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Education Finance & Loan Symposium

The Future of Higher Ed Financial Aid &
How the Trump Administration Will be Reshaping Student Loan Policy.

MAY 15-16, 2025

Hotel AKA
Old Town Alexandria, VA

CONFERENCE
& THEME

iiBIG’s 16th Annual Education Finance & Loan Symposium, will take place on Thursday & Friday, May 15-16, 2025 at the Hotel AKA in Old Town Alexandria, VA.

The first 100 Days of the Trump Administration will have been completed by the time we meet. It will be abundantly clear by then that major reforms are in the works.  As these changes in federal higher education policy become clear, this event will shed light on many new opportunities of which you will want to be a part.

This year’s theme is:

 

The Future of Higher Ed Financial Aid
&
How the Trump Administration Will be Reshaping Student Loan Policy

JOIN OUR
FACULTY

Increase your Profile!
If you or your organization would like to be represented on our 30+ member executive faculty, please complete our online JOIN OUR FACULTY application.

Our executive faculty will include our traditional high-level, C-suite executive representatives: Key decision-makers from across the education finance and student loan spectrum. 

We are also currently engaging with incoming Trump Administration policy makers who will be influential at the DoE (Department of Education), CFPB (Consumer Finance Protection Bureau), as well as DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) and other influencers.  They are expected to be speaking candidly about the rapidly unfolding issues on interactive panel topics featured below.

INTERACTIVE
PANEL TOPICS

  • Keynote Panel: The future of Higher Education Finance and Student Loans in the Trump administration.
  • The Future of Parent+ and Graduate+ Loans
  • The Move to Privatize Federal Student Loans: What will this mean for Private Lenders, Servicers and others?
  • New Opportunities in the Secondary Markets for Student Loans.
  • Legal & Regulatory Updates from DoE, CFPB and others.
  • Ending Federal Student Loan Forgiveness – What are the Ramifications?
  • New Investment and M&A Opportunities in EdTech, FinTech and others in the Higher Ed Product- & Service-Provider sectors.
  • Private Lenders Roundtable: The evolving role of private lenders in student loan origination.
  • Servicing & Collections Roundtable: Strategies for managing student loans across different sectors.
  • Financial Aid Leaders Update: Perspectives from Non-profit & For-profit College & University Financial Aid leaders.

To apply to participate as a member of the executive faculty as a panelist or leader/moderator on these topics – or to submit suggestions for new topic(s) – please complete our online JOIN OUR FACULTY application or contact the conference organizer: Don Buford at DonB@iiBIG.com.


WHO WILL
ATTEND

Attendance at our in-person events has averaged between 125-150 and, early indications are that this year’s IN-PERSON conference will continue this trend.

Representatives from higher education (including US- and International for-profit and non-profit colleges and universities), investors, banks, credit unions, online marketplace and other alternative lenders, loan servicers, ratings agencies, regulators, attorneys and more will join us again in 2025. More specifically attendees will include:

  • U.S. Department of Education Regulators & Policy-Makers
  • Congressional Higher Education Policy-Leaders from the US House & Senate
  • CFPB Regulators
  • Private Student Loan Lenders and Credit Unions
  • Federal & Private Student Loan Servicers
  • Cloud-based Marketplace Fintechs & Student Loan Aggregator Platforms
  • Higher Education Financial Aid Leaders
  • Capital Market Specialists
  • Asset-based Secondary Market Leaders
  • Higher Education Vendors, Service Providers & Entrepreneurs
  • Private Equity Investors & M&A Advisors
  • Legal Advisors
  • Investment Banking & Transaction Consultancies
  • Higher Education Financial Aid Officers
  • Portfolio Managers
  • Credit Union Student Loan Officers
  • Rating Agencies
  • Credit Analysts
  • Corporate Finance Professionals
  • Student Loan Consultancies

SPEAKING FACULTY OPPORTUNITIES:

Applications are now being reviewed from executives who wish to contribute as members of our Executive Speaking Faculty. If you have extensive knowledge of education finance/student loans and would like to apply for a position on our executive speaking faculty please complete our online JOIN OUR FACULTY APPLICATION. Or contact:

Don Buford, Conference Organizer,
Founder & CEO, iiBIG 
Phone: 212-300-2521
Email: DonB@iibig.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:

Conference sponsorship provides an opportunity for companies seeking increased brand awareness and a platform to demonstrate expertise, products, or services. If confirmed early, conference sponsorship may include the opportunity to be represented on the executive speaking faculty. For more information, contact:

Hank Woji,
SVP, Business Development, 
iiBIG 

Phone: 713-806-0354
Email: HankW@iiBIG.com

 

MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES:

Co-branding/marketing opportunities are available for publications, digital and print newsletters, professional associations, or other organizations that provide news and information to the higher education finance/student loan industry. For more information on these opportunities, please contact:

Juliana Araujo,
President, iiBIG LLC
Phone: 703-716-3816
Email: 
JulianaA@iiBIG.com  

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

Continuing Education Credits (e.g. CLE, CPE, CME, etc.) may be available for iiBIG conference attendees. Upon request conference attendees will be provided with a “Certificate of Attendance” and a copy of the conference agenda, showing topics, length of sessions, and name(s) and professional affiliation(s) of presenter(s) for each session. Attendees wishing to apply for continuing education credits for attending this conference may submit this documentation to the relevant organization in his/her state when applying for such credits.