NASFAA Members Advocate for Graduate/Professional Community on Capitol Hill
Nalia Medina, Assistant Director of Government Relations
Last month, NASFAA hosted four financial aid administrators for its annual Graduate/Professional community Advocacy Pipeline. The NASFAA members – Emily Osborn from Northwestern University, Danchees Ingram from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Anthony Sozzo from New York Medical College, and Susan Bogart from The Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Law – engaged in in-person meetings in Washington, D.C.
The Advocacy Pipeline entailed six meetings with various congressional offices including Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-Penn.) and Mike Lawler (R.N.Y.), and Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Dave McCormick (R-Penn.). During the meetings, pipeline participants focused on financial aid policy issues specifically related to their graduate/professional students. They discussed the importance of preserving the Graduate PLUS loan, eliminating student loan origination fees, simplifying income-driven repayment, and protecting the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
We asked the Advocacy Pipeline participants to share their thoughts and key takeaways from their time advocating for graduate and professional issues with congressional staff. Read on to learn about their experiences, and fill out this interest form if you would like to participate in an Advocacy Pipeline event.
Susan Bogart, Director of Financial Aid, The Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Law:
If you ever want to feel like you are genuinely making a difference, participating in the NASFAA Advocacy Pipeline can do that for you. Despite the persistent rain, I loved spending a day on Capitol Hill meeting congressional staffers. Having an Advocacy Pipeline specifically focused on the needs of graduate and professional students was incredibly helpful to put a magnifying glass on the issues that most affect my law students.
The congressional staffers we spoke with seemed genuinely interested in what we had to say. I was quite surprised that there was some real interest in the topic of student loan origination fees. It gives me hope that decades after we started highlighting the importance of eliminating these origination fees, we might actually one day get this across the finish line before I retire.
Because I come from a rural part of Pennsylvania, it was nice to be able to connect with the staffers of Representative Glenn Thompson (who sits on the House Education & Workforce Committee) and Senator Dave McCormick. While the views of these politicians differ greatly from my own, it was important for me to express how the potential loss of Grad PLUS or PSLF would negatively impact the part of my state that is most forgotten.
Advocacy is always important, especially in the politically divided environment of the United States right now. If you ever have the chance to participate in the Advocacy Pipeline program, under the leadership of experts, take it. It is an experience you will never forget.
Anthony Sozzo, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Student Financial Planning, New York Medical College:
I can’t thank NASFAA enough for bringing us together for Hill visits through the Advocacy Pipeline. It was incredibly uplifting to be part of NASFAA’s advocacy efforts and to be surrounded by such passionate, good-hearted colleagues whom I respect immensely. They truly care about students and, by extension, the future of our country. NASFAA is a terrific association and always has its heart in the right place.
Danchees Ingram, Associate Director of Student Financial Aid, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center:
My favorite part of the Advocacy Pipeline experience was being in a group and collaborating with the amazingly wonderful and talented Anthony Sozzo. Anthony represents a different demographic from mine, which was a valuable asset to our tag-team structure. We were able to relate different perspectives to the same resolution. Jill Desjean was our NASFAA liaison and I enjoyed the team structure and the ability to work together with colleagues across the country to support our students.
This advocacy experience was more than I expected. While this is not the first time I visited the Hill, it was the first time I did so through the Advocacy Pipeline initiative. Nalia Medina's detailed logistics and professionalism definitely led to a more productive experience.
I was surprised to see the engagement of the congressional staffers. We were able to connect the issues to their personal lives. One Republican staffer had a sister in medical school and she did not realize how the legislation her boss was supporting would have an impact so close to home.
The only tip I have is to participate in the Advocacy Pipeline and wear comfortable shoes! It was extremely rewarding and not as scary as it may seem. The prep work that the NASFAA policy team does removes the logistical challenges and allows us to focus on the issues. This Advocacy Pipeline experience will definitely have a lasting impact.
Emily Osborn, Director Chicago Office of Financial Aid, Northwestern University Chicago Campus:
Participating in the Advocacy Pipeline is always a meaningful experience for me, but this year’s visit felt especially critical given the House reconciliation proposal and its potential to significantly reduce funding opportunities for graduate and professional students. My favorite part of the experience was the opportunity to directly share student stories and firsthand institutional experiences with congressional staffers — it's a powerful reminder of why our voices as financial aid administrators matter.
While I’ve participated in the Advocacy Pipeline before, this experience still surprised me in a few ways. I was particularly encouraged by the level of engagement from both Republican and Democratic offices. The staffers asked thoughtful questions and seemed genuinely interested in understanding the real-world implications of the proposed changes.
Our meetings focused on highlighting the importance of maintaining strong federal support for graduate and professional education, particularly through loan programs that serve a wide variety of students. We discussed how changes could negatively impact not only individual students but also the institutions and broader communities they are part of. We also made a point to express appreciation for programs that are working well — gratitude and advocacy go hand in hand.
For financial aid administrators considering joining future Advocacy Pipeline events, my biggest tip is this: don’t underestimate the value of your voice. Even if the idea of a Hill visit feels intimidating at first (I still get nervous myself), remember that you are the expert in your students’ experiences. Come prepared with real examples, stay focused on the human impact, and trust that your perspective is essential.
This experience deepened my commitment to advocacy. It reminded me that policy change doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it’s influenced by the stories and facts we share. Going forward, I’ll continue to prioritize this kind of engagement as an integral part of my work. Advocacy isn’t separate from our roles in financial aid — it is our work.
Please fill out this interest form if you would like to participate in a future Advocacy Pipeline event!
Publication Date: 6/24/2025
David S | 6/24/2025 9:17:02 AM
Thank you all for your hard work and excellent representation. Graduate and professional students need your advocacy and your voices to help tell their stories, and the opportunity to meet with Congressional staffers can be enormously impactful. These staffers are often fairly recