Elevating Student Voices: NeASFAA’s Advocacy in the Nation’s Capital
February 25, 2026
Earlier this month, NeASFAA President-Elect Carlos Garcia, Associate Director of Financial Aid at Southeast Community College, and NeASFAA Board Secretary Susan Collins, Director of Financial Aid at Doane University, traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the NASFAA Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo. The experience culminated in meetings on Capitol Hill, where they stood alongside colleagues from across the country to elevate the needs of students who rely on federal financial aid to pursue higher education.
During their visits, Garcia and Collins met with legislative staff representing Senators Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer, and Representatives Mike Flood and Adrian Smith. The conversations centered on a shared responsibility: ensuring that federal student aid programs remain strong, sustainable, and responsive to the real financial pressures students and famil
ies face.
One of the primary issues discussed was the continued assessment of federal student loan origination fees. Originally implemented in a different era of federal lending, these fees now add costs to borrowers without directly improving the student experience. In recent award years, they have generated billions in federal revenue, yet for individual students, they represent additional dollars added to already significant repayment obligations.
“Federal loans are already a serious commitment for students and families,” Garcia shared. “When we add fees simply to access those funds, we increase the overall cost of education in ways that can be avoided. Removing origination fees is a meaningful, bipartisan step toward affordability.”
Collins emphasized the importance of sustained federal investment in need-based aid. “Federal student aid remains one of the most effective tools for expanding opportunity,” she noted. “Ensuring adequate funding and continuing efforts to simplify the aid process are essential to supporting persistence, completion, and long-term success.”
By engaging directly with Nebraska’s congressional offices, NeASFAA leadership reaffirmed its commitment to advocacy grounded in service. Their presence in Washington reflected a simple but powerful principle: when financial aid professionals speak up, they do so on behalf of the students and families whose futures depend on access to opportunity.