We hope you enjoyed the 2019 AACS Annual Convention & Expo. Who knew our Board of Directors had such great moves on the dance floor? This year’s programming was a commitment to help each attendee learn, engage, and connect around the Power of One. We thank all of our sponsors for their support. Thank you for your support towards our Government Relations Committee’s efforts. We look forward to sharing the final tally with you once all contributions are counted.

Please take two minutes to complete this survey so we can continue to provide an experience that meets your needs at our Annual Convention & Expo. By participating in the survey, one lucky participants will win a free registration to the 2020 AACS Annual Convention & Expo. Please respond by Monday, October 14. Thank you! 

Board Elections

Welcome to the Board of Directors Gina Kinion and Jeremy Frederico, as our newly elected members. Re-elected for an additional term are Jim Petrillo, Dana Persico and Sandra Bruce. Congratulations and thank you for your service to AACS!

We also extend a hearty congratulations and thank you to a few other honorees announced at the convention:

Spirit of Service Award winner: Jennifer Collins
Board Director of the Year: Cathy Koluch
2019 N. F. Cimaglia Award winner: Anthony Civitano

Didn’t grab one of these fabulous shirts before leaving Vegas? You can still purchase them by logging into your AACS membership portal starting Monday, October 7th. Pricing for shirts are 1/$50 or 3/$100 – all proceeds goes towards supporting AACS Government Relations Committee.

2020 School Leader Summit & Hill Day
April 6-8, 2020
Washington Hilton Hotel
Washington, D.C.

CEA & AMP 2020
July 10-13, 2020
The Mirage Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada 

AACS Annual 2020
October 23-26
Royal Sonesta Hotel
Houston, TX

Additional registration information will be provided at a later date

Congratulations to five winners of the Miller Family Foundation Summer Scholarship. The Summer 2019 winners and their videos follow:

Isamar Perez Rosado, @simplyglambyisamar
Reedsburg, WI, Aveda Institute-Madison
Arnold Miller Find A Way Scholarship Recipient
Watch her video here. 

Sofia Naccarato, @sofiafaithaesthetics
Lindon, UT, Acaydia School of Aesthetics
Sydell Miller Total Image Scholarship Recipient
Watch her video here. 

Kira Bell, @kookymua
Medford, Or, Paul Mitchell The School-Portland
Arnold Miller, Art of Haircoloring Scholarship Recipient
Watch her video here.

Megan Sweeney, @Alwaysbeyoubeauty
Great Falls, MT, Montana Academy of Salons
Arnold Miller Art of Hairdressing Scholarship Recipient
Watch her video here.

Erica Hadaric, @ericanoellh
Key West, FL, Paul Mitchell the School – Miami
Art of Haircutting Recipient
Watch her video here.

Ten Miller Family Foundation Scholarships are awarded annually. More information is available here. 

U.S. Department of Education

September 25, 2019 – The Department posted the National Default Rate Briefings for FY 2016 Official Cohort Default Rates.

The Department published a notice in the Federal Register requesting a revision of the current Borrower Defenses Regulations information collection system. The only change to the collection is an update to increase the number of respondents, responses and burden hours.

September 26, 2019 – The Department published a notice in the Federal Register proposing an extension of the collection system “Accrediting Agencies Reporting Activities for Institutions and Programs- Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institution and Programs.” The proposed information collection outlines categories of terminology used by accrediting agencies to describe actions and statuses, and provides guidance to federally recognized accrediting agencies on the information to be reported to the Department under 34 CFR 602.26 and 602.27(a)(6) and (a)(7).

September 27, 2019 – The Department published a notice in the Federal Register proposing an extension of the application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Aid Programs. The Institutional Eligibility regulations govern the initial and continuing eligibility of postsecondary educational institutions participating in the student financial assistance program authorized by Title IV of the HEA. The Department uses the information reported on the Application in its determination of whether an institution meets the statutory and regulatory requirements.

