Introduction by Barbara K. Mistick

Dear Colleagues:

I hope you were able to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing Memorial Day holiday and find the time to reflect on those who so bravely gave their lives in service to our nation. 

Here in Washington, things were relatively quiet on the federal higher education policy front, though Members of Congress and the Department of Education were still making news. 

Earlier this week, we learned that the Department of Education began a new process specifically for certain applications covered by the  Sweet v. Cardona  settlement to periodically notify institutions when the agency has finished adjudicating all the borrower defense claims that had previously been sent to the school for an optional response. So far, the Department has notified approximately 500 institutions of its completed review.

The purpose of the notifications is to give institutions closure regarding pending claims emanating from borrowers who filed borrower defense applications between June and November 2022, that are covered by the  Sweet v. Cardona  settlement. If you have received pending  borrower defense  applications covered by the settlement but have not received a notification, it means the Department is not yet done with its review of these claims. The notices will be batched to go out quarterly and include information for institutions on how many claims have been approved, how many have been denied, and how many have closed. This is part of the ongoing efforts the Department must take to process these claims as required by the court settlement. 

And, in yet another example of the advocacy efforts of NAICU members paying dividends, four members of the Oregon Congressional Delegation sent a  letter  to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona calling for “urgent action to address FAFSA problems.” 

The letter from Democratic Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas states that their offices have been repeatedly contacted by college administrators, others in education, and students and families looking for clarity regarding the FAFSA process. 

The representatives seek answers from the Secretary on several critical FAFSA-related issues and pointedly ask Cardona whether the Department can “assure students and institutions that FAFSA information will be processed in time for students to make an informed decision about their enrollment by June 1.” 

The letter also asks the Secretary whether he can “provide concrete assurances that institutions will not be held financially liable for discrepancies in award packages offered in good faith based on inaccurate information provided by the Department.” 

This advocacy continues to be so important on behalf of our institutions and students and I ask that you continue to engage with your Members of Congress on these issues. To assist, here is the  Action Alert  I sent last month that includes talking points to help with your conversations.

Enjoy your weekend! 

For more information, please contact:
Barbara K. Mistick