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
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
8:00AM – 11:00AM
Exhibition Set-up (In Exhibit Hall)
11:00AM – 11:55AM
Registration, Refreshments and Networking (in Exhibit Hall)
11:55AM
Welcome to Washington, DC: Introductions
SPEAKERS:
- Don Buford, Founder & CEO, iiBIG LLC
-
Juliana Araujo, President, iiBIG, Inc.
12:00PM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
“A Cultural Course Correction: How will Higher Education Funding be Affected?”
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Lindsey M. Burke, Ph.D., Director, Center for Education Policy, The Heritage Foundation
Lead Author:
Chapter 11: Department of Education
PROJECT 2025
12:30PM
Networking Break – (Meet & Greet with Keynote Speaker)
12:45PM
Opening Keynote Panel:
State of the Public & Private Education Finance and Student Lending Industry in 2025 & Beyond
Education Finance Thought Leaders address key issues from ’30 thousand feet’:
- The Trump Administration will have just completed its first 100 days when we convene on May 15, 2025. How will new personnel and policies affect the Education Finance & Student Loan Sector in 2025 and Beyond?
- Privatizing Student Loans? Will it Become a Reality? What are the implications for existing and future loans?
- FAFSA: A Status Report on the Federal Student Aid Application Process.
Moderator:
- Wayne Johnson, Former COO, Federal Student Aid, Trump Department of Education (2017-2020) – Macon, GA
Panelists:
- Nate Blanchard, Director, Financial Services, Western Governors University (WGU) – Salt Lake City, NV
- Andrew Gillen, Research Fellow, Center for Educational Freedom. Cato Institute – Washington, DC
- Amy Jones, Director, Education & Human Service Policy, Committee on Education & the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives – Washington, DC
- Mark Kantrowitz, President, Cerebly, Inc – Skokie, IL
1:50PM
Higher Education Regulatory & Legislative Roundtable
- Dismantling the Department of Education: Will it take an Act of Congress to transfer Federal Education Programs away from the Education Department to other Government Departments – or will Executive Orders do the Trick?
- Historically, what have the courts had to say on this and other related questions?
- This panel will also explore current litigation (if any) that may be in the works during the “First 100 Days.”
- Servicing & Collections in a diminished (post?) CFPB Environment: The Future of Oversight.
- Wrap Up: Legal/Regulatory Outlook for Student Loans at the State & Federal Level in 2025 and beyond.
Moderator:
- Eric Hurwitz, Co-Chair, Financial Services Litigation, Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, LLP – Philadelphia, PA
Panelists:
- Jason Altmire, President & CEO, Career Education Colleges & Universities (CECU) – Alexandria, VA
- Emmanuel Guillory, Senior Director, Government Relations, American Council on Education (ACE) – Washington, DC
- Amy Jones, Director, Education & Human Service Policy, Committee on Education & the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives – Washington, DC
- Sasha Ramani, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, MPOWER Financing – Washington, DC
2:40PM
Networking Break
3:00PM
Private Student Lending Roundtable:
The Road Ahead for Private Originations & Refinancing
- Will Student Loans and Grants be restored to the Private Sector – or at the very least will the “Federal Government Revisit its role as a Guarantor” of Private Originations? (See Project 2025, pg. 320)
- Stricter Underwriting Requirements? Federal Guarantees? Lower Tuition Costs?
- With Federal Loan Forgiveness in the rear-view mirror, will Private lenders be growing market share in Originating & Refinancing Student Loans?
- How are private lenders innovating repayment plans to address the ever-increasing burden of Student Loan Debt
Moderator:
- Jack Wallace, Director, Yrefy – Phoenix, AZ
Panelists:
- Andrew Gillen, Research Fellow, Center for Educational Freedom. Cato Institute – Washington, DC
- Nikhil Mudgal, Founder & CEO, Lorien Finance – San Francisco, CA & Mumbai, IN
- Keith Shoates, President & CEO, Student Freedom Initiative – Washington, DC
- Gail Walker, Director of School Relations & Strategic Initiatives, Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) – Warwick, RI
4:05PM
Education Finance Capital Markets & Structured Finance Roundtable
- Will the Trump Education Department be Offloading a large portion of Federal Student Loans to the Private Sector?
- How is the Secondary Market for Private (and Public?) Student Loans Shaping up in 2025 and beyond?
- What are the Best Practices for Mitigating Risks in the Student Loan securitization markets?
- Where are valuations on Private (and Public?) Student Loan portfolios headed in 2025 and beyond?
