WASFAA Committee Report
Committee: Graduate Professional Issues Committee
Meeting Date: 11/08-11/09
Report Type:
Meeting Location: San Diego, CA
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
Cortijo, Kimberly
CA
Sallie Mae
Member
Hall, Dianna Member
OR
Pacific University - Forest Grove, OR
Koki, Gail
HI
University of Hawaii - Manoa
Member
Lager, Deena
Member
AZ
Sallie Mae
McCloud, Renée
Member
NV
University of Nevada - Reno
Roddick, Daniel
Member
CA
Key Bank
We increased our members by reach orking with the WASFAA State Presidents to
assist in locating/recommending their members for committees to achieve state
representation to the extent possible. We are excited to have members that
represent various states and sectors as well as attempt to increase gender and
diversity members. Particularly, currently we have representation from
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adminstrators at a Medical, Divinity, , Other Graduate, and an office which serves
all students (from undergraduate to PhDs).
__________________
Meeting:
The GPIC conducted a conference call on September 20th. After introductions, we
created a plan for GP WASFAA Newsletter articles, made a list of suggestions for
the WASFAA Conference Committee GP sessions, and started a discussions on
GP types of recommendations for HEA to WASFAA Federal Issues Committee.
__________________
Suggested GP Related Conference sessions
The following are suggested session titles, descriptions, and possible speakers for
the 2008 WASFAA Conference from the 2007-08 WASFAA Graduate and
Professional Issues Committee (GPIC). Although the WASFAA GPIC Committee is
interested in having graduate and professional student related content, we defer all
the selection of actual sessions and presenters to the Program Committee.
•
The Changing Face of Loan Consolidation
•
Junk Mail or Treasure Trove? What’s the Real Value of the Direct To
Consumer Marketing that Overflows Mailboxes?
•
Graduate/Professional Roundtable Discussions
•
Regulatory Perils in Graduate/Professional Aid
•
Assisting International Students and Nonresidents in Graduate School
•
Alternative Sources of Funding for Graduate/Professional students (replaces
previously suggested Scholarship Opportunities for Graduate/Professional students)
•
RFI/RFP: A Systematic Approach
•
Best Practices in Financial Aid Counseling
__________________
Update on federal regulations related to graduate and professional:
The November 1 Final regulations from the Department of Education amends
sections 682.603, 682.604, 685.301, and 685.304 to require entrance counseling
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and modify exit counseling for graduate or professional student PLUS borrowers.
The counseling requirements for student PLUS loan borrowers varies, depending
on whether the borrower has received a Stafford Loan prior to disbursement of the
PLUS loan. For exit counseling, school must provide average anticipated monthly
repayment amount information based on the combination of Stafford Loans and
PLUS Loans that the borrower has received.
In addition, schools are required to notify graduate or professional students who are
applying for a PLUS Loan of their eligibility for a Stafford Loan, provide a
comparison of the terms and conditions of a PLUS Loan and Stafford Loan, and
ensure that prospective PLUS borrowers have an opportunity to request a Stafford
Loan.
On our next WASFAA GPIC call, we will discuss ways in which we can assist the
WASFAA community understand and implement this new requirement.
__________________
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.
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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