Introduction by Barbara K. Mistick

Dear Colleagues:

The negotiations on the budget resolution that will trigger the reconciliation process took an interesting turn this week when House and Senate negotiators essentially punted on their differences in order to get the process moving. Congressional leaders are now planning to pass a budget resolution by Easter that sets different savings goals for the House and the Senate. Ultimately the move kicks the can down the road, because Congress will have to come up with a single plan for any proposed changes to become law. 

The budget reconciliation process could have a significant effect on a wide range of issues of interest to higher education. With major differences between the House and Senate in areas such as higher education savings, the ultimate decision on how much to cut could impact institutions and students for years to come. (See our story below for more details.)

Please continue your advocacy efforts on reconciliation with your Senators and Representative. To help you in that process, we have developed updated talking points for you or you can borrow from our February letter to Congress. Elected officials need to hear directly from the colleges in their districts and states on how proposals such as cuts to student loans, elimination of student and family tax benefits, institutional risk sharing, and expansion of the endowment tax would impact students, institutions, and local and regional economies.

Soundbites

• Portal for IDR Applications Reopened. The Department of Education reopened applications for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans this week. The online application portal for IDR plans was taken down in early March following a court case that questioned the legality of whether certain plans can provide forgiveness to borrowers.

NAICU in the News

• Thank you to the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) and President Tom Foley for recognizing Sarah Flanagan, who is retiring from NAICU after 30 years, with their Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Achievement during AICUP’s annual presidents meeting earlier this week.

I hope you have a pleasant weekend.

Regards,

Barbara

Barbara K. Mistick D.B.A.
President, NAICU