NAVIGATING THE SEA OF CHANGE Wednesday, November 7 8:15 am 8:30 am Welcome and Opening Remarks AGENDA 8:30 am 9:15 am Election Results - So, Who is Our Next President? Four years ago, during the 2008 NCHELP Fall Training Conference, we watched the election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States. That election had a profound impact on the student aid programs managed by NCHER members, and eventually lead to the end of new FFEL Program loan originations. Together we will watch another presidential election take place, this time at the 2012 NCHER Knowledge Symposium, and this election s outcome could lead to equally profound changes to the future of higher education finance. We are pleased to have on hand one of the founders of the Penn Hill Group, an organization of seasoned higher education policy experts who have helped draft key pieces of legislation, to discuss the outcome and potential impact of the 2012 general election. How might four more years under an Obama Administration alter the face of higher education? How could a new Romney administration change your market place? These questions and more will be answered by a true Washington insider. 9:15 am 10:30 am ED Collection and IT Security Update Department of Education officials will provide updates on guaranty agency data security audits and default recoveries. Ms. Hampden will address findings and best practices gleaned from the recently-completed guaranty agency security audits and the data security standards the Department will require of all trading partners and contractors in the future. Mr. Vigna will provide an update on default recovery trends and successes and changes the Department has planned for its private collection agencies. This general session will present a great opportunity to ask the Department the questions that are important to your organization. 10:30 am 11:00 am Break 11:00 am 12:00 pm A Fast Start for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently concluded its first year in existence and supporters and critics alike would have to agree it was an active one. Attorneys from Ballard Spahr LLP, the firm that publishes the popular blog the CFPB Monitor, will take a comprehensive look at the CFPB s first year of activity. Topics to be covered include the Bureau s Private Student Loan Report, the recently-released annual report of the CFPB Ombudsman, and a lessons learned segment regarding CFPB Exams and Civil Investigative Demands and how best to prepare for any future CFPB examination. Our speakers will also discuss the recently-released Larger Participant Rule for debt collectors. 12:00 pm 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm 2:45 pm CONCURRENT SESSIONS Title IV Loan Metrics Federal student loan volume has steadily increased over the years, with annual volume exceeding $106 billion last year alone. The two main programs, the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and the Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP), have over $750 billion outstanding and in various loan statuses. Combined, how is the massive federal loan program performing? Financial expert Mark Weadick will take a closer look at the two portfolios to provide some answers. What percent of the combined portfolios is in an inschool status? How much is in repayment? What is the overall ABI? How much is delinquent? How much is in default? How quickly will the FFELP portfolio amortize, assuming there are no new programs to consolidate it into the FDLP? These and other questions will be addressed in this session that is important to all entities that service or collect Title IV loans. 2:45 pm 3:15 pm Refreshment Break Guaranty Agency Negotiated Rulemaking Potpourri The most recently completed negotiated rulemaking session made significant changes to many guarantor processes including how reasonable and affordable payment is defined for loan rehabilitation, how we utilize AWG and the use of last minute forbearance to prevent default. The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) is still pending for these changes so now is the time to join Kevin and Betsy to find out how these upcoming changes will affect your shop we promise this will be a reg session like no other! Using Social Media to Reach Your Customers This session takes a look at the communication preferences of today s college student. It will also delve into Facebook, Twitter, and other social media formats with an eye toward how entities can use these forums to connect with and counsel students. 3:15 pm 4:30 pm CONCURRENT SESSIONS Private Loan Rehabilitation Programs New private education loan volume dropped precipitously from its high of $25.2 billion for the 2007-08 academic year to just over $8 billion in 2011-12, due primarily to the after effects of the credit crisis of 2008, increased federal loan limits, and a rush to credit quality by private loan providers. Despite the drop in new loan volume, delinquencies and defaults stemming from the expansion years are significant, and federal regulators like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have taken notice. Recently, the CFPB called on the private sector to provide relief to delinquent and defaulted private education loan borrowers through work-out programs and refinance options for current borrowers looking for lower interest rates. This session will explore the size and scope of the distressed private education loan market, what work-out programs are already available, and how some companies are finding great success in getting default portfolios performing again. Student/Borrower Advocate - The Role of the Ombudsman The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had an active first year advocating on behalf of borrowers of all types of consumer credit, but they are not the only organization looking out for the student loan borrower the NCHER Student
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Reception Thursday, November 8 Loan Ombudsman Caucus members have been serving in this role for years. This session will look at the most common reasons borrowers contact their ombudsman issues involving account balances - why the contacts take place, and how the Ombudsman Caucus uses data and lessons learned to help borrowers in distress. The FSA Ombudsman will also share information about the first year of ED s collaboration with the CFPB student loan ombudsman. Audience participation is encouraged please come prepared to discuss how your organization captures borrower feedback, the trends you are seeing and how we can all work together to better help students and borrowers understand their student loans. Moving the Needle on Financial Literacy It is widely accepted that the college-bound and their families are in need of financial education when deciding how to choose, and pay for, the college or university that best meets their needs. All agree that increasing financial literacy is important; but what methods are most effective and how do we know they work? Our informative panel will discuss why working to increase financial literacy is an important endeavor, what approaches work best, how success is measured and what are the key teachable moments that we cannot afford to miss. 8:30 am 9:30 am Federal Loan Servicing Panel The number of federal loan servicers continues to grow from the original Direct Loan servicer and four TIVAS to an additional two-dozen prime and subcontractor not-for-profits and another dozen in the wings. A panel of crewmates will share their experience in transitioning from a FFELP servicer to a federal contractor, use of best practices in the New World, and communicating with all other stakeholders. 