Conference Objectives

• Explore opportunities for EFC members to empower students and borrowers to succeed through innovative programs and support services. 

• Gain perspective on the policy priorities of key Congressional Committees and how they may impact the future of higher education policy making. 

• Identify the latest developments in the capital markets, with a focus on private education loans, legacy FFELP portfolios, and new issue opportunities.  

• Examine the potential outcomes of the 2024 elections and how it may impact key committees and the future of higher education and its financing. 

• Exchange ideas and information through networking opportunities with colleagues and other conference attendees. 

Conference Schedule

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Breakfast

7:45am - 8:45am

Welcome Remarks

8:45am - 9:00am

Boosting FAFSA Completion Rates: Lessons from the FAFSA Student Support Strategy

9:00am - 10:00am

The disastrous rollout of the Better FAFSA led to a significant decline in form completions for 2024-25, particularly impacting first-time college students and students of color. To mitigate these effects, the Department of Education launched the FAFSA Support Strategy, working with ECMC to distribute $50 million to organizations for activities aimed at boosting FAFSA completion this summer. In this session, panelists will discuss the details of this strategy and its impact, with awardees sharing their successes, lessons learned, and how they will continue to help students and families as we navigate the 2025-26 FASFA cycle.

Coffee Break (Sponsored by Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority)

10:00am - 10:15am

Elections Have Consequences: The 2025 Economic Outlook

10:15am - 11:00am

With major portions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire in 2025 and presidential candidates who differ greatly in their approach to key economic issues, the upcoming election undoubtedly will have an impact on federal economic policy. This session will examine the possible effects of the election on the U.S. economy and provide an overview of the path of U.S. inflation and economic growth, expected Fed policy, and the outlook for 2025. It will also cover the record national debt, the rapid increase in interest paid on the debt, and how that impacts the broader economy.

Higher Education Finance: A Capital Market Perspective

11:00am - 12:00pm

This session will review the current state of the market for financing and securitization of FFELP, private education, and refinance loan portfolios. It will cover new developments, funding sources, securitization challenges, and investor preferences in both the taxable and tax-exempt arenas. Leading underwriters, advisors, and rating analysts will examine how differences in private student loan types and underwriting criteria are viewed and what challenges have arisen in structuring recent transactions.

Luncheon

12:00pm - 1:00pm

United States Representative Tim Walberg (R-MI)

1:00pm - 1:30pm

Keynote: The Skills Gap, the Experience Gap, and the Urgent Need for Work-Integrated Learning, Internships, and Apprenticeships

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Digital transformation has changed employer hiring behavior. Most employers are no longer hiring candidates with only a degree – even in a relevant field – instead also seeking evidence of specific digital, platform, and business skills and – increasingly – relevant, in-field work experience. The emergence of generative AI appears likely to widen the experience gap into a chasm. What strategies can higher education stakeholders employ to ensure young Americans are able to successfully launch careers in the 21st century?

Keynote Speaker: Ryan Craig, Managing Director, Achieve Partners

Snack Break

2:30pm - 3:00pm

Forecasting the Future: Do Recent College Closures Signal a Sector on the Brink of Crisis?

3:00pm - 4:00pm

The pandemic, troubled FAFSA rollout, and college enrollment cliff are causing huge disruptions to the higher education sector. The resulting number of college closures has intensified the barriers that affected students face when it comes to successfully completing college and managing higher education loan debt. Some have speculated that portions of the higher education sector are on the brink of a crisis that will only exacerbate inequality of opportunity – but what does the data really show? In this session, experts will discuss the latest trends and what these circumstances may mean for the future of the higher education sector.

Opinions of the Court: What the Industry Needs to Know About the Evolving Landscape of Administrative Law, Federal Agency Enforcement Proceedings, and National Bank Preemption

4:00pm-5:00pm

At the end of this term, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued two major opinions – Loper Bright and Corner Post – that, taken together, significantly change administrative law precedents and greatly expand avenues to challenge rules issued by federal agencies. Other SCOTUS decisions, such as in Jarkesy and Cantero, will impact federal enforcement proceedings and preemption standards. In this session, experts will provide an overview of these and other opinions, how they may shift the actions and authority of key federal agencies, and what it all means for the higher education finance industry.

Networking Reception

5:15pm - 6:30pm

EFC Hosted Dinner

6:30pm

Friday, September 20, 2024

Breakfast

7:30am - 8:00am

Keynote: Where to Turn When the Political Climate Heats Up

8:00am - 9:00am

For more than 25 years, Amy Walter has built a reputation as an accurate, objective, and insightful political analyst with unparalleled access to campaign insiders and decision-makers. One of Washington's Most Powerful Women in 2023 & 2021, she is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, where she provides analysis of the issues, trends, and events that shape the political environment. In this session, she will discuss not only electoral politics, but also the politics of policy, Washington’s dysfunction, and the people and strategies behind events unfolding in Congress and the White House.

Keynote Speaker: Amy Walter, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Cook Political Report

United States Representative Burgess Owens (R-UT)

9:00am - 9:30am

Recent efforts to boost data transparency promise to help students make more informed decisions about higher education and increase institutional accountability, but these changes could have negative consequences for students trying to access financing. A panel of experts will discuss the promise of the new federal Financial Value Transparency framework and updates to the Department of Education’s College Scorecard, as well as what these and other new accountability efforts might mean for students, borrowers, and the sector as a whole.

Coffee Break (Sponsored by Incenter Lender Services)

9:30am - 9:45am

Combatting Fraud in Higher Education and Protecting Borrowers

9:45am - 10:30am

Fraudulent activity in financial aid has ratcheted up in recent years, a problem that has far-reaching consequences for the higher education industry and requires a coordinated response. The advance of artificial intelligence (AI), confusion over loan forgiveness, and major changes to the FAFSA have created the perfect breeding ground for fraud rings to prey on borrowers and institutions in new and time-tested ways. A panel of experts will share what they have learned about how to identify fraud, how to protect students and borrowers, and ways to combat future incidents.  

Congressional Staff Panel: Tax Code Provisions and Higher Education Financing

10:30am - 11:30am

Several major provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will expire at the end of 2025, teeing up a major tax policy debate in Congress. In this session, Congressional staff from key House and Senate committees will share their perspectives on these and other tax reforms, their legislative priorities, and how the federal tax system can encourage a more accessible and affordable higher education sector.

When: September 18, 2024

Where: The Alexandrian Old Town Alexandria, 480 King Street, Alexandria, VA

The EFC CXO Summit is a unique opportunity to streamline the sales process into a one-day event where vendors meet face-to-face with executive decision makers who are interested in their products and services. The CXO Summit brings vendors multiple qualified leads and gives them direct, exclusive access to EFC Member executives who are committed to participating in the CXO Summit.

The 2024 CXO Summit is being held in conjunction with EFC Education Finance Conference and in the same hotel. However, the CXO Summit is a separate event that requires a separate registration and a separate registration fee.