This Week in Legislation - Weeks of May 30 and June 5, 2017

Week of May 30, 2017

 

·         This week, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate are in recess for the Memorial Day holiday. Federal lawmakers will return to Washington, DC for legislative business on Monday, June 5, 2017.

·         On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., the Federal Reserve releases its Beige Book. Eight times a year, the Fed releases its Beige Book, a summary of current economic conditions for the 12 Federal Reserve Districts based on anecdotal information gathered through reports from Bank and Branch Directors and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts, and other sources.

·         On Thursday at 8:00 a.m., Federal Reserve Board of Governors Member Jerome Powell gives a speech titled, “Thoughts on the Normalization of Monetary Policy” at the Breakfast Meeting of The Economic Club of New York in New York.

·         On Thursday starting at 9:30 a.m., Strada Education Network and Gallup release the results of their Education Consumer Pulse, a three year study of U.S. adults about their perspectives and experiences with postsecondary education. During the event, attendees will hear opening remarks by Bill Hansen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Strada Education Network; learn about the reports’ findings from Brandon Busteed, Executive Director, Education and Workforce Development, Gallup; and hear reaction from a panel of experts, including: Carol D’Amico, Executive Vice President, Strada Education Network; Les Lenkowsky, Special Counselor to the Dean, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy; Teresa Lubbers, Commissioner, Indiana Commission for Higher Education; and Johnny Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer, Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

 

·         On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) hosts a panel discussion titled, “Is it Time to Reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act?” During the event, Richard Sylla, Professor Emeritus of Economics, New York University Stern School of Business, will provide remarks on the history of the Glass-Steagall Act. Other participants include: Martin Baily, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution; Oliver Ireland, Partner, Morrison and Foerster LLP; Paul Kupiec, Resident Scholar, AEI; Norbert Michel, Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation; and moderator Alex Pollock, Distinguished Senior Fellow, R Street Institute.

 

Week of June 5, 2017

The NCHER Daily Briefing will be on a publishing break next Monday, June 5, through Wednesday, June 7, due to the 2017 Spring Convention. 

 

·         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.

 

·         On Tuesday and Wednesday, all day, insideARM hosts the third annual First Party Summit in Frisco, TX. This event is billed as the industry’s first-ever and only summit focused totally on the unique challenges of first party collections, outsourcing, and customer care. 

 

·         On Tuesday, all day, the CATO Institute hosts a half-day summit event titled, “Banking Unbound: The CATO Summit on Financial Regulation,” in Charlotte, NC. Participants include: Thaya Brook Knight, Associate Director, Financial Regulation Studies, Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, CATO Institute; Mark Calabria, Assistant to the Vice President and Chief Economist, CATO Institute; George Selgin, Director, Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, CATO Institute; Brian Knight, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center at George Mason University; Emily Ekins, Research Fellow and Director of Polling, CATO Institute; and Kelly King, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BB&T Corporation.

·         On Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., the Brookings Institution’s Center on Regulation and Markets and Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy brings together four experts with differing views on preserving or modifying Orderly Liquidation Authority in a discussion titled, “Is Dodd-Frank’s Failure Resolution Regime Failing?” Participants include: Ben Bernanke, Distinguished Fellow in Residence, Brookings Institution; David Skeel, S. Samuel Arsht Professor Corporate Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School; Hester Peirce, Director, Financial Markets Working Group and Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center at George Mason University; Rodgin Cohen, Senior Chairman, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP; and moderator David Wessel, Director, The Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy.

·         On Wednesday 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.

·         On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) holds a summer meeting of its Consumer Advisory Board with CFPB Director Richard Cordray to discuss credit visibility, credit products, trends and themes, and small business lending.

·         On Thursday at 12:00 p.m., the Federal Reserve releases its “Financial Accounts of the United States - Z.1” report, which examines the assets, liabilities, net worth, and consumer credit (including student loans) of households, nonprofit organizations, and nonfinancial corporate businesses. The Z.1 report is released four times a year, in March, June, September, and December.

 

This information is shared by SASFAA's Legislative Affairs' Committee and NCHER.

 

Nudging Students Toward Smart Borrowing

For Publication

Inceptia.org

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Nudging Students Toward Smart Borrowing

Using loan summaries to help borrowers better understand their loans.

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As students increasingly rely on loans to finance part or all of their college education the need for relevant, timely information to help make informed borrowing choices has become more critical than ever.

 

Students themselves are indicating a need for such initiatives, as demonstrated through a number of surveys that uncover numerous confusing concepts for loan borrowers. Consider the following:

·         48% of borrowers either don’t know or incorrectly estimate the amount they have borrowed.¹

·         28% incorrectly believe they have no federal loans at all.¹

·         94% of student borrowers do not understand their loan repayment terms.²

 

The ramifications for borrower confusion can be significant. When students do not invest in or avail themselves of existing loan counseling resources, those students, as well as schools and society at large, suffer from the effects of over borrowing, lower degree attainment, increased attrition, and student loan default.

 

A number of schools and states, however, are using a simple yet innovative approach to help students actively manage loan debt as they progress toward degree completion. These institutions use loan summaries, sometimes called “debt letters,” to supplement loan counseling practices and expand on financial education outreach—keeping students apprised of their individual borrowing levels and allowing them to make informed choices about future repayment scenarios.

 

Loan summaries/debt letters are a simple, low-touch effort to keep student borrowers engaged in the active management of their loans while in school. While letters can vary among institutions, commonalities include a summary of current aggregate borrowing, estimated monthly repayment amounts, and resources for learning more or obtaining help. These summaries are strategically scheduled to be delivered at times when students are making financial aid and/or course registration decisions, thus providing a highly-effective, just-in-time intervention for borrowers.

 

Inceptia’s newest research brief, Loan Summaries: Nudging Students Toward Smart Borrowing, examines how three different universities administered their loan summary initiatives and the corresponding results on student behavior. The results offer support that this simple, lost-cost practice can impact not only borrowing behaviors, but also academic performance and enrollment persistence. Furthermore, the brief offers best practice considerations for schools looking at implementing loan summaries as to support student success.

 

The research brief and a recorded webinar diving deeper into the brief’s findings and offering insight and strategies on how loan summaries help borrowers better understand their loans can be viewed at inceptia.org/smart-borrowers.

1. Akers, E. and Chingos, M. (2014, December). Are College Students Borrowing Blindly? Brookings Institution. Retrieved from: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Are-College-Students-Borrowing-Blindly_Dec-2014.pdf

2. Rathmanner, D. (2016, January). January 2016 Student Loan Borrower Survey. LendEDU. Retrieved from https://lendedu.com/blog/January-student-loan-survey.

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This Week in Legislation - Week of May 15, 2017

Week of May 15, 2017

 

·         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.

·         Today at 12:00 p.m., the CATO Institute hosted a panel discussion titled, “Major Tax Reform in 2017?” which covered the economics of tax reform and commented on the policy process in the months ahead. Panelists also explored the proposed changes to individual taxes outlined in the Trump and House plans, and further, examined U.S. business taxation in light of dramatic reforms undertaken in the UK and around the world that offer important lessons for U.S. policymakers. Participants included: J. D. Foster, Vice President, Economic Policy Division, Chief Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Jason Fichtner, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University; Chris Edwards, Director of Tax Policy Studies, Editor, DownsizingGovernment, Cato Institute; Ryan Bourne, R. Evan Scharf Chair for the Public Understanding of Economics, Cato Institute; and moderator Peter Russo, Director of Congressional Affairs, Cato Institute.

·         Today at 12:30 p.m., New America hosted an event titled, “Ethical Use of Predictive Analytics in Higher Education.” Participants included: Bill Moses, Managing Director, The Kresge Foundation’s Education Program; Iris Palmer, Senior Policy Analyst, New America; Sylvia Cini, Director of Special Projects, Central Piedmont Community College; Mark Milliron, Co-Founder & Chief Learning Officer, Civitas Learning; George Siemens, Executive Director, Link Research Lab at the University of Texas at Arlington; and Manuela Ekowo, Policy Analyst, New America.

