ED Backs Out of Some Sessions at NASFAA Conference

Most years, the Department of Education and its Office of Federal Student Aid have a strong presence at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators’ annual conference.

They run a table in the exhibit hall to provide technical support on Partner Connect, the digital portal for administering federal aid. They lead more than half a dozen breakout sessions on various topics. And FSA’s most popular event, NASFAA staff say, is the annual Ask-a-Fed booth, where financial aid administrators can chat one on one with ED staff about financial aid policy guidance, administrative procedures and more.

But at NASFAA’s annual conference, which begins June 29 in National Harbor, Md., the Education Department will have less of a presence, according to a Wednesday announcement from the association.

“The Department recently informed NASFAA that it will not be able to support the conference to the extent previously communicated,” the association said in an email to its members just two weeks before the conference is slated to begin. “While the Department’s participation this year will be more limited than in previous years, NASFAA remains committed to providing timely information, practical guidance, and meaningful opportunities for attendees to engage on the policy and operational issues affecting their campuses.”

During NASFAA’s conference, on July 1, key provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will take effect—including a loan cap for postbaccalaureate students that is prorated based on enrollment, a new loan repayment plan and the introduction of Pell Grants for short-term job training programs.

The regulations that explain these changes were only finalized in late April and mid-May, giving financial aid administrators little time to implement them. Financial aid experts say the changes are complex and nuanced and many questions remain. One of the biggest changes, the loan limits, has been challenged by multiple plaintiffs in separate courts, and a ruling could complicate the rollout of the new regulations.

Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent will still participate in a fireside chat June 30 with NASFAA president Melanie Storey. Department staff will also present a federal policy update—though they will not take questions live. ED will also participate in two breakout sessions, which include a listening session and one about the Office of Inspector General, NASFAA’s conference schedule shows.

But other key events like Ask-a-Fed will not occur. Originally, the department was expected to conduct four breakout sessions—at least one of which would address changes under the OBBBA, NASFAA told Inside Higher Ed. At first, ED backed out of all but the inspector general session, but after discussions it agreed to host the listening session, which was not originally on the agenda.

“It initially felt unfathomable that the department wouldn’t be able to answer operational questions on literally the days before and after the implementation of these new provisions,” Storey told Inside Higher Ed. “I knew how much our members want and share the goal of successful implementation of this work, and how disappointed and frustrated they would be that there would not be as much information coming from the department as they’d initially expected, and as we likely led them to believe given the conversations we had been having.”

Department spokesperson Ellen Keast did not directly answer Inside Higher Ed’s question about why it opted out of the NASFAA appearances.

The sessions they will participate in, Keast said in an email, “are part of a broader set of implementation supports leading up to the July 1 implementation of the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act], including sessions at the recent FSA Training Conference, published guidance and Q&As, webinars, office hours, and podcasts.”

“The Department is focused on supporting financial aid administrators and the millions of borrowers impacted through scalable, accessible resources rather than concentrating efforts on participation in one conference,” she added.

Storey says ED did not tell NASFAA why it backed out of the session addressing OBBBA.

“The only thing I can suppose is that they need to be heads down, focusing on their aspects of the implementation straight through July 1,” she said. “My rejoinder to that would be they need financial aid administrators and the software providers and others who support financial aid offices to also be ready, and so we share a goal with the department to have consistent and accurate information to implement this law, and we need to hear from them.”