On Wednesday, we gaveled to a close one of our most successful and inspirational Annual Meeting and Advocacy Day conferences ever. In terms of programming, attendance, which approached 500, sponsors, and participants in Advocacy Day meetings on Capitol Hill, this year’s meeting was a resounding success.

Speaking of Advocacy Day, we had a particularly productive day on Capitol Hill with around 300 meetings with Members of Congress and staff. Thank you to everyone who took the time to advocate on behalf of our sector. 

Perhaps the most discussed topic was how the delays in the FAFSA rollout and Congressional funding coupled with the new reporting requirements for the Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment regulations are combining to put impossible pressure on campuses, particularly financial aid offices. Based on feedback we’re receiving, it appears that members on both sides of the aisle understand that a delay in reporting requirement deadlines might help institutions better serve students. We will see how this unfolds in the coming days and keep you updated.

We have created a resource page on our website that we will be maintaining and updating to help keep you informed of all the recent regulatory issues we’re following. This page includes our regulatory summaries, the summary matrix and checklist that were distributed during our Annual Meeting, and resources from the Department of Education.

If you had Capitol Hill meetings, I encourage you to fill out our feedback form if you haven’t done so already. Your feedback provides tremendous insights for us as we develop and tailor our advocacy strategies.

This year’s meeting was so energizing and productive. The relationship building with Members of Congress, the camaraderie among colleagues, and the strong commitment to continue our efforts to advocate for our students and all of independent higher education were all on display. As we discussed this week in Washington, and we’ve been reporting in Washington Update, there are several policy and regulatory issues ahead that will require your engagement going forward.

It was important that attendees were able to hear directly from many of the top decision makers and staff on our issues, including Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, NCAA President Charlie Baker, several key Department of Education staff overseeing the regulatory agenda, and senior education staff from both parties for both the House and Senate. We also heard from Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), who is co-chair of the Congressional Independent Colleges Caucus.

Based on what I’ve already heard coming out of our meeting, I know we are set up to continue to be prodcutive in our advocacy efforts during the remainder of this year.

Soundbites

• The Department of Education is holding the second session of its ongoing negotiated rulemaking on Program Integrity and Institutional Quality this week. NAICU continues to monitor the negotiations and will provide a full update next week once the second session is completed.

• REMINDER: February 14, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET, is the first of two webinars NAICU is co-sponsoring with the Association for Institutional Research to help make implementation of the Department of Education’s Financial Value Transparency regulations as efficient as possible for campuses. This webinar is titled Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment: Overview of Reporting Requirements for Institutions of Higher Education (register).

Today’s Washington Update reports on the “concierge service” launched by the Department of Education to help institutions navigate the FAFSA delays and prepare for the forthcoming ISIRs.

Thank you to all those who were able to make it to Washington for a such a rewarding several days of activities, engagement, camaraderie, and fellowship. I hope you will save the date for next year’s meeting, which will be held February 2-5 in Washington, DC at the Salamander Hotel DC.

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