# U.S. Department of Education

# Title IV Loans

# Meeting Summary

# April 28-30, 2015

**Welcome**

Jamienne S. Studley, Deputy Under Secretary of Education, welcomed the Committee members to the third negotiated rulemaking session and thanked them for their active engagement and for contributing important perspectives to developing rules for the Title IV loan programs. She also thanked the U.S. Department of Education staff for their superb support of the negotiated rulemaking process.

**Review Agenda**

Susan Podziba, one of the facilitators, reviewed the meeting agenda.

**Review of Meeting Summary for Session Two**

The meeting summary was approved with no changes.

**Discuss Issues and Revised Regulatory Language**

The Committee discussed and reviewed revised draft regulatory language for each of the issues included within the scope of issues to be negotiated as listed below. All were discussed in great detail. Multiple proposals were offered, and many were reflected in revised proposals. 

Scope of Issues Negotiated:

1. Pay As You Earn (PAYE) 

2. Service Members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) 

3. Easing the Transition of Borrowers from Rehabilitation to Servicing

4. Participation Rate Index Appeal

5. Technical Correction for FFEL Rehabilitated Loans

6. Application of Department of Defense Lump Sum Payments for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

**Consensus Approvals**

**Final consensus was reached on all issues on April 30, 2015 at 3:35 PM EDT.**

**Regulatory Process after Negotiated Rulemaking**

Brian Siegel, Office of General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Education, explained that in accordance with the agreed-upon organizational protocols, the Department will use the consensus-based language in its proposed regulations, and committee members and the organizations they represent will refrain from commenting negatively on the consensus-based regulatory language (IVB).  

In addition, the Department will provide a preamble to the members of the Committee for review and comment prior to publication of the proposed regulations. The Department is not required to adopt or respond to the Committee members' comments on the preamble (IVA).

The Department will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register, which will open a 30-day comment period.  The Department will consider comments received and then publish a final rule.

**Update on IDR Notification Pilots**

Ian Foss, Policy Liaison & Implementation Staff at Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education, provided an update on the IDR Notification Pilots.

# Public Comment

# Opportunities were provided at the end of each meeting day for members of the public in attendance to provide comments.  Public comments were made on the first day of the meeting.

**Conclusion**

Negotiators, the Department of Education, and the facilitators congratulated the Committee on achieving final consensus on all issues, and expressed their appreciation for the hard work undertaken by all members.

**Next Steps**

The Department will distribute electronic versions of the final consensus regulatory text for each issue. The Department will prepare and distribute the draft preamble.  The negotiators may submit comments on the preamble to the Department. The facilitators will distribute the approved summary of meeting two and a draft summary of meeting three for review and approval via email.

**Members Present**

Non-Federal Members

David DeBoer 

Chris Cate

Scott Cline

Marian Dill

Helen Faith

Rachelle Feldman

Craig Fennell

Diane Freundel

Devon Graves

Patricia Hurley

Clair Jacobi

Melvina Johnson

Darin Katzberg

Samuel Levine 

Suzanne Martindale

Nancy Masten

Toby Merrill

Jessi Morales

Matthew Randle

William Shaffner 

Shannon Sheaff

Tyler Stewart 

Johnson Tyler

Jennifer Wang

Federal Members

Gail McLarnon

Brian Siegel

Facilitators

Susan Podziba

Jacqueline Wilson

PAGE  

U.S. Department of Education Title IV Student Loans Negotiated Rulemaking

1

Summary of Meeting Three – April 28-30, 2015

Approved– 5/21/15