·         On Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) hosts House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) as the sole speaker at an event titled, “The Opportunities of Career and Technical Education.” Chairwoman Foxx will focus her remarks on how career and technical education programs can provide promising opportunities to American students and help develop necessary skills for an evolving workforce. Following her remarks, Andy Smarick, Morgridge Fellow in Education at AEI, will host a one-on-one conversation with Chairwoman Foxx.

·         On Tuesday, all day, the Center for American Progress holds its 2017 Ideas Conference, which will “bring together national leaders of the progressive cause,” including elected officials and grassroots organizers, to discuss economic policy, national security, civil rights, and more. Participants include: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA); Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR); Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT); Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY); Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA); Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ); House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA); Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA); Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN); North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice; Montana Gov. Steve Bullock; and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

·         On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Education and the Workforce Committee meets to consider H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21^st Century Act. The bill would update the federal law that provides support to state and local career and technical education programs, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.

·         On Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Budget Committee holds a hearing entitled, “Running the Government for Less.” Witnesses include: The Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, U.S. Government Accountability Office; and Dr. Keith Hall, Director, Congressional Budget Office.

·         On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., the Federal Reserve Bank of New York releases its Q1 2017 Household Debt and Credit Report, which offers an updated snapshot of household trends in borrowing and indebtedness, including data about mortgages, student loans, credit cards, and auto loans.

·         On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., The Heritage Foundation hosts a panel discussion titled, “The Volcker Rule.” The rule’s original intent was to prohibit banks from engaging in what’s known as proprietary trading and panelists will discuss the merits of the rule and its potential to help avoid any future financial crisis.  Participants include: Dennis Kelleher, President and Chief Executive Officer, Better Markets, Inc.; Andy Green, Managing Director of Economic Policy, American Progress; Thomas Quaadman, Executive Vice President, U.S. Chamber Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness; Chris Iacovella, Chief Executive Officer, Equity Dealers of America; and moderator Norbert Michel, Senior Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation.

·         On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the House Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing titled, “How Tax Reform Will Grow Our Economy and Create Jobs.” Witnesses will be announced at a later date. Individuals and/or organizations may submit a written statement for consideration by the committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing through the committee’s website by close of business Thursday, June 1, 2017.

 

·         On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee holds a hearing titled, “Domestic and International Policy Update.” The sole witness will be The Honorable Steven Mnuchin, Secretary, U.S. Department of Treasury.

·         On Friday, starting at 11:00 a.m., the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee meets to consider a recommendation from its Robocalls Working Group regarding the Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry on unlawful robocalls released on March 23, 2017. The committee will also receive presentations by FCC staff and outside speakers on matters of interest to the committee.  

·         On Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence delivers the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IN.

 

This information is shared by SASFAA's Legislative Affairs' Committee and NCHER.

SASFAA Volunteers for 2017-18

            Do you wish to be involved with the regional association?  When asked to volunteer, the immediate response of many aid administrators is "I do not have time to serve."  In most roles as a SASFAA volunteer, you will invest less than ten hours of your time as a committee member, moderator, presenter, local arrangements assistant, etc.  Volunteering provides an opportunity to meet and engage with other financial aid professionals to develop lifetime friendships.  Please consider volunteering for SASFAA for 2017-18 to support an association that goes far and beyond to provide guidance for students, parents, administrators, and colleagues.  We would like for volunteers to complete the volunteer form by May 31, 2017.  During SASFAA’s transition meeting in June, the board members will review the list of volunteers.  New and seasoned financial aid administrators, please volunteer now by clicking the link below.  Thank you for volunteering.

 

 

 

This Week in Legislation - Week of May 8, 2017

Week of May 8, 2017

·         This week, the U.S. House is in recess and will return for legislative business on Monday, May 15, 2017. The U.S. Senate is in session for legislative business, but it is not expected to consider student financial aid-related legislation.