9:30 am 10:30am The Future of Financial Aid A panel of experts will consider the current state of higher education financing. Today, one hundred percent of Title IV loans are made and serviced under contract with the federal government. The Treasury is borrowing over a hundred billion dollars a year to fund the loan programs, and Pell Grant shortages are again just around the corner. College costs continue to outpace inflation, jeopardizing access and driving up student debt. Most industry experts believe the current structure is unsustainable. NCHER has pulled together stakeholders and experts from all sectors of its membership to consider a different path forward. Can private sector investment replace having to borrow from the Chinese? Should loan servicing be state-based to take advantage of common heritage and demographics? What is the proper role of private education loans? Is it possible to again provide schools with a single point-of-contact? 10:30 am 11:00 am Break
11:00 am 12:00 pm The School Perspective The morning will conclude with school officials from both the financial aid and business offices discussing their views on how to improve the financial aid programs for students, borrowers and schools. Funding may now come from a single source, but multiple servicers have led some schools to see this as a step back, not a step forward. What are the key ingredients needed to improve the programs from the school s perspective? 12:00 pm 1:30 pm Lunch 1:30 pm 2:45 pm CONCURRENT SESSIONS Using Data Analytics to Help Borrowers Navigate Repayment This panel will provide an introduction to how schools and data analysis experts are: aggregating data from NSLDS, Federal Loan Servicers, and other data sources; analyzing the collected data to form conclusions about repayment behavior; and using that information to create and implement strategies in delinquency and default prevention. 2:45 pm 3:15 pm Refreshment Break The Theory and Practice of Policies and Procedures The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the U.S. Department of Education and other regulators have announced their interest in the drafting of policies and procedures by those they regulate or with whom they have contracts. This session will examine the universe of policy creation and the forces that drive the need for such polices, before drilling down to the more practical level of policy development. The Shifting Sands of TPD Big changes are on the horizon for the Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) discharge process. What benefits will borrowers see? What are the new roles for loan holders, guarantors, and the TPD Servicer? When does everything take effect? Join this panel of experts and learn about implementation of the new TPD regulations. 3:15 pm 4:30 pm CONCURRENT SESSIONS Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Examination Guide The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently released its examination guide for collection agencies that meet the statutory definition of larger participants. Officials from McGladrey will take a first look at the new guide and discuss how agencies can prepare for their initial CFPB review. Pay As You Earn, IBR, ICR and Other Regulatory Changes Earlier this year, the Department of Education and invited representatives of various constituencies negotiated rules implementing the "Pay As You Earn" initiative announced by President Obama in October 2011. The negotiating committee reached consensus on changes to the existing regulatory provisions, including the traditional Income-based Repayment (IBR) and Income-contingent Repayment (ICR) programs. In this session, Bob Sandlin - the lead negotiator representing lenders, secondary markets, and servicers - will detail the revisions to IBR and the other pending regulatory changes impacting loan holders and servicers. NCHER Program Regulations committee chair Ed Brandt will then
5:00 pm 6:00 pm Reception Friday, November 9 outline the new Pay As You Earn repayment plan and the modifications to the traditional ICR plan. The panel will also incorporate the related changes to the HEROES Act regulatory waivers, which were recently extended by the Department through September 30, 2017. Consumer Credit Disclosures Financial disclosures as a source of consumer protection are gaining prominence in public policy discussions. In this session compliance and legal experts will share with you the concepts and history behind financial transaction disclosures and provide examples of new style disclosures such as the current privacy disclosure, the CFPB s suggested simple credit card disclosure, the college shopping sheet and know-before-you-owe disclosures. 8:30 am 9:30 am Same Issues, Different Backgrounds: Overlapping Generations of Student Loan Borrowers The diversity of college students is growing: the traditional student is now an increasingly shrinking minority while we face, for perhaps the first time, a substantially large pool of borrowers in repayment who have children that are now taking on student loan debt themselves. Different generations have differing expectations, values, approaches to finance and even ways of embracing technology that are important to understanding how they view college investment and loan repayment. This session will focus on how Baby Boomers, Millennials, Gen Xers and Gen Yers differ in lifestyles, goals, expectations and ways they finance their educations. Don t miss this opportunity to better understand the needs and realities of your increasingly diverse customer base. 9:30 am 10:30 am Legal Updates on Issues Impacting Your Organization Navigating through a period of change is always challenging, perhaps even more so for an organization s legal department. New laws and regulations create new requirements and expectations, and sometimes the lack of regulations, or regulations that are outdated, have unintended consequences. This session showcases a panel of attorneys from our membership who will address the latest legal challenges to your organization. Our panelists will discuss the latest rulings on auto-dialers and automated messages, recent actions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and court cases that may impact how you do your job. 10:30 am 11:00 am NCHER Update / Conference Wrap-up NCHER President Shelly Repp will wrap up the conference with a look ahead at the opportunities for NCHER members to continue to provide critical services to students, borrowers, families and schools.