The Department of Education and its Office of Federal Student Aid typically hold a meeting during the first week of December each year.
Photo illustration: Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Education | Caiaimage/Chris Ryan/iStock/Getty Images
Each year during the first week of December, the Department of Education hosts the Federal Student Aid Training Conference to provide college administrators with the latest education on regulations and technology systems. That hasn’t happened this year.
Now, many financial aid experts have expressed their displeasure on social media, blaming the blunder on the Trump administration’s drastic troop reductions and calling it a short-sighted mistake.
“There were no meetings. That’s what happens when you lay off a lot of the people who organize and train people,” Byron Scott, a retired FSA employee, wrote on LinkedIn. “Perhaps ‘returning’ the functions of the Department of Education to the states—which [it] Never — the department forgot to tell states about this new responsibility. “
Department officials neither announced the cancellation of the event nor clarified whether and when it would take place. Conference websites that traditionally post logistical information simply say: “Information coming soon.”
A senior department official interviewed Inside higher education The meeting is scheduled to be held in person in March, said a person who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“The announcements are lined up but the shutdown is holding us back,” the source wrote in a text message. “I think the plan is [will be released] in the coming days. “
An Education Department spokesman did not respond to questions about the March date but blamed any delays on the government shutdown.
“With Democrats shutting down the government for 43 days, as you can imagine, planning a convention is not an exempt activity,” the spokesman said. “We will have more updates on this matter in the coming weeks.”
If the meeting is ultimately held in person, it will be the first since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
The senior department official said they hoped “resuming in-person meetings will make the wait worth it”.
But Heidi Kovalick, director of financial aid at Rowan University, said in response to Scott’s LinkedIn post that now is a “critical time.”
Financial aid officials have a lot to adjust to; the Big Beautiful Act requires major reforms to the student loan system, and the department has released regulations outlining new standards for public service loan forgiveness, among other major changes since Trump took office.
“fin[ancial] Aid managers really need to listen to experts,” Kovalik wrote. “Of course, as others have mentioned, [it’s] It was a little difficult when they were forced to leave. We miss you all. “
Melanie Storey, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said whether staffing shortages or the government shutdown contributed to the delay, she said one of her biggest concerns is the tight schedule financial aid officers will face if the department does reschedule the meeting for the spring.
“To be honest, March is coming very soon – there are still three months left. Institutional budgets are tight. People are going to have to book flights and hotels and you know that can be expensive,” she said. Still, the NASFAA president expressed appreciation for the department’s efforts to return the conference to an in-person event.
“The last few times were virtual, with mixed reviews. Meetings had to be pre-recorded. Meetings were not always timely. And there was no opportunity for interaction. But these are things that financial aid professionals prioritize,” she said. “If they can do that in March, then we’ll be excited to see that in March.”
