NASFAA's Off the Cuff Podcast

Mar 06 2025 100 ep. 36 mins 27

NASFAA's Off the Cuff Podcast artwork

Hosted by NASFAA staff, this podcast offers an unscripted view of hot financial aid and higher education-related topics. The hosts discuss what's happening inside the Beltway to give you an insider's perspective.

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OTC AskRegs Experts: Federal Tax Information and More FAFSA Guidance

Mar 06 2025 20 mins

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 20

OTC Inside The Beltway: Unpacking ED's DEI Dear Colleague Letter, SAVE Plan Updates, and Batch Corrections Functionality

Feb 27 2025 43 mins

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,

OTC Inside The Beltway: Working Through the Trump Administration's Latest Effort to Dismantle Education Department

Feb 05 2025 26 mins

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.

OTC AskRegs Experts: Working Through SAP Blind Spots

Jan 30 2025 26 mins

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 a

OTC AskRegs Experts: Updated Timelines for NSLDS, Batch Corrections, GE & FVT

Jan 23 2025 18 mins

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

OTC From the Field: Under Secretary James Kvaal Discusses ED's Priorities During the Biden-Era

Jan 14 2025 41 mins

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 va

OTC From the Field: A Conversation with ED's 2025-26 FAFSA Executive Advisor Jeremy Singer

Dec 18 2024 49 mins

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

OTC AskRegs Experts: Recapping the FSA Virtual Training Conference and Potential Paths of Biden-Era Regulations Under a Trump Administration

Dec 12 2024 24 mins

This week on "Off the Cuff," Jill and Sarah recap last week's Federal Student Aid (FSA) Virtual Training Conference and detail what could happen with Biden administration regulations under the incoming Trump administration. Sarah kicks off the conversation by highlighting important information folks may have missed at the FSA conference, including FAFSA updates, batch corrections f

OTC AskRegs Experts: Diving into Common Questions Found on NASFAA U

Nov 14 2024 21 mins

This week on “Off The Cuff,” Hugh and David are joined by Tonya Hsiung, NASFAA U Program Manager, to discuss and answer some common questions, misconceptions and topics that catch some members by surprise in various NASFAA U courses. Topics discussed include loan fees, cost of attendance (COA), professional judgement (PJ), the Pell Grant recalculation date and more. David and T

OTC AskRegs Experts: Updates on GE & FVT Reporting

Nov 07 2024 21 mins

This week on “Off the Cuff,” Hugh, Jill, and Sarah discuss the latest news on Gainful Employment (GE) and Financial Value Transparency (FVT). Sarah kicks things off with a recap of recent updates to the reporting requirements and new announcements concerning draft completers lists and NSLDS reports. Sarah and Jill then walk through some common questions on these recent updates