MAY 19-20, 2025
Old Town, Virginia
8:00AM – 11:00AM
Exhibition Set-up (In Exhibit Hall)
11:00AM – 12:00PM
Registration, Refreshments and Networking (in Exhibit Hall)
12:00PM
Welcome to Washington, DC: Introductions
Speaker:
Don Buford, Founder & CEO,
iiBIG LLC – New York
12:05PM
Opening Panel: State of the Public & Private Education Finance and Student Lending Industry in 2024 & Beyond
- Resumption of Student Loan Repayments: How’s it Working so Far?
- Progress Report: Fixing FAFSA.
- What is the status of the new USDS (Unified Servicing and Data Solutions) Platform?
- Student Loan Forgiveness – Implications and aftermath of SCOTUS Decision.
- What does the Private Student Originations & Refinancing landscape look like over the next 12-to-24 months?
- Biden vs. Trump: How will the 2024 Elections affect the Student Loan “Food Chain” in 2025 and Beyond?
Moderator:
- A. Wayne Johnson, Former Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Federal Student Aid, United States Department of Education (2017-2020) – Macon, GA
Panelists:
- Dr. Jason Altmire, President & CEO, Career Education Colleges & Universities (CECU) – Alexandria, VA
- Mary Dwyer Pembroke, Director & Assistant General Counsel, Discover Financial Services – Washington, DC
- Amy Jones, Director, Education & Human Service Policy, Committee on Education & the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives – Washington, DC
- John McNamara, Principal Assistant Director, Markets, CFPB – Washington, DC
1:10PM
Higher Education Regulatory Roundtable
- Legal/Regulatory Outlook for Student Loans at the State & Federal Level in 2024 and beyond.
- How are the CFPB, DoE and other regulatory agencies addressing collection activities around delinquent private and public student loans?
- What do both Private and PUBLIC Colleges & Universities need to know about pending rules related to “Gainful Employment?”
- Which policies and/or regulation will most impact private Higher Education Businesses?
Moderator:
- Eric Hurwitz, Co-Chair, Financial Services Litigation, Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, LLP – Philadelphia, PA
Panelists:
- Dr. Jason Altmire, President & CEO,
Career Education Colleges & Universities (CECU) – Alexandria, VA - Amy Jones, Director, Education & Human Service Policy, Committee on Education & the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives – Washington, DC
- Patricia Scherschel, Student Lending Program Manager, Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) – Washington, DC
- Robert Tetreault, Director of Compliance, Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) – Warwick, RI
2:10PM
PM Networking Break
2:40PM
Drinking from a Fire Hose: Student Loan Servicing & Collections Roundtable
- With the resumption of Federal Student Loan Repayments how are Servicers adapting to new realities and challenges?
- Are 3rd Party Servicing organizations seeing an uptick in opportunities?
- What is the status of the new USDS (Unified Servicing and Data Solutions) Platform?
- Where are CFPB examiners focusing their supervisory efforts?
- How are Servicers and Collectors of Private Student Loans Assessing these Markets?
Moderator:
- Scott Buchanan, Executive Director, Student Loan Servicing Alliance – Washington, DC
Panelists:
- Mary Dwyer Pembroke, Director & Assistant General Counsel, Discover Financial Services – Washington, DC
- Joe Grieco, Chief Legal Officer, College Ave Student Loan Servicing, LLC – Wilmington, DE
- David A. Heintzelman, Supervisory Examiner, Field Manager, CFPB – Washington, DC
- Aisha Smith, Financial Services Counsel, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP – Washington, DC
Education Finance Capital Markets Roundtable
- How is the Secondary Market for Student Loans Shaping up in 2024 and beyond?
- Where are valuations on Student Loan portfolios headed in 2024 and beyond?
- What will Student Loan refinancing mean for the secondary pipeline?
- How have the Valuations of Student Loan portfolios been affected by higher interest rates?
Moderator:
- John McNamara, Principal Assistant Director, Markets, CFPB – Washington, DC
Panelists:
- Kayvan Darouian, Director, DeutscheBank – New York, NY
- Sharon Gold, Head of Capital Markets, College Ave Student Loans – Wilmington, DE
- Ian Rasmussen, Managing Director, Co-Head ABS, Fitch Ratings – New York, NY
- Joseph A. Santoro, Director, Education Finance Team Leader, BofA Securities – New York, NY
5:00PM
Evening Networking Reception. (In Exhibit Area)
DAY TWO: TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024
8:30AM
Day Two Registration, Continental Breakfast and Networking (in Exhibit Hall)
PART I: Private Student Lending: The Road Ahead for Private Originations & Refinancing
- With Federal Payment deferrals in the rear-view mirror and interest rates likely to continue downward in 2024, will Private lenders be growing market share in Originating & Refinancing Student Loans?
- The October 30, 2023 Executive Order on AI mandates the CFPB to evaluate AI-based models for underwriting for bias. What impact will this have on private student lenders?
- Will the new rules around “gainful employment” effect Private Lenders?
- How are private lenders innovating repayment plans to address the ever-increasing burden of Student Loan Debt?
Moderator:
- Preston Cooper, Higher Education Policy Researcher, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP) – Washington, DC
Panelists:
- David Bailey, VP, Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation (KHESLC) – Lexington, KY
- Patrick Leimkuehler, COO, Splash Financial – Cleveland OH
- Chad Pastorius, Deputy Director, Rhode Island Student Loan Authority – Warwick, RI
- Others TBA
10:20AM
PART II: Private Student Lending: EdTech/FinTech Innovators Roundtable
- How are EdTech/FinTech Innovators Enhancing the Private Student Lending Process?
- It is expected that private lenders will be taking a greater role in originating and refinancing student loans in the next 18-24 months.
- What new Strategies are being Employed to Drive Applicants to Private Lenders?
Panelists:
- Billy Davis, VP, Client & Product Management, Campus Door – York, PA
Panelists:
- Rich Haines, CEO, OneLogos – Austin, TX
- Peter Payne, VP Data Science, Enterval Analytics LLC – Las Vegas, NV
- Lance Teinert, Co-Founder & CEO, RevlTek – Galveston, TX
11:30AM
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Federal Student Aid Update:
Loan Forgiveness & More in 2024
Keynote Speaker:
- Richard A. Cordray, Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid, United States Department of Education
12:15PM
Luncheon for Conference Participants
1:15PM
Higher Ed Private Equity, VC & Strategic Investor Roundtable:
Investment and M&A Opportunities in the Business of Higher Education Finance
- The Vast Revenues that flow through the U.S. Higher Education System has produced a “Cottage Industry” of innovative Edtech, Fintech and other Companies that offer Products & Services in this Market.
- What types of companies are Private Investors favoring?
- Are vendor companies seeking to grow through Strategic Acquisitions… or looking for investment capital to grow organically?
- Hear from Leading Private Investors and Strategic Buyers on the Prospects for Investment & M&A Opportunities in this Rapidly growing and competitive Sector.
Moderator:
- Lance Teinert, CEO, RevlTek – Galveston, TX
Panelists:
- Amy Bevilacqua, Managing Partner, Green Street Impact Partners – Austin, TX
- Andy Kaplan, Managing General Partner, Education Growth Partners – Stamford, CT
- Amit Patel, Managing Director, Owl Ventures – San Francisco, CA
2:10PM
Student Loan Forgiveness in the Aftermath of the SCOTUS Decision: An Update
The Biden Administration has launched several new Loan Forgiveness Initiatives which this panel will address:
- The SAVE Program (Saving on a Valuable Education): An update on income-based Loan Forgiveness Features.
- Are Private Income Contingent Agreements (ICAs) an alternative to Parent PLUS Loans?
- The PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) Plan: Who Qualifies?
- What other Loan Forgiveness Options are being Implemented or Considered?
Moderator:
- Dr. Mark Brown, Major General (Ret.), Ed.D., Executive Director, Student Freedom Initiative (former COO, Student Financial Aid, US Department of Education (2020-2021) – Washington, DC
Panelists:
- A. Wayne Johnson, Former Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Federal Student Aid, United States Department of Education (2017-2020) – Macon, GA
- Mike Pierce, Executive Director, Student Borrower Protection Center – Washington, DC
- Dubravka Ritter, Senior Advisor and Research Fellow, Consumer Finance Institute, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
3:05PM
College and University Financial Aid Roundtable
- An Update from Higher Education Financial Aid Leaders
- How have Financial Aid Administrators been impacted by the Difficulties surrounding the new FAFSA Rollout?
- What do Financial Aid Leaders at all levels Need to Know about proposed rules around “Gainful Employment” and “Financial Value Transparency?”
-
What is the financial aid outlook for the next 24 to 48 months as the country returns from the post-loan repayment pause?
Moderator:
- Marilena Botoulas, Associate Dean for Curriculum & Programs, Columbia University, Graduate School of Business – New York, NY
Panelists:
- Jeff Arthur, VP Regulatory Affairs & CIO, East Coast Polytechnic Institute (ECPI University)
- Timothy Lehmann, VP Student Financial Services, Southern New Hampshire University – Manchester, NH
- Charles Pruett, Assistant Dean, Student Financial Aid, Georgetown Law Center – Washington, DC
4:00PM
Conference Concludes
An iiBIG Thanks to our Executive Faculties, Attendees & Sponsors for over 14 years of Thought-Leadership in the
Education Finance & Student Loan Markets
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.