April 22, 2009 - NASFAA is pleased to announce the release of The National Conversation Initiative Preliminary Recommendations, a coherent framework of 30 integrated recommendations for remaking the student aid system so it is more effective and efficient.

The NCI Preliminary Recommendations Report is a outcome of NASFAA's exhaustive NCI campaign, launched in late summer 2008, a national dialogue for building consensus, support, and enactment of reforms needed to eliminate major obstacles to college access, namely the financial barriers for low- and moderate-income students. The recommendations have been delivered to the Obama administration, key Capitol Hill staff, and NASFAA members.

If enacted, these recommendations would dramatically improve the effectiveness, efficiency, simplicity, and equity of the student aid programs. "NASFAA shares the Obama administrations' goal to dramatically increase the number of college graduates and we agree that bold changes are needed to realize this goal," NASFAA President Dr. Philip Day said. "If we continue business as usual, we risk falling behind in the future global economy and widening gaps between the haves and the have-nots ... Adopting NASFAA’s recommendations would create a more robust and effective financial aid system that will motivate more Americans to set, pursue and accomplish higher education goals."

NASFAA held a live Webinar on April 22nd to discuss the report. The recording and slides from this presentation are available online.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan responded to the NCI proposal, saying "I appreciate NASFAA's efforts to reach out ... and to bring together new ideas through a thoughtful and deliberative process." Duncan "commends the goals of NCI" and said that "NASFAA's proposal will be fully reviewed and considered as the policy debate on student loans, other financial aid, and higher education issues continues."

National Conversation Resources

• Latest National Conversation News from NASFAA
• Archived Webinar and Handouts - Launch of NCI Preliminary Recomendations April 22, 2009
• National Conversation Initiative Preliminary Recommendations April 22, 2009
• NCI Concept Paper for New Student Loan Model March 19, 2009
• Cover Letter about New Student Loan Model to NASFAA Members March 19, 2009

The History and Purpose of NCI

Despite past efforts at the federal, state, and local levels to improve college access and assistance for all students, there has been an alarming decline in college participation and in the number of baccalaureate degrees awarded to high school students from low- and moderate-income families and historically underrepresented and under served student groups. This trend, which has been worsening over the past decade and a half, has been documented most recently and most persuasively by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, the federal advisory committee chartered by Congress.

The National Conversation Initiative, launched by NASFAA in April 2008, is a national dialogue for building consensus, support, and enactment of reforms needed to eliminate major obstacles to college access, namely the financial barriers for low- and moderate-income students.

While many proposed solutions have been offered to revise the student aid system with the goal of increasing access, NASFAA's goal with the NCI project is to create a coherent framework of integrated recommendations that it will present to President Obama and legislators within the new administration's first 100 days, and then continue with a focus on advocacy which will include refinement and finalization of the recommendations and, ultimately, enactment.

• Detailed overview of the National Conversation Initiative
• National Conversation Core Principles
• National Conversation Listening Sessions Schedule and Agenda
• National Conversation Listening Sessions Blog
• Comments Submission Form

We welcome your comments on NCI. Please email us at NationalConversation@NASFAA.org