Moderator:
- Kayvan Darouian, Director, Deutsche Bank – New York, NY
Panelists:
- Shane Franciscovich, Director, S&P Global – New York, NY
- Sharon Gold, Head of Capital Markets, College Ave Student Loans – Wilmington, DE
- Ronald Page, Managing Director, Municipal Capital Markets Group – Golden, CO
- Others TBA
5:00PM
Evening Networking Reception. (In Exhibit Area)
DAY TWO: FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2025
8:30AM
Day Two Registration, Continental Breakfast and Networking (in Exhibit Hall)
9:15AM
Welcome to Day Two
SPEAKER:
-
Juliana Araujo, President, iiBIG, Inc.
9:20AM
Alternative Proposals for the “Big Beautiful Bill”
- Parent+ and Graduate+ Loans: Should they be Eliminated or is there a Better Way?
- How Should the Direct Loan program be changed?
- FFELP Loans: Should they be Resuscitated?
- Should there be a White House Student Loan Czar?
Panelists:
- Henry Howard, President & CEO, U. S. Education Finance Group – Miami, FL
- A. Wayne Johnson, Former COO, Federal Student Aid, Trump Department of Education (2017-2020) – Macon, GA
10:15AM
EdTech/FinTech Innovators Roundtable
- How are EdTech/FinTech Innovators Enhancing the Private Student Lending, Servicing and Collections Process?
- What new Strategies – and technologies – are being employed to drive more applicants to Private Lenders and to streamline education finance processes?
- How are other innovative companies generating growth by serving the Higher Education markets?
Moderator:
- Rich Haines, CEO, OneLogos – Austin, TX
Panelists:
- John Hupalo, Founder & CEO, Invite Education – Boston, MA
- Laurel Taylor, CEO, Candidly – Napa, CA
- Lance Teinert, CEO, RevlTek – Galveston, TX
- Stacie Whisonant, Founder, Pay Your Tuition Funds (PYT Funds) – Washington, DC
11:05AM
AM Networking Break
11:20AM
Student Loan Servicing & Collections Roundtable
- With the resumption of Federal Student Loan Repayments and the end of Loan Forgiveness, how are Servicers adapting to new realities and challenges?
- Will 3rd Party Servicing & Collections organizations see an uptick in opportunities to Partner (subcontract) with Federally Approved Servicers and Collectors?
- Servicing & Collections in a diminished (post?) CFPB Environment: How will the promise of less regulation and reduced oversight affect the private servicing and collection of delinquent student loan debt?
Moderator:
- Alex Ricci, President, National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER) – Washington, DC
Panelists:
- Scott Buchanan, Executive Director, Student Loan Servicing Alliance – Washington, DC
- Brian Cox, VP Business Development, Goal Solutions – San Diego, CA
-
Others TBA
12:10PM
Luncheon for Conference Participants
1:20PM
A FORK IN THE ROAD: PART I
The End of Student Loan Forgiveness
- What are the Ramifications for Colleges & Universities – and for Students & Families — if the
Trump Education Department Consolidates “all Federal Loan Programs into One New Program” that:- “Utilizes income-driven repayment,
- “Includes no interest rate subsidies or loan forgiveness,
- “Includes annual and aggregate limits on borrowing, and
- “Requires ‘skin in the game’ from colleges to help hold them accountable for loan Repayments?”
(Quotes from: Project 2025, Chapter 11, pgs. 341 and 354)
Moderator:
- Betsy Mayotte, President, The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (TISLA) – Plymouth, MA
Panelists:
- A. Wayne Johnson, Former COO, Federal Student Aid, Trump Department of Education (2017-2020) – Macon, GA
- Charles Pruett, Assistant Dean, Student Financial Aid, Georgetown Law Center – Washington, DC
- Brandon M. Smith, M.Ed., Director of Financial Aid, Columbia School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA) – New York, NY
-
Others TBA
2:10PM
A FORK IN THE ROAD: PART II
Career Education Colleges & Universities Roundtable
- Will Changes to Accreditation Standards place Proprietary Colleges & Universities on a ‘level playing field’ with traditional Higher Education institutions regarding Title IV Student Aid Funding?
- How will for-profit career Colleges & Universities adapt to such changes?
- Will Career-oriented schools play a more Prominent role in Higher Education in 2025 and Beyond?
Moderator:
- Jason Altmire, President & CEO, Career Education Colleges & Universities (CECU) – Alexandria, VA
Panelists:
- April Boyd, VP Financial Aid, The College of Healthcare Professionals – Houston, TX
- Christopher Lambert, Principal, BCC Advisory – Alexandria, VA
- David McClintock, CPA, Managing Director, McClintock & Associates, P.S. – Bridgeville, PA
- Scott M. Shaw, President & CEO, Lincoln Technical Institute – Parsippany, NJ
- Others TBA
3:00PM
Conference Concludes
An iiBIG Thanks to our Executive Faculties, Attendees & Sponsor Partners for over 16 years of Thought-Leadership in the Education Finance & Student Loan Marketplace
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.