WASFAA Committee Report
Committee: Graduate Professional Issues Committee
Meeting Date: 2/21-2/22 Meeting Location: Seattle, WA
Report Type:
Quarterly
Annual
Submitted by: Colleen MacDonald
Summary of Activities:
The Graduate Professional Issues Commttee began soliciting members through the
ATAC website.
Current members:
Current Participants
State Organization
MacDonald, Colleen
Chair CA
Antokhin, Kthleen
EDFUND
Member
CA
Graduate Theological Union
Ayala-Cuellar, Ana Member
Medicine
AZ
Southwest College of Naturopathic
Carter, Lacey
Member
AZ
T.H.E.
Cortijo, Kimberly
Member
CA
unaffiliated (formerly Sallie Mae)
Hall, Dianna Member
OR
Pacific University - Forest Grove, OR
Koki, Gail
HI
University of Hawaii - Manoa
Member
Lager, Deena
Member
AZ
unaffiliated (formerly Sallie Mae)
McCloud, Renée
- Reno
Member
NV
unaffiliated (formerly) University of Nevada
Roddick, Daniel
Member
CA
Key Bank
We attempted to achieve as much state representation to the extent possible. We
are excited to have members that represent various states and sectors as well as
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attempt to increase gender and diversity members. Particularly, currently we have
representation from adminstrators at a Medical, Divinity, Other Graduate, and an
office which serves all students (from undergraduate to PhDs). Unfortutnately, due
to changes in lender community, several of our members were laid off.
__________________
Meeting:
January 8th Conference Call
After introductions, we reviewed the GP related sessions in the WASFAA
Conference and created a plan to highlight these sessions to GP members of the
community; created an outline for a WASFAA GPIC webpage; discussed the
possible content for the next GP WASFAA Newsletter article; and made a list of
recommended federal issues to be sent to the Federal Issues Committee.
February 6th Conference Call
After welcomes and roll call, we reviewed the draft communication to highlight the
GP related sessions in the WASFAA Conference; finalized the WASFAA GPIC
webpage; discussed the possible content for the next GP WASFAA Newsletter
article; and discussed how to find funding in for the GP related federal
irecommendations. The Committee would like permission from the WASFAA EC to
send a letter to Congress with the federal recommendations.
__________________
GP Related Federal recommendations
The Committee unanimously decided to send the following recommendations to the
WASFAA Federal Issues Committee:
•
Allow qualified graduate and professional students to receive a Federal Pell
Grant with new funding.
•
Create a grace periods for PLUS Loan Programs for Graduate Students
similar to the Federal Stafford Loan Program.
•
Extend the interest rate reductions created in the College Cost Reduction
and Access Act of 2007 to all students with subsidized and unsubsidized Federal
Stafford Loans, including for graduate and professional students.
o
Reduces borrower interest rates on subsidized and unsubsidized Federal
Stafford Loans for graduate and professional students as follows:
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6 percent for loans first disbursed July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009.
5.6 percent for loans first disbursed July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010.
4.5 percent for loans first disbursed July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011.
3.4 percent for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2011.
•
Extend the maximum origination fee reductions created in the Higher
Education Reconciliation Act of 2005, “HERA” for graduate and professional
students with Federal PLUS Loan Programs, including those for Graduate Students.
o
Phases the 3% maximum origination fee on FFELP PLUS loans down to 0%
by July 1, 2010:
Lowers to 2% for loans first disbursed on or after 7/1/06.
Lowers to 1.5% for loans first disbursed on or after 7/1/07.
Lowers to 1% for loans first disbursed on or after 7/1/08.
Lowers to 0.5% for loans first disbursed on or after 7/1/09.
•
Eliminate the requirement to charge the origination fee for Federal PLUS
Loan Programs by changing the language to parallel the Federal Stafford Loan
Program.
The recommendations appear in the order of importance to the WASFAA GPIC.
The Federal Issues Committeewas presented with the provisions. Based on the
zero-sum monetary environment for federal HEA provisions, the Federal Issues
Committee has reservations about moving forward suggestions that are too high
cost without making recommendations about where cuts can make fundin available.
The GPIC believes that the investment in education is of paramount importance to
an informed citizenry. The GPIC would lilke the WASFAA EC to approve a letter
be sent to chairs of Senate HELP Committee and House Committee on Education
and Labor and all representatives from the WASFAA region serving ton these
committees.
__________________
WASFAA Graduate Professional Issues Committee Goals for 2007-08
1.
Bring issues of relevance to graduate and professional aid administrators
and students to the attention of the Association and the Executive Council.
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2.
Respond with endorsement of the Executive Council, to any State or Federal
Issues with a Graduate and Professional perspective.
3.
Advise other committees when Graduate and Professional concerns need to
be addressed and ensure Graduate and Professional representation on all
appropriate committees.
4.
Work with the Conference Committee to ensure interest sessions are
presented with graduate and professional aid administrators' needs in mind.
5.
Submit Graduate and Professional related articles for inclusion in every
WASFAA Newsletter as well as send at least one article or communication to each
state within the WASFAA region.
These goals align with Strategic Plan goals #1, to collaborate and coordinate with
conference committee in order to serve our members more applicable training and
professional development opportunities; #2, to communicate the public policy
decisions; and #7, to improve the methods of communication with membership.
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