September 30, 2019 – The Department officially posted the EDExpress for Windows 2020-2021, which contains Global, Application Processing, and Packaging functionality for the 2020-2021 cycle.

October 1, 2019 – Deadline for schools to submit 2020–21 FISAP electronically and mail in the required signature page. See more here.

Deadline for institutions, that did not choose to early implement the rescission of the GE rule, to report GE data for the 2018-2019  Award Year to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). See more here.

December 2, 2019 – The Federal Student Aid’s New Financial Aid Administrators Pre-Conference Training will take place on December 2, 2019 at the Reno-Sparks Cocnvention Center.

Looking Ahead – 2019 FSA Training Conference. The Federal Student Aid Office has opened registration for the 2019 FSA Training Conference scheduled for December 3 to 6 in Reno, Nevada. The FSA Training Conference is training provided for financial aid professionals by the government for those institutions receiving Title IV funds and is the largest training program in the United States serving the financial aid community. In 2018 more than 2,000 unique schools registered for the conference. Registration is free.

U.S. Congress – Newly Introduced Legislation of Note

S. 2579 - A bill to direct the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to carry out programs and activities to ensure that Federal science agencies and institutions of higher education receiving Federal research and development funding are fully engaging their entire talent pool, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/26/19
b.      Sponsor: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) 9 Cosponsors

S. 2559 - A bill to establish certain requirements for institutions that participate in the Federal Direct loan program, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/26/19
b.      Sponsor: Sen. Rick Scott (D-FL) 0 Cosponsors

S. 2557 - A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the financial aid process for students, to provide continued support for minority-serving institutions, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/26/19
b.      Sponsor: Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 0 Cosponsors

S.J. Res. 56 - A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to "Borrower Defense Institutional Accountability".
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/26/19
b.      Sponsor: Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) 36 Cosponsors

H.R. 4579 - To require the Secretary of Education to initiate a negotiated rule-making process with respect to when an institution of higher education fails to meet accreditation standards, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/27/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) 0 Cosponsors

H.R. 4578 - To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make improvements to TEACH Grant program, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/27/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) 2 Cosponsors

H.R. 4577 - To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to promote the matriculation, and increase in the graduation rates, of individuals with disabilities within higher education.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/27/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA) 8 Cosponsors

H.R. 4573 - To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize additional grant activities for Hispanic-serving institutions.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/27/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) 0 Cosponsors

H.R. 4567 - To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to translate the FAFSA into foreign languages, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/27/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) 7 Cosponsors

H.R. 4545 - To provide for the discharge of a private education loan in the case of death or total and permanent disability of a student obligor, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/27/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) 0 Cosponsors 

H.R. 4544 - To amend the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit predispute arbitration agreements that force arbitration of disputes arising from private education loans, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/27/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) 0 Cosponsors

H.R. 4517 - To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out an apprenticeship loan forgiveness program.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/26/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) 3 Cosponsors

H.R. 4502 - To eliminate the time limitations on federally subsidized student loans, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/26/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) 3 Cosponsors

H.R. 4497 - To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make improvements to the Federal Student Aid Office, and for other purposes.
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/25/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL) 6 Cosponsors

H.R. 4478 - Simple FAFSA Act of 2019
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/24/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Gregorio Sablan (D-MP) 2 Cosponsors

H.R. 4475 - Higher Education Student Protection Act
c.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/24/19
d.      Sponsor: Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) 0 Cosponsors

H.J. Res. 76 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to “Borrower Defense Institutional Accountability.”
a.      Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 9/27/19
b.      Sponsor: Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) 64 Cosponsors 

AACS is working with Plus Communications to better position AACS members to achieve our legislative and regulatory objectives at the federal level, ensuring lawmakers don’t pass misguided legislation that could severely harm our industry.

We need your help to tell the industry’s compelling story and save our industry from the negative consequences of harmful legislation. You can help by donating to help us fund this important public relations campaign, and by sharing stories and testimonials.

To submit a donation, please click here.
To submit a story, please click here.