Justin Draeger

Playing Catch Up

Justin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:10:00 PST

I noticed a few articles missing from my portfolio today and decided just to add them quickly. They’ve been published in the last year or so and may be a bit out of date.

Increasing Student Commitment with IDAs (The Student Aid Transcript)

Justin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:06:00 PST

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are savings accounts that match what low-income families deposit to help them save for expenses such as college tuition – but they do far more. These programs help students prepare financially, academically, and mentally for the prospect of going to college.

The full article was originally published in 2008.

Sounding Board: No Such Thing as a Free Lunch, but What about College? (The Student Aid Transcript)

Justin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:01:00 PST

Much of our college affordability efforts focus solely on lowering costs or increasing financial aid, but other business models show that there are other ways to make products and services affordable, and even free to the end-user. Why not college?

The full article was originally published in the Student Aid Transcript in 2008.

Personal vs. Personnel (The Student Aid Transcript)

Justin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 PST

What should you do when your problem employee is a good friend?

The full article was originally published in the Student Aid Transcript in 2008.

Quoted In: Demand for college aid rises (Lancaster Online)

Justin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 PST

Abstract: With the flagging economy hitting home for more and more families, local colleges are seeing an increased demand for student financial aid, a trend affecting institutions of higher learning across the country. Justin Draeger, vice president of public policy at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said the Obama administration is encouraging colleges and universities to help how they can when appeals arise.Institutions always had the authority to adjust financial aid packages because of hardship, Draeger said, and the message they’re getting is to "make sure students and their families are being taken care of."

The full article was originally published on 11/1/09.

Quoted In: A Financial Check-Up Long Before Tuition Bills Begin (The Wall Street Journal)

Justin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:22:00 PDT

Abstract: As high-school seniors’ college search kicks into high gear, many parents are fretting about how to pay. While an ideal college savings plan would have started years ago, it’s not too late to catch up. Here are some moves families can make during the next few months to boost savings in the right accounts and ease the financial-aid process. Financial aid insiders recommend that parents do the math with their children, to keep everyone’s expectations in check. "It’s important for parents to have realistic discussions about what they can afford," says Justin Draeger of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. This way, kids won’t fixate on out-of-reach and out-of-budget schools.

Aid officials should be willing to tell applicants the average amount students and families pay after federal, state and school aid. That figure "will really give [families] a more realistic depiction of how much they’ll be expected to pay out of pocket," Mr. Draeger says.

The full article was originally published on 10/30/09.