NACUBO On Your Side: April 18–May 1, 2023
5/01/2023
As things move quickly in Washington, DC, NACUBO is your constant advocate in action. NACUBO On Your Side covers important legislative and agency activity NACUBO staff are tracking, what we’re currently advocating for, and how you can take action with us.
Here are the issues we are tracking and advocating for this week.
Agency Action
FSA Contracts With 5 Companies to Modernize Federal Student Loan Servicing
The Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has awarded five-year contracts to five companies under its Unified Servicing Data Solution (USDS), part of a long-term effort to streamline servicing for federal student loans and improve borrower experience and outcomes. ED says the new servicing environment will “provide all federally managed student loan borrowers with complete account management capabilities on StudentAid.gov; reduce disruptions from account transfers; and increase servicer accountability through clear, service-level metrics.” It is expected to go live next year.
FSA Letter Outlines Significant Changes to Student Aid Processes
In an April 12 announcement, FSA shared the content of a letter emailed to the presidents, chancellors, and chief executive officers of all U.S. higher education institutions about potential impacts of implementing two laws that, when implemented, will “greatly alter the current systems and procedures your school uses to award federal student aid.” The letter outlines a number of specific changes to be aware of and offers a high-level timeline.
Research
Fundraising Effectiveness Project Points to Concerns
The Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s (FEP) Q4 2022 report found trouble on multiple fronts for charitable organizations. Donor counts, which have fallen in five of the last six quarters, continued to fall in Q4. Additionally, the total value of giving, which had been supported by a small quantity of high-value donors, saw a 1.7% year-over-year decrease.
Advocacy
Higher Education Community Offers Comments on Proposed IPEDS Changes
A letter led by the American Council on Education responded to an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) request for comments on proposed changes to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (SPD 15). The proposed changes to SPD 15 would update statistical standards used to collect data on race and ethnicity across federal agencies, including in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The letter applauds OMB’s effort and encourages regulators to consider the time and effort required for institutions to update the data infrastructure necessary to respond to survey components.
Take Action
NACUBO In Brief Highlights Top 5 Business Issues
In discussions with experts across the higher education community, five episodes of the NACUBO In Brief podcast delve further into the topics featured in our Higher Education's Top 5 Business Issues of 2022 project.