      ·         On Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Budget Committee holds a hearing titled, “Economic Growth Policies for the New Administration.” The sole witness will be: The Honorable Phil Gramm (R-TX), former U.S. Senator, and Visiting Scholar, American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

·         On Wednesday at 12:00 p.m., Education Secretary Betsy DeVos delivers the spring commencement address at Bethune-Cookman University’s graduation ceremony in Daytona Beach, FL.

·         On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) hosts a field hearing on small business lending in Los Angeles, CA. The event will feature remarks from CFPB Director Richard Cordray and testimony from community groups, industry representatives, and members of the public.

·         On Thursday at 9:30 a.m., New America hosts a summit titled, “Varying Degrees: How America Perceives Higher Education.” The event will take a closer look at America’s thoughts and perceptions of higher education and discuss the implications of these findings for students, institutional leaders, and policymakers. Participants in the first panel on “How Current Students View Higher Education and the Pursuit of the American Dream,” include: Jemiscoe Chambers-Black, Student, Southern New Hampshire University; Lindsay Shurtliff, Student, Northern Virginia Community College; Ariel Ventura-Lazo, Student, Northern Virginia Community College; and moderator Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Reporter, The Washington Post. Participants in the second panel on “Discussion: Diving into the Data – Translating America’s Perceptions Into Policy,” include: José Luis Cruz, President, Lehman College; Cheryl Oldham, Vice President of Education Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Scott Ralls, President, Northern Virginia Community College; Deborah Santiago, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Policy, Excelencia in Education; and moderator Rob Nabors, Director of U.S. Policy, Advocacy, and Communications, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

·         On Thursday at 4:00 p.m., AEI and the Pepperdine School of Public Policy host an event titled, “Viewpoint Diversity in American Higher Education,”  to discuss political partisanship in American higher education and faculty’s role in addressing this dynamic. Participants include: Jon Shields, Government Professor, Claremont McKenna College; Samuel Abrams, Political Science Professor, Sarah Lawrence College; Gerard Alexander, Political Science Professor, University of Virginia; Eliot Cohen, International Affairs Scholar, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; James Gimpel, Political Science Professor, University of Maryland; Samuel Goldman, Political Science Professor, The George Washington University Loeb Center for Religious Freedom; and moderator Pete Peterson, Dean, Pepperdine School of Public Policy.

·         On Friday at 12:00 p.m., Hogan Lovells US LLP hosts a complimentary webinar for CLE credit titled, “Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) for the Boardroom  - An Executive Focus.” Led by firm partner Mark Brennan, the webinar will focus on the key decisions facing company executives as they navigate TCPA risks and assess compliance strategies. Specifically, the webinar will assess major risk drivers and key factors for strategic decision-making; recent litigation and regulatory developments; the election impact; and issues on the horizon for the rest of this year. The Hogan Lovells team will also discuss evolving compliance strategies and additional Board actions and operational steps that participants can take to help protect their organization against class action lawsuits and regulatory enforcement actions. For details and to register, visit the Hogan Lovells website.

·         On Saturday at 10:00 a.m., President Donald Trump delivers the keynote address at Liberty University’s commencement ceremony in Lynchburg, VA.

 

This information is shared by SASFAA's Legislative Affairs' Committee and NCHER.

"Reviewing the FAFSA Data Breach" Hearing

Happy Monday SASFAA!

In case you are interested, here is the link for Wednesday’s hearing “Reviewing the FAFSA Data Breach” being held by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform at 9:30am EST.

https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/reviewing-fafsa-data-breach/

 

Have a great week!

 

Christen R. Barrett
Associate Director of Financial Aid
Savannah College of Art and Design®
SASFAA Legislative Relations Chair 2016-2017

This Week in Legislation - Week of May 1, 2017

Week of May 1, 2017

 

·         This week, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate are in session for legislative business. Today, the Senate is expected to consider and approve the nomination of Jay Clayton to serve as chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Later in the week, both chambers are expected to consider and pass H.R. 244, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which would provide discretionary funding to the U.S. Department of Education through September 30, 2017.

 

·         On Tuesday and Wednesday, all day, the Federal Reserve holds a two-day meeting of its Federal Open Market Committee. The minutes for each regularly scheduled meeting of the committee, which include a description of economic and financial conditions, are made available three weeks after its policy decisions are posted in the Federal Reserve Board’s Annual Report.

 

·         On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Financial Services Committee begins consideration of amendments to H.R. 10, the Financial CHOICE Act, which will reform the Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act. The committee anticipates voting on final passage of the bill later in the week.

·         On Tuesday at 12:00 p.m., American Student Assistance hosts a panel discussion titled, “Student Debt–It’s Not Just For Millennials: The Effect of Student Loans on Older Americans.” The event serves as a follow up to its recently updated report, Retirement Delayed: The Impact of Student Debt on the Daily Lives of Older Americans, and looks to discuss some of the issues facing older borrowers with student debt and pose policy solutions to help alleviate this increasing burden that is delaying retirement and financial security later in life. Participants include: Rachel Fishman, Senior Policy Analyst, New America Foundation; Lori Trawinski, Director, Banking and Finance, AARP Public Policy Institute; and Seth Frotman (invited), Student Loan Ombudsman, Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. To attend the event, send an email to jryder@asa.org.

 

·         On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee holds a hearing titled, “Reviewing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Data Breach.” Witnesses will be announced at a later date.

·         On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Budget Committee holds a hearing titled, “Failures of Fiscal Management: A View From the Comptroller General.” The sole witness will be The Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, U.S. Government Accountability Office.

 

·         On Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Budget Committee holds a hearing entitled, “Private Sector Growth and the Economy.” Witnesses include: Michael Strain, Director of Economic Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute (AEI); William Dunkelberg, Chief Economist, National Federation of Independent Business; and Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University.

·         On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government holds an oversight hearing on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Witnesses include: The Honorable J. Russell George, Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Department of Treasury; and Nina Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, IRS.

 

·         On Wednesday at 3:00 p.m., GradNation releases its "2017 Building a Grad Nation" report, which is the campaign’s 8th annual report on the current state of high school graduation rates in the United States. To coincide with the report’s release, the Aspen Institute, America’s Promise Alliance, Alliance for Excellent Education, Civil Enterprises, and the Everyone Graduates Center at John Hopkins University will host a panel discussion titled, “The State of our GradNation: What Will it Take to Get to a 90 Percent Grad Rate for All Students.” Participants include: Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President, Aspen Institute; Nicole Anderson, President, AT&T Foundation; John Bridgeland, President and Chief Executive Officer, Civic Enterprises; Bob Balfanz, Director, Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University; Gov. Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education; John Gomperts, President and Chief Executive Officer, America’s Promise Alliance; Lisa Stark, Contributor, Education Week; Charlene Briner, Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Education; Jennifer DePaoli, Senior Research and Policy Advisor, Civic Enterprises; and Anthony Terrell, Principal, Mt. Vernon High School, Fairfax, VA.

 

·         On Thursday and Friday, all day, the National Skills Coalition hosts Apprenticeship Forward, a national conference that will “help chart a path toward a future where millions more American workers and businesses reap the benefits of a high performing apprenticeship system built through the collaboration of the public, private, and philanthropic sectors.” 

·         On Friday at 9:00 a.m., MTV, Better Make Room, and the Reach Higher Initiative host the 2017 National College Signing Day in New York City, NY. The event, which celebrates high school seniors pursuing higher education, will feature former First Lady Michelle Obama.

·         On Friday at 11:30 a.m., Federal Reserve Board of Governors Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer gives a speech titled, “Monetary Policy Rules and Committees,” at the Structural Foundations of Monetary Policy Conference in Stanford, CA.

·         On Friday at 1:30 p.m., Federal Reserve Board of Governors Chair Janet Yellen gives a speech titled, “125 Years of Women’s Participation in the Economy,” during the 125 Years of Women Conference at Brown University in Providence, RI.

·         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.

 

 

This information is shared by SASFAA's Legislative Affairs' Committee and NCHER.