CASFAA Federal Issues Committee
2/25/2005
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Conference Call
Type of meeting: / 1st FIC Meeting / Facilitator: / Colleen MacDonald
Note taker:
Attendees: / Kathryn Anderson, Tim Bonnel, Nancy Coolidge, Jack Gorman, Donna Huber, Natasha Kobrinsky, Colleen MacDonald, Rick Rams, Sean Smith,
Absent / Pat Hurley, La Nae Johnson-Herrera, Helen Lara, Sandy Ninemire, Mary Robinson, Vicki Shipley, Paul Tone
----- Agenda Topics -----
Welcome / Colleen MacDonald / 5
News from the Hill
· H.R. 609, the College Access & Opportunity Act - February 8, 2005
· H.R. 511, the Pell Grants Plus Act - February 2, 2005
· H.R. 510, the Graduate Opportunities in Higher Education Act - February 2, 2005
· H.R. 509, the International Studies in Higher Education Act - February 2, 2005
· H.R. 508, the FED UP Act (Upping the Effectiveness of Our Federal Student Aid Programs) / Sandy Ninemire, EDFUND / Update 15
Discuss 10
Challenge to CASFAA community to contact Congress / Colleen / 5
Front-End Business Integration / Colleen / 5
Reauthorization / Colleen / 10
New Business / Colleen / 5
Next Meeting / Colleen / 5
Other Information
Special notes:
CASFAA Federal Issues Committee
2/25/2005
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Conference Call
Type of meeting: / Facilitator: / Colleen MacDonald
Note taker:
Attendees: / Kathryn Anderson, Tim Bonnel, Nancy Coolidge, Jack Gorman, Donna Huber, Natasha Kobrinsky, Colleen MacDonald, Rick Rams, Sean Smith,
Absent: / Pat Hurley, La Nae Johnson-Herrera, Helen Lara, Sandy Ninemire, Mary Robinson, Vicki Shipley, Paul Tone
------Agenda Topics ------
News from the Hill / Jack Gorman, EDFUND / 0
Discussion:
Bill, H.R. 609 – most substantial bill. This will be the jumping off point for what is to come. Others are spending time really analyzing this.
Teacher Loan Forgiveness provisions have a sunset clause will make this permanent. Want to make permanent in the legislation.
Republican bills will move forward. Democratic bills will be introduced, but yet to be determined how much legs these will get based on the
Pres Bush budget was a surprise because had not shown much interest until budget proposal. Boehner has not made clear.
Recommendations
Action items: / Person responsible: / Deadline:
Challenge to CASFAA community to contact Congress / Colleen / 5
Discussion:
In CASFAA Newsletter that will be mailed this week, Colleen challenged each member of the CASFAA community to write at least one letter a quarter to a member of the US Senate or House of Representatives about a financial aid matter that they hold dear to their heart
In order to assist with this, future Federal Updates in CASFAA Newsletters will continue to promote. For instance, Federal section under Resources in the left bar of the CASFAA website map will include contact information for all of our 52 members of the House of Representatives (1 district still is vacant) and 2 Senators with each of their preferred mode of contact.
Conclusions:
Action items: / Person responsible: / Deadline:
Give feedback on this challenge and suggest means to accomplish / Everyone / 3/20/05
Front-End Business Integration / Colleen / 5
Discussion:
At the FSA 2005 Spring Conference on March 22-24 in Reno, Nevada, the Dept of Ed will introduce the Front End Business Integration (FEBI) initiative that will result in a re-engineering of its aid awareness activities, application processes, disbursement business processes, funds management activities, and its customer service functions.
CASFAA is interested in having representation. If Fed Issues person can go but has no funding who is from a school, CASFAA is willing to pay. Contact Colleen ASAP if your interest.
Conclusions:
Action items: / Person responsible: / Deadline:
Contact Colleen if your interest in CASFAA paying for travel to attend Front End Business Integration (FEBI) at FSA Spring Conference / Everyone / 3/11/05
Reauthorization / Colleen MacDonald / 15
Discussion:
Colleen reviewed a few of the CASFAA provisions in the formerly established Reauth recommendations. Much time was spent on Pell and Loan.
Jack suggested a subcommittee be convened to discuss what should be added or removed from CASFAA Reauth Recs. Nancy, Colleen, Sean, and, Tim volunteered.
Nancy asked if anyone has interest in adding recommendations to needs analysis to improve the index the state and local tax or income protection allowance. The idea is that zip codes may better indicate actual costs. It was suggested to add to discuss within the Subcommittee.
Discussion about Federal Perkins was mixed. For instance, Natasha indicated that she would forgo if better expanded Stafford limits.
Nancy reported that the UCOP has done analysis using UC data to determine what would happen with Bush’s proposed Pell increase, loss of Perkins, and expanded Stafford limits. Apparently, they found that 1st year students and graduate students were most adversely affected. Jack asked if anyone else planned to perform similar analysis. Tim said CC Chancellors did not have resources to perform such analysis at this time.
Action items: / Person responsible: / Deadline:
Contact Jack G. (and cc Colleen) via email to volunteer for subcommittee / Everyone / 3/1/05
Contact Nancy if want description of methodology to analyze Bush’s proposal / Everyone / 3/20/05
Inform Colleen (and FIC) if your institution or affiliated organizations are performing analysis of implications of legislative or budget proposals. / Everyone / 3/20/05
Next Meeting / Colleen MacDonald, Chair of FIC / 5
Discussion:
After discussion, decided to schedule now. March 28 at 2 pm
Action items: / Person responsible: / Deadline:
Send conference call notification to committee / Colleen / 3/20/05
New Business / Everyone / 5
Discussion:
Nancy informed committee of activity that UCOP, CHELA, and several major lenders have to have a campaign to encourage students leaving school (in grace predominantly) to consolidate their FFEL and Direct loans before June 30, 2005 at the historically low rates. They are creating suggested letters to request forgoing grace period. EDFUND has confirmed that they will guarantee these loans.
Action items: / Person responsible: / Deadline:
Interested in signing on to this initiate, Contact Nancy / Nancy / Soon
Nancy will share the materials. / Nancy
Other Information
Special notes: