NASFAA's "The Big Idea" Policy Challenge: Student Aid Modernization Initiative

This session explores the policy proposals contained within the Student Aid Modernization Initiative (SAMI) white paper, released earlier this year. SAMI, developed by Marcus Szymanoski, was chosen as the inaugural winner of “The Big Idea: NASFAA’s Policy Challenge.” SAMI would link federal aid to students’ actual educational progress and allow them to plan for the entire academic program, rather than just one year at a time. The session will describe SAMI in greater detail, discuss potential policy and political considerations, and explore how SAMI would work in practice.