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Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Weekly Rundown - Week of November 2


 
·         This week, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate are in session for legislative business. However, neither chamber is expected to consider student financial aid-related legislation.



·         Through Wednesday, all-day, the National Consortium for School Counseling and Postsecondary Success holds the “Third White House Convening on Strengthening School Counseling and College Advising” at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL. The convening aims to provide the 50 state teams with the opportunity to strategize with states across the nation, review best practice models, and receive technical assistance to dramatically increase the number of traditionally underserved students prepared for, entering, and succeeding in postsecondary education. During the three-day event, Eric Waldo, Executive Director for the Reach Higher Initiative, will give opening remarks and promote the Better Make Room campaign, which seeks to reach students in high school about the importance of higher education; and Johan Uvin, Acting Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education, will give opening remarks and speak about the Administration's current priorities for Career Technical Education reauthorization.

 

·         Today at 3:30 p.m., the College Board hosts a briefing on the new 2015 Trends in College Pricing and Trends in Student Aid reports. Released annually, the trends report series provides the latest information on student financial aid, tuition and other expenses associated with attending college, and illustrates trends over time. The 2015 Trends reports include details on: Published tuition and fee and room and board charges at public and private colleges; Variation in tuition and fees across sectors, states, and regions; Enrollment patterns; Types and distribution of student financial aid; and Levels of student borrowing. The reports will be officially released on Wednesday.



·         On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the Brookings Institution holds an event titled, “How Do We Get to Tax Reform? Lessons from the Bush Panel,” which will discuss the economic and political lessons of the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform report going forward. Keynote remarks will be given by Jason Furman, Chairman, White House Council of Economic Advisors. Panelists include: John Breaux, former U.S. Senator (D-LA); Rosanne Altshuler, Chair and Professor of Economics, Rutgers University; James Poterba, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Bureau of Economic Research, and Mitsui Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Charles Rossotti, former Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, and Operating Executive, The Carlyle Group; and Edward Lazear, former Chairman, White House Council of Economic Advisors, and Jack Steele Parker Professor of Human Resources, Management and Economics, Stanford University.

 

·         Wednesday through Friday, all-day, NCHER holds its annual Knowledge Symposium in San Antonio, TX. The Knowledge Symposium is the nation’s only higher education conference dedicated to training and effective student loan debt management. During the three-day event, attendees will hear from officials with the U.S. Department of Education on the agency’s new rules on income-driven repayment plans, how it is ramping up efforts to ensure data security, and the latest activities of its student loan om­budsman and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on its recent ac­tivity in the federal and private student loan servicing space. The conference’s sessions will include an update on the Federal Communications Commission and Congressional action on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; a summary of student loan-related studies from the Federal Reserve; an interesting presentation on a new FICO scoring system and how the scores impact you and your business; a session providing up-to-the minute information on the loan rehabilitation market, including the new Dear Colleague Letter on collection costs, the new process to assign loans to the Department of Education, and how industry leaders are managing their portfolios; a session involving local financial aid directors and college students; and breakout discussions on how to deal with difficult people, what programs are working to advance successful college access and success, how to prepare for a review by the CFPB, a look at the new military member benefits in the student loan space, new technologies to help you do more with less, and the ever-popular “Ask the Attorneys” segment. As a reminder, the Daily Briefing will not be published during the Knowledge Symposium; publication will resume Monday, November 9.

 

·         Wednesday through Friday, all day, the College Board holds its College Board Forum, an annual gathering of K-12 and higher education professionals that focuses on finding solutions to today’s most pressing education issues. Sessions include: Addressing the Challenge of College Readiness; Why Schools Should Promote 529 Plans; Skin in the Game: Implications of Financial Risk Sharing for Institutions; Approaches to Supporting First-Generation Students From Access to Success; Student-Centered Solutions to Reimagined Aid Design and Delivery; Early College Counseling: Dos, Don’ts, and Strategies for Success; Breaking Down NCES Data: An Overview of College Costs and Student Aid; Principles and Practices of Clear Financial Aid Communication; and the Implications of Income-Based Repayment Plans.



·         On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Financial Services Committee holds a hearing entitled, “Semi-Annual Testimony on the Federal Reserve’s Supervision and Regulation of the Financial System.” The Honorable Janet Yellen, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, will serve as the only witness.



·         On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the Partnership for 21st Century Learning and the National After School Association hold a discussion entitled, “Beyond School Programs: Partners in College and Career Readiness,” to discuss the powerful role beyond school programs play in equipping all students with the knowledge and skills required for postsecondary success.

 

·         On Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Budget Committee holds a hearing entitled, “A Better Approach to Better Budgeting.” Witnesses include: Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA); Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE); William Batchelder, former Speaker, Ohio House of Representatives; and Robert Bixby, Executive Director, Concord Coalition.



·         On Wednesday at 12:00 p.m., Dr. Jill Biden attends and speaks at a “Heads Up America Open House” at LaGuardia Community College in New York City, NY. This event is part of the Second Lady’s ongoing efforts to underscore the importance of community colleges to America’s future and one of 80 being held in more than 15 states this fall to raise awareness about college affordability, instill local pride in community colleges, and spark new connections between community and campus leaders, employers, students, and family to create stronger support networks.



·         On Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., the Federal Reserve Bank of New York holds a press briefing on “Looking Beyond the Macro Economy.” The briefing is intended to highlight the differences in economic outcomes of individuals, households, and regions observed when examining data in more granular detail than at the aggregate level. It will feature research findings from New York Fed economists on variances in income, employment, housing, access to credit, and health. It will also be accompanied by a series of blog posts on Liberty Street Economics, which will appear throughout the week. President William Dudley will provide remarks and join a panel of New York Fed economists to answer questions following the presentation. A live webcast of the briefing will be available to registered participants.



·         On Friday at 3:00 p.m., the Federal Reserve releases its “Consumer Credit – G.19” report, which includes the amount of outstanding federal and private student loans.


Posted on behalf of SASFAA's Legislative Affairs' Committee.

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