions and confusion for borrowers after years of legal challenges. Learn more: https://ow.ly/JyJf50Yo7h1

Congress Gave MSIs Funding, but Uncertainty Looms Congress appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars for minority-serving institutions, but after the Trump administration axed the grants last year, colleges and universities are making backup plans. https://bit.ly/3MrmLOQ #EDUSky #AcademicSky

This week on "Off The Cuff," Melanie is joined by Karen to discuss the Congressional Budget Office's new projections of a funding shortfall in the Pell Grant program. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or on our website: https://ow.ly/PKxZ50Yn510

New research reveals a sharp disconnect between public skepticism toward higher education and what students and graduates actually experience on campus and beyond.

We are excited to introduce First Generation College Bound as our local charity partner for the NASFAA 2026 National Conference! #NASFAA2026 attendees can support FGCB by running or walking the Charity 5K, or choose between Trivia Night and Topgolf. Learn more & register: https://ow.ly/w9eP50YmwC9

Minority-serving institutions are caught in limbo. Congress appropriated funding for them for fiscal year 2026, but the Trump administration has repeatedly signaled it's against giving out the money.

FSA issued a reminder with actions institutions may need to take by March 1, to avoid SAIG disruptions. Institutions connected to the test environment should complete these actions ASAP since FSA plans to update that first. FSA plans to implement these updates by March 8: https://ow.ly/1O6o50Ymrjl

As the One Big Beautiful Bill Act contains significant provisions that reshape student financial aid, NASFAA created a web center to keep our members informed about the latest analysis, guidance, and regulatory developments as they occur. Explore our resources at nasfaa.org/ob3.