NCHER Priorities for the 115th Congress Speakers: James P. Bergeron, President, NCHER Vic Klatt, Principal, Penn Hill Group Will Shaffner, Director of Business Development and Government Relations, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Current Advocacy Priorities 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Promoting Student Success Provide pre-college, in-school, and post-college financial education, debt management, and default prevention services to students, borrowers, and families Strengthen existing entrance and exit counseling Promote the use of 529 plans 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Simplifying and Improving Student Aid Streamline the myriad of repayment plans to help students and family borrowers Simplify the FAFSA to reduce the number of questions and length of time required to complete the form Support the use of prior-prior year tax information so students have a better idea of their federal financial aid options 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Assisting Struggling Borrowers Allow defaulted borrowers to rehab their student loans more than once Allow access to the National Directory of New Hires and the National Student Loan Data System so servicers and guaranty agencies can provide counseling and repayment options to borrowers 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Reducing Burdensome Federal Regulations Repeal the preferred lender list restrictions Clarify third-party servicer requirements Allow state grant agencies to have access to the school list order Provide authority to financial aid administrators to limit annual and aggregate student loan levels 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Improve Program Administration Promote better loan servicing for students and families, including the use of state and nonprofit organizations Continue oversight over the Department of Education’s development of the FFELP wind-down report to ensure the financial stability of guaranty agencies and support payment of Account Maintenance Fees and just-in-time payments 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Promoting Availability of Private Loans Remove preferred lending list restrictions Mandate that borrowers receive accurate and fully transparent disclosures of the costs of their loans Permit private lenders to remove the default record upon the rehabilitation of a private loan 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Leveraging Technology to Service and Recover Federal Debt (non-HEA) Oppose the HANG UP Act to repeal the recent changes to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act Urge the Federal Communications Commission not to impose regulations that are too restrictive and will harm borrowers 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Promoting Tax-Exempt Financing (non-HEA) Support H.R. 3822, the “Student Loan Opportunity Act” to update Section 150(d) of the Internal Revenue Code Exempt Student-Loan Based Securities from the Alternative Minimum Tax 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Accurately Measuring the True Costs of Federal Student Loans (non-HEA) Support S. 399, the “Budget and Accounting Transparency Act” to require federal agencies to use Fair-Value Accounting when measuring the true costs of federal credit programs 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Potential Changes to our Advocacy Priorities 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

New Advocacy Priorities Take a position on “Risk-Sharing”, “Debt-Free College”, “One Loan-One Grant Program”, etc. Support for maintaining tax-exempt financing Support of legislation providing tax relief for death and disability Reverse Dear Colleague Letter on collection costs 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

Updated Advocacy Priorities Position paper on servicing needs to include proposals from “Mitchell Memo” and language included in House/Senate appropriations bills Position paper on FFELP needs to include proposals from the U.S. Department of Education report on wind-down operations Position paper on TCPA needs to include restrictions included in final rule and push for Department of Education waiver 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN

November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN Questions? 2016 Knowledge Symposium November 7 – 9, Sheraton Downtown, Nashville, TN