Reporting or Editorializing?

Mr. Lederman: Inside Higher Education has typically been an informative and useful source of current developments affecting or relating to the higher education community. Maintaining its credibility depends on an unequivocal commitment to objectivity, and the parenthetical reference to the alleged tendencies of the Secretary of Education regarding the release of information”. . . (late in the evening, as has become the department’s recent habit when it releases potentially controversial material). . . ” crossed the line. Strategic dissemination of information is business as usual in DC, and it is a tactic not limited to that office, much less one political party. This is Beltway politics, and it is neither newsworthy, or noteworthy. Your editorial comments are pejorative at best, and they do not serve the interests of your publication or your public.

Scott, at 9:20 am EDT on April 18, 2007

NSLDS is not the problem

It’s great that Kennedy, Spellings, et.al thiink that by shutting off access to NSLDS they will be preventing the “trolling” of data.

The real problem is with the credit companies (Experian, Trans Union, Equifax). Lenders are able to purchase lists of people who fall into certain criteria; they then market to those people. This is how much of the mass-marketing has been occurring—not through trolling of NSLDS.

All that shutting off access to NSLDS is going to do is to prevent lenders and guarantors from processing Consolidation applications with complete information (they were able to confirm loan amounts on NSLDS), as well as prevent students from getting a comparison of options through companies that they have given access to (Graduate Leverage), which compile a list of the best repayment strategies for the student given their loan portfolio (loan amount, interest rate, etc.)—which can include consolidation options.

Again, this is a misguided attempt by the usual suspects. Perhaps they could actually start having conversations with Financial Aid professionals to find out the true story and the best tactics for fixing the system—-before they break it further (and really do damage to students).

Charles, at 12:26 pm EDT on April 18, 2007

NSLDS isn’t the problem

Speaking as an experienced aid administrator, lenders will not be able to process student loans without access to this database; Spellings’ actionswon’t accomplish what she desires.

Charles’ comments about credit agencies releasing information is correct; they release information about student borrowers that allows borrowers to be contacted by marketers for consolidation loans or for private loans.

Reform should be more sweeping and should deal with the credit agencies, NOT only with the use (or mis-use) of NDSDS information.

Jan, at 3:31 pm EDT on April 18, 2007

NSLDS

I can’t for the life of me figure out why all of a sudden this is an issue?Im sure it’s not Politics(wink,wink)I mean come on guy’s your a little late arent you,I mean I personally have been helping people save money and figure out a better and simpler way to help student and parents save money for almost 8 years.the NSLDS gives ABSOLUYLEY NO addresses, or phone numbers, So even if you do have the name dob and ss# its pretty much useless these days. and you can get someones credit info from pretty munch anywhere.Data Mining is something new, But For us in this industry its pretty useless.So I am wondering why now? Where were you when you let the Interest rates go back up from 2.875% to its current rate? Doesnt seem like the Democrats or Republicans really gave a crap about the 40 billion dollar budget cuts.and it was mentioned by a another they did it to stop predatory lending , There is No predatory lending they all have to follow the same federal guidelines, The only ones that are predatory are the Private Loan lender, Not Federal, although i guess you can say the are predatory in other ways other that Federal student loan lending.and consoldation. All its doing is keeping the people who need to be helped ... Helped.

Debbie Pics, once again You are wrong, at 4:30 am EDT on May 2, 2007