Committee Purpose & GoalsThe purpose of the Federal Issues Committee is to provide information, support, and insight to the CASFAA membership on federal law, regulation and sub-regulatory guidance. Additionally, where appropriate, we seek to provide similar information and insight to the Department of Education and our Congressional delegation regarding the CASFAA membership’s perspectives on federal issues. Our goals are to: 1) Provide training and professional development opportunities to members, to enhance their service to students. 2) Be proactive in protecting the interests and rights of California students by fighting for educational access and serving as an authority in the State on student aid issues for policy makers, the media, and other educational partners. 3) Serve as a catalyst for knowledge sharing and advocacy through networking, conferences, and volunteer opportunities. 1/30/24: U.S. Department of Education Postpones FAFSA Data Submission to Correct MethodologyThe U.S. Department of Education has announced a delay in the submission of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data. The delay comes shortly after the Department announced to correct the federal methodology for Income Protection Allowance (IPA) calculation and update tables that affect the Student Aid Index (SAI). The correction process will push back the submission of FAFSA data from late January to mid-March. In light of the new timeline and existing open issues with FAFSA submission, we urge schools to be flexible with their institutional deadlines. The Department's decision to postpone the FAFSA data submission is driven by its commitment to prioritize students and ensure they receive the full aid they are entitled to. In order to comply with mandated inflationary adjustments, the Department has updated the supporting tables used in the SAI calculation. The revised tables will determine the allowances against income and assets reported on the FAFSA form, directly impacting eligibility for need-based federal student aid. These updated tables are included in the final SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide. The Department will incorporate them into the Federal Processing System (FPS) in the upcoming weeks. The processing timeline for the 2024-25 FAFSA will be modified as a result of these changes. Institutions, state higher education agencies, and designated scholarship organizations can expect to start receiving batches of FAFSA information (ISIRs) in the first half of March, which will include the updated SAI tables. Ongoing testing of vendor-built systems will continue, with regular progress updates provided to schools and stakeholders. Once the 2024-25 Maximum Federal Pell Grant award amount is determined through the Congressional appropriations process, ISIRs will be reprocessed to reflect the update. As a result of ongoing delays with FAFSA data submission, institutions are facing numerous challenges with providing timely and accurate financial aid offers to students. CASFAA remains committed to student access and choice; therefore, we call on the Department of Education to better leverage existing federal data to provide verification relief to Financial Aid Administrators. Sincerely, Committee Members
Recorded EventFederal Student Aid Legislation: Process, Players, & PrioritiesJoin the CASFAA Federal Issues Committee to learn more about the federal legislative process. In this session, the presenters will cover the federal legislative process, who the key Congressional players will be, as well as likely near-term legislative priorities. We look forward to sharing information and insights and to hearing your thoughts and questions.Wednesday, March 31, 2021 @ 2:00 p.m.https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3044675/E555356A854828EF73C98CF9B39610AFWebinar Summary and Resource document
Resource LinksDepartment of Education
U.S. Congress
Below are the talking points that CASFAA members took with them to the 2016 NASFAA Leadership Conference and used when speaking with members of the house and senate. |