Financial Aid Administrators Blanket Capitol Hill to Advocate for Student Financial Aid

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Financial aid leaders from colleges across the country will convene on Capitol Hill Wednesday to advocate for policy changes that would simplify the financial aid application process for students, put an end to the hidden tax on student loans, and direct sufficient funds toward federal student aid programs integral to providing access to higher education.

More than 130 financial aid administrators will take part in visits to offices of their representatives as part of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators' (NASFAA) 2020 Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo, held every year in Washington, D.C. During the conference, attendees choose from four tracks focused on leadership development, skill-building, best practices, and compliance management in financial aid, and have the opportunity to interact with lawmakers and staff to advocate on behalf of their students.

Priority topics planned for the meetings include proposals for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act ? such as NASFAA's proposal that would send FAFSA filers down one of three "pathways" to ensure the lowest-income families have the fewest hurdles ? and the need to remove federal student loan origination fees, which currently function as a hidden tax on student loans, generating a staggering $8.3 billion in revenue for the federal government over the past five award years. The financial aid community will also advocate for increased funding for federal student aid programs, which has not kept pace with rising costs.

"Financial aid administrators bring a unique perspective to Capitol Hill as experts in the field, constituents, and a direct link to college students," said NASFAA President Justin Draeger. "Our members see how proposals in Washington impact students on campus and that experience makes them powerful advocates on what works, what doesn't work, and what lawmakers can do to expand access to students who need it most."

Learn more about NASFAA's advocacy at https://www.nasfaa.org/advocacy. To request an interview with a NASFAA spokesperson, please email Allie Arcese at [email protected].

About NASFAA
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership organization that represents more than 28,000 financial aid professionals at nearly 3,000 colleges, universities, and career schools across the country. NASFAA member institutions serve nine out of every 10 undergraduates in the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial aid administrators. For more information, visit http://www.nasfaa.org.

SOURCE NASFAA