NASFAA's Off the Cuff Podcast

Latest Episodes:

OTC AskRegs Experts: Diving Into Schedule of Reductions (SOR) May 21, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off the Cuff," Hugh is joined by David Tolman, David Futrell, and Norma to discuss more details concerning the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). During the conversation, NASFAA's Training and Regulatory Assistance team focuses on issues related to Schedule of Reductions (SOR) and outstanding questions that remain unanswered, even though final regulations were recently published. Norma goes on to provide an overview of SOR and explains how the term mandates that a student's Direct Loan eligibility be reduced when they are enrolled on a less-than-full-time basis. The team goes on to detail SOR concepts that financial aid administrators generally understand, and reviews areas of confusion.

OTC AskRegs Experts: RISE Final Rules and the Latest on NSLDS Post-Screening May 14, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off the Cuff," Hugh is joined by Jill and Sarah to provide some updates on where things stand with final rules from the negotiated rulemaking committees focusing on implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and some updates to the NSLDS post-screening process. Jill kicks things off with a recap of the final rules – issued May 1 – from the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee concerning loan limits, repayment plans, and loan programs. Jill goes on to explain what outstanding questions still remain and outlines when we can expect additional guidance from the Department of Education (ED). Sarah then walks listeners through some updates to the NSLDS post-screening process, which also relate to OBBBA implementation.

OTC Inside The Beltway: Working Through OBBBA Guidance With Blue Icon May 07, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off the Cuff," Melanie is joined by David Page, Blue Icon's senior business development specialist, Renee Armentrout, a Blue Icon consultant, and Rachel Andersen, Cuyamaca College's director of financial aid & scholarships, to discuss how schools are sorting through the latest guidance and condensed implementation timeline for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Melanie kicks things off with an update on the Department of Education's (ED) final rule detailing changes to the federal student loan programs, and explains why the July 1 implementation timeline is putting pressure on schools – especially those with summer headers. Rachel then provides perspective from her institution, while David details the logistical and budgetary challenges that schools and vendors face.

OTC AskRegs Experts: Understanding the New R2T4 Regulations Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off the Cuff," David Tolman and Maria are joined by Tonya and David Downing for a discussion on the new Return of Title IV funds (R2T4) regulations, which will become effective this July. The team walks listeners through the five areas that will be impacted by new R2T4 regulations and details what these new regulations entail. From there, the team walks through different student scenarios that schools may have questions on – including a math lesson from Tonya on how to do R2T4 calculations. The team wraps up the discussion by highlighting several NASFAA resources schools can use to learn more about this topic.

OTC AskRegs Experts: Graduate PLUS Loans Will Now Count Toward New Lifetime Borrowing Limit and Other OBBBA Updates Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off the Cuff," Jill, Sarah, and Maria discuss the breaking news this week that, in a reversal of guidance, the Department of Education (ED) is now including Graduate PLUS loans in the new $257,500 lifetime borrowing limit established through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Jill explains what this means for students and walks listeners through different student scenarios. From there, Sarah debriefs listeners on the latest Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) from ED regarding the new Student Tuition and Transparency System and Earnings Accountability (STATS) framework. Sarah provides some background on what is included in the NPRM, and notes that NASFAA will be submitting its own comments on the proposed regulations.

OTC Inside the Beltway: Debriefing ED's New FAFSA Fraud Prevention Measures Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off The Cuff," Melanie and Karen are joined by Aaron Lemon-Strauss, the Department of Education's (ED) FAFSA program executive director, to discuss new FAFSA fraud prevention measures announced by the department this week. Aaron kicks off the discussion by explaining the technical details of how these new fraud prevention measures will work in the online FAFSA workflow. He further explains how, starting April 26, ED will screen and assess each FAFSA for fraud risk before it is submitted, along with a one-time screen of previously submitted 2026-27 FAFSAs. Throughout the discussion, Melanie and Karen ask Aaron questions that financial aid offices may have, and relay possible concerns about administrative burden, impact on legitimate students, and more.

OTC AskRegs Experts: Understanding Retroactive and Late Disbursements Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off the Cuff," David and Maria are joined by Norma and Tonya for a discussion on retroactive and late disbursements. First, the team defines what retroactive and late disbursements are, along with the different conditions and deadlines for each type of disbursement. From there, the team walks through some situations of retroactive and late disbursements that an institution might have to deal with. David ends the episode by telling a new story in his saga of Leopold and Ségolène, a series he created for OTC to illustrate different financial aid topics.

OTC AskRegs Experts: Borrower Defense Claims and FAFSA Preview Comments Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off the Cuff," Hugh and Sarah highlight some updates concerning borrower defense and preview comments for the 2027-28 FAFSA. Sarah kicks things off with a background on borrower defense and a recent trend in which some schools have seen an increase in claims. Sarah then provides details on NASFAA's preview comments for the upcoming FAFSA and explains how members can use that information to inform their own comments.

OTC AskRegs Experts: Working Through Some Professional Judgment Scenarios Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off the Cuff," Hugh and David kick off a broader discussion on what is and what isn't a professional judgment. Last week, David was at the Nebraska State Association conference, where he did a session on professional judgment and, based on some questions that came up, decided to share some important takeaways with the podcast community. During the conversation, David provides definitions for "special circumstances" and "unusual circumstances," and offers scenarios detailing situations that may or may not allow professional judgment.

OTC Inside the Beltway: Unpacking New Student Aid Fraud Prevention Legislation Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

This week on "Off The Cuff," Melanie and Karen discuss three new House bills focused on preventing fraud in the student aid programs, all of which were advanced by the House Education and Workforce Committee this week. Karen explains what each of the three bills would do and how they would impact institutions. From there, Melanie discusses what's happening with the Department of Education's (ED) Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) reporting requirement following a federal judge's temporary injunction blocking ED from enforcing its March 18 deadline. The team also discusses updates from Federal Student Aid (FSA), including when final rules are expected for the RISE and AHEAD negotiated rulemaking sessions and when recordings of the FSA training conference will be available to the public. Finally, Melanie gives a brief update on what NASFAA knows about an influx of institutions receiving borrower defense claims.

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