Department of Education Update COHEAO Annual Conference Gail McLarnon U. S. Department of Education January 30, 2012 TOPICS Appropriations and Budget Department of Education Initiatives Regulatory Activity Perkins Loan Issues ED Resources Appropriations & Budget 1
Appropriations & Budget Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-74) Signed into law December 23, 2011 Provides appropriations for the Department through 9/31/2012 Significantly impacts Federal student aid programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act Consolidated Appropriations Act Reduces the income threshold for Auto- Zero EFC from $30,000 to $23,000 Eliminates Federal student aid eligibility for students without a HS diploma or recognized equivalent (GED) except students who complete high school in a home school setting Maximum Pell Grant of $5,550 Limits Pell eligibility to 12 semesters Consolidated Appropriations Act Temporarily eliminates interest subsidy on Direct subsidized Loans during six month grace period for new Direct Stafford Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2012 and before July 1, 2014 Changes base on which special allowance payment calculations to FFELP lenders are made from commercial paper to LIBOR for loans first disbursed on or after 1/1/2000 2
Department of Education Initiatives Department of Education Initiatives Special Direct Consolidation Loans When: Mid-January 2012 through June 30, 2012 Who: Borrowers with at least one student loan held by the Department (FFEL or DL) and at least one commercially held FFEL loan Goal: Help borrowers manage debt by ensuring all Federal loans serviced by same servicer=one bill, one payment Special Direct Consolidation Loans Eligible loans At least one ED-held Direct Loan or ED-held FFEL loan and at least one commercially-held FFEL loan (sub, unsub, PLUS, consolidation) Commercially-held FFELs must be in grace, repayment, deferment, forbearance Commercially-held FFELs can be defaulted loans that have been rehabilitated Commercially-held FFELs cannot be in default or subject to bankruptcy 3
Special Direct Consolidation Loans What is the Process? Eligible borrowers will be contacted by one of ED s four Federal Loan servicers Servicers provide borrower with application instructions After receiving application instructions, borrowers apply through a new and different on-line process ED s servicer will contact FFEL lender to verify eligibility and payoff amounts Special Direct Consolidation Loans Borrower Benefits One servicer/one payment For commercially-held FFEL loans: a 0.25 interest rate reduction plus opportunity to receive an additional 0.25 interest rate reduction if repayment by automatic debit Conversion to a fixed rate at lower percentage that will not change over time for loans with a variable rate Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Special Direct Consolidation Loans Borrower Benefits (cont.) Previous time in repayment on a loan will count towards the repayment term for the new Special Direct Consolidation Loan IBR loan payments made prior to consolidation will count towards the required 25 years of payments for IBR loan forgiveness Continuation of deferment/forbearance status is eligible loan was in that status at time of consolidation 4
Pay As You Earn Pay As You Earn Student Loan Repayment Initiative New borrowers in 2008 who receive a loan in 2012 are eligible Revise Income Contingent Repayment Plan to cap annual payments at 10% of discretionary income and reduce maximum repayment to 20 years Balance remaining after 20 years canceled Included on negotiated rulemaking agenda Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) PSLF Employment Certification Package Available early February 2012 Dear Borrower Letter: Provides information about PSLF, including how to determine if employment and loan payment history meet loan forgiveness requirements and how to monitor progress toward qualifying for loan forgiveness Employment Certification Form and instructions Two Factor Authentication Two Factor Authentication A Security process under which all authorized users must enter two forms of authentication to access Federal Student Aid systems Something you know: User ID and Password Something you have: Token with a Onetime Password 5
Two Factor Authentication The One Time Password (OTP) will be generated by a small electronic device known as the Token that is in the physical possession of the user. To generate the OTP, a user will press the power button on the front of the token. A different OTP will be generated each time the token button is pressed. 16 Two Factor Authentication Tokens to be disseminated in phases: Phase 1 DC, DE, MD, VA, WV Phase 2 NC, NJ, NY, SC Phase 3 KY, MI, NE, NH, OH, PA, RI, VT Phase 4 CA, FL Phase 5 AK, ID, MN, ND, OK, OR, SD Phase 6 AR, CO, GA, KS, MO, MS Phase 7 AZ, CT, IA, IL, IN, LA, TX Phase 8 AL, AS, FC, FM, GU, HI, MA, ME, MH, TN Phase 9 MT, NM, NV, PR, PW, UT, WA, WI, WY Two Factor Authentication Next Steps FSA will email school s primary destination point administrators to request attestations that support number of school staff that require systems access FSA will determine number of tokens needed at each school and explain how tokens will be delivered and distributed Upon receipt of token, authorized user must register token to access FSA systems 6
Two Factor Authorization Guidance: Electronic Announcement posted January 13, 2012 Subject: High-Level Overview New Technology Security Initiatives for Federal Student Aid Systems 2012 Electronic Announcement posted January 18, 2012 Subject: TFA Information - Two Factor Authentication Implementation Information for the COD Web Site Regulatory Activity Negotiated Rulemaking Negotiated Rulemaking Website: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hea rulemaking/2011/loans.html Federal Register Notice published May 5, 2011 announcing intent to establish Negotiated Rulemaking committees and public hearings Tacoma, Washington Chicago, Illinois Charleston, South Carolina 7
Negotiated Rulemaking Federal Register Notices published October 26, 2012 and October 28, 2012 announcing decision to establish Negotiated Rulemaking teams to address: teacher preparation program issues in HEA, Title II and TEACH Grant Program student loan program issues Solicited nominations for non-federal negotiators Negotiated Rulemaking Schedule for Teacher Prep Issues January 18-20, 2012 February 27-29, 2012 April 3-5, 2012 Schedule for Student Loan Issues January 9-13, 2012 February 13-17, 2012 March 26-30, 2012 Negotiated Rulemaking Teacher Preparation Issue Agenda Changes to State reporting requirements on teacher education program quality Criteria that States use to assess the performance of teacher prep programs Standards d for State identification ifi i of lowperforming teacher prep programs Definition of high-quality teacher prep program for TEACH Grant Program Technical changes to the TEACH Grant Program 8
Negotiated Rulemaking Student Loan Issues Changes to the Income Contingent Repayment Program Implementation of Pay As You Earn Changes to the Income-Based Repayment Plan FFEL Repayment Disclosures Forbearance Issues Minimum Loan Period for Transfer Students in Non-term Programs Negotiated Rulemaking Student Loan Issues (cont.) Loan Rehabilitation Issues Repeal of Unnecessary FFEL Regulations Modification of Direct Loan Regulations Total and Permanent Disability Issues Title IV Closed School Discharge Satisfactory Repayment and Rehabilitation School Enrollment Status Reporting Perkins Loan Issues FFEL Administrative Wage Garnishment PERKINS LOAN ISSUES 27 9
Perkins Loan Initiatives FSA still concerned that Perkins schools are not making loans Reasons: The program is going to be eliminated Waiting for fund to be replenished Expectation is that schools will make loans or liquidate from the program FSA is monitoring and contacting schools as appropriate Perkins Loan Initiatives FSA is monitoring excess cash and is asking schools to return it Schools are claiming Administrative Cost Allowance without t advancing funds to students (see 34 CFR 673.7(b)) Perkins Loan Initiatives Department is enforcing 674.5(a)(2) which renders schools with a CDR of over 50% for past three years ineligible to participate in the Perkins Loan Program Department is making individual contact with affected schools 17 schools identified 10
ED RESOURCES 31 Dear Colleague Letters 2012-01-20 - (FP-12-01) Subject: Loan Verification Certificate for Special Direct Consolidation Loans 2012-01-18 - (GEN-12-01) Subject: Changes Made To The Title IV Student Aid Programs By The Recently Enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012. 2012-01-12 - (P-12-01) Subject: 2012-2013 Federal Pell Grant Payment and Disbursement Schedules Electronic Announcements 2012-01-23 - (Campus-Based) Subject: Reminder - Deadline for 2012-2013 Underuse Penalty Waiver for the Campus-Based Programs is February 10, 2012 2012-01-19 - (Campus-Based) Subject: Tentative 2012-2013 Funding Levels for the Campus-Based Programs 2012-01-19 - (General) Subject: Volume 6 - Managing Campus-Based Programs [2011-2012 Federal Student Aid Handbook 11
Questions 34 Contact Information Gail McLarnon Office of Postsecondary Education 202-219-7048 Gail.mclarnon@ed.gov Brian Smith Office of Postsecondary Education 202-502-7551 Brian.smith@ed.gov 12