Day One: Thursday, May 15, 2025
Opening
8:00AM – 11:00AM
Exhibition Set-up (In Exhibit Hall)
11:00AM – 11:55AM
Registration, Refreshments and Networking (in Exhibit Hall)
11:55AM
Welcome to Washington, DC: Introductions
SPEAKERS:
- Don Buford, Founder & CEO, iiBIG LLC
- Juliana Araujo, President, iiBIG, Inc.
Session I
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Lindsey M. Burke, Ph.D., Director, Center for Education Policy, The Heritage Foundation
Lead Author:
Chapter 11: Department of Education
PROJECT 2025
12:30PM
Networking Break – (Meet & Greet with Keynote Speaker)
Session II
Education Finance Thought Leaders address key issues from ’30 thousand feet’:
- The Trump Administration will have just completed its first 100 days when we convene on May 15, 2025. How will new personnel and policies affect the Education Finance & Student Loan Sector in 2025 and Beyond?
- Privatizing Student Loans? Will it Become a Reality? What are the implications for existing and future loans?
- FAFSA: A Status Report on the Federal Student Aid Application Process.
Moderator:
Wayne Johnson, Former COO, Federal Student Aid, Trump Department of Education (2017-2020) – Macon, GA
Panelists:
- Nate Blanchard, Director, Financial Services, Western Governors University (WGU) – Salt Lake City, NV
- Andrew Gillen, Research Fellow, Center for Educational Freedom. Cato Institute – Washington, DC
- Amy Jones, Director, Education & Human Service Policy, Committee on Education & the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives – Washington, DC
- Mark Kantrowitz, President, Cerebly, Inc – Skokie, IL
- Dismantling the Department of Education: Will it take an Act of Congress to transfer Federal Education Programs away from the Education Department to other Government Departments – or will Executive Orders do the Trick?
- Historically, what have the courts had to say on this and other related questions?
- This panel will also explore current litigation (if any) that may be in the works during the “First 100 Days.”
- Servicing & Collections in a diminished (post?) CFPB Environment: The Future of Oversight.
- Wrap Up: Legal/Regulatory Outlook for Student Loans at the State & Federal Level in 2025 and beyond.
Moderator:
Eric Hurwitz, Co-Chair, Financial Services Litigation, Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, LLP – Philadelphia, PA
Panelists:
- Jason Altmire, President & CEO, Career Education Colleges & Universities (CECU) – Alexandria, VA
- Emmanuel Guillory, Senior Director, Government Relations, American Council on Education (ACE) – Washington, DC
- Amy Jones, Director, Education & Human Service Policy, Committee on Education & the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives – Washington, DC
- Sasha Ramani, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, MPOWER Financing – Washington, DC
2:40PM
Networking Break Sponsored By:
Session III
- Will Student Loans and Grants be restored to the Private Sector – or at the very least will the “Federal Government Revisit its role as a Guarantor” of Private Originations? (See Project 2025, pg. 320)
- Stricter Underwriting Requirements? Federal Guarantees? Lower Tuition Costs?
- With Federal Loan Forgiveness in the rear-view mirror, will Private lenders be growing market share in Originating & Refinancing Student Loans?
- How are private lenders innovating repayment plans to address the ever-increasing burden of Student Loan Debt
Moderator:
Jack Wallace, Director, Yrefy – Phoenix, AZ
Panelists:
- Andrew Gillen, Research Fellow, Center for Educational Freedom. Cato Institute – Washington, DC
- Nikhil Mudgal, Founder & CEO, Lorien Finance – San Francisco, CA & Mumbai, IN
- Keith Shoates, President & CEO, Student Freedom Initiative – Washington, DC
- Gail Walker, Director of School Relations & Strategic Initiatives, Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) – Warwick, RI
- Will the Trump Education Department be Offloading a large portion of Federal Student Loans to the Private Sector?
- How is the Secondary Market for Private (and Public?) Student Loans Shaping up in 2025 and beyond?
- What are the Best Practices for Mitigating Risks in the Student Loan securitization markets?
- Where are valuations on Private (and Public?) Student Loan portfolios headed in 2025 and beyond?
Moderator:
Kayvan Darouian, Director, Deutsche Bank – New York, NY
Panelists:
- Shane Franciscovich, Director, S&P Global – New York, NY
- Sharon Gold, Head of Capital Markets, College Ave Student Loans – Wilmington, DE
- Ronald Page, Managing Director, Municipal Capital Markets Group – Golden, CO
- Others TBA
Closing
5:00PM
Evening Networking Reception. (In Exhibit Area)
Day Two: Friday, May 16, 2025
Opening
8:30AM
Registration Open for Day Two, Continental Breakfast and Networking
9:15AM
Welcome to Day Two
SPEAKER:
Juliana Araujo, President, iiBIG, Inc.
Session I
- Parent+ and Graduate+ Loans: Should they be Eliminated or is there a Better Way?
- How Should the Direct Loan program be changed?
- FFELP Loans: Should they be Resuscitated?
- Should there be a White House Student Loan Czar?
Panelists:
- Henry Howard, President & CEO, U. S. Education Finance Group – Miami, FL
- A. Wayne Johnson, Former COO, Federal Student Aid, Trump Department of Education (2017-2020) – Macon, GA
- How are EdTech/FinTech Innovators Enhancing the Private Student Lending, Servicing and Collections Process?
- What new Strategies – and technologies – are being employed to drive more applicants to Private Lenders and to streamline education finance processes?
- How are other innovative companies generating growth by serving the Higher Education markets?
Moderator:
Rich Haines, CEO, OneLogos – Austin, TX
Panelists:
- John Hupalo, Founder & CEO, Invite Education – Boston, MA
- Laurel Taylor, CEO, Candidly – Napa, CA
- Lance Teinert, CEO, RevlTek – Galveston, TX
- Stacie Whisonant, Founder, Pay Your Tuition Funds (PYT Funds) – Washington, DC
11:05AM
Networking Break Sponsored By:
Session II
- With the resumption of Federal Student Loan Repayments and the end of Loan Forgiveness, how are Servicers adapting to new realities and challenges?
- Will 3rd Party Servicing & Collections organizations see an uptick in opportunities to Partner (subcontract) with Federally Approved Servicers and Collectors?
- Servicing & Collections in a diminished (post?) CFPB Environment: How will the promise of less regulation and reduced oversight affect the private servicing and collection of delinquent student loan debt?
Moderator:
Alex Ricci, President, National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER) – Washington, DC
Panelists:
- Scott Buchanan, Executive Director, Student Loan Servicing Alliance – Washington, DC
- Brian Cox, VP Business Development, Goal Solutions – San Diego, CA
- Others TBA
12:30PM
LUNCHEON: For Conference Attendees
Session III
- What are the Ramifications for Colleges & Universities – and for Students & Families – if the Trump Education Department Consolidates “all Federal Loan Programs into One New Program” that:
- “Utilizes income-driven repayment,
- “Includes no interest rate subsidies or loan forgiveness,
- “Includes annual and aggregate limits on borrowing, and
- “Requires ‘skin in the game’ from colleges to help hold them accountable for loan Repayments?”
(Quotes from: Project 2025, Chapter 11, pgs. 341 and 354)
Moderator:
Betsy Mayotte, President, The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (TISLA) – Plymouth, MA
Panelists:
- A. Wayne Johnson, Former COO, Federal Student Aid, Trump Department of Education (2017-2020) – Macon, GA
- Charles Pruett, Assistant Dean, Student Financial Aid, Georgetown Law Center – Washington, DC
- Brandon M. Smith, M.Ed., Director of Financial Aid, Columbia School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA) – New York, NY
- Others TBA
- Will Changes to Accreditation Standards place Proprietary Colleges & Universities on a ‘level playing field’ with traditional Higher Education institutions regarding Title IV Student Aid Funding?
- How will for-profit career Colleges & Universities adapt to such changes?
- Will Career-oriented schools play a more Prominent role in Higher Education in 2025 and Beyond?
Moderator:
Jason Altmire, President & CEO, Career Education Colleges & Universities (CECU) – Alexandria, VA
Panelists:
- April Boyd, VP Financial Aid, The College of Healthcare Professionals – Houston, TX
- Christopher Lambert, Principal, BCC Advisory – Alexandria, VA
- David McClintock, CPA, Managing Director, McClintock & Associates, P.S. – Bridgeville, PA
- Scott M. Shaw, President & CEO, Lincoln Technical Institute – Parsippany, NJ
- Others TBA
Closing
3:00PM
Conference Concludes
An iiBIG Thanks to our Executive Faculties, Attendees & Sponsor Partners for over 16 years of Thought-Leadership in the Education Finance & Student Loan Marketplace
