The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

© NASFAA 2012

Listening Session

Reauthorization Task Force2012-13

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Purpose of Reauthorization Task Force

• Consult with NASFAA’s membership and others to develop issue positions and statutory and delivery system changes that:– Promote access to postsecondary education

– Provide simplicity, consistency, flexibility, and program integrity in the delivery of student financial aid

– Represent the diverse needs of NASFAA and its membership.

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Guiding Principles

• Promote fairness and equity for all students

• Address needs of disadvantaged students

• Promote accountability

• Encourage simplicity

• Give schools flexibility to respond to their students’ needs

• Promote primacy of need-based aid

© NASFAA 2012

Guiding Principles

• Accommodate the diversity of academic deliveries

• Promote use of technology wherever possible

• Eliminate use of aid for unrelated social policies

• Use research and data analysis to support recommendations

• Encourage financial and academic preparation at an early age

© NASFAA 2012

Purpose of Today’s Listening Session

• Allow members across the nation to provide valuable info from the field to the Reauthorization Task Force (RTF)

• Gather information which the RTF will use in formulating recommendations on topical areas in the law

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About the HEA• Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as

amended, authorizes the major federal student aid programs that serve postsecondary students.

• Congress reviews and “reauthorizes” the statutes governing these programs about every 5 years.

• Although current federal student aid program authorizations in the HEA do not expire until the end of 2013, there is growing interest in Congress on issues that might be considered during the next reauthorization process.

© NASFAA 2012

Major Topics of HEA

• Access to postsecondary education

• Institutional and program eligibility

• Standards and accountability

• Consumer information

• Program integrity

• Student eligibility

• Need analysis

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Major Topics of HEA

• Distance educationTeach Grant

• Campus-based aid

• Student loans

• Pell Grant

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Statute vs. RegulationStatute Regulation

Definition A law passed by the legislative body (e.g. Congress)

A direction adopted by the executive branch (e.g. the Department of Education)

Example:

Return of Title IV Funds

Law generally describes treatment of student who has withdrawn (officially or unofficially) before completing payment period

Regulation defines when a student is considered to have withdrawn

Enforcement Failure to comply results in legal action, fines, limitations on or loss of eligibility

© NASFAA 2012

Protocol

To facilitate discussion and

ease note-taking we ask

that speakers:

– Clearly state your name, title and institution (spell out names if needed)

– Limit your comments to no more than 5 minutes– Focus your comments on statutory, not regulatory,

issues– Focus your comments on the topical issues covered

during HEA reauthorization

© NASFAA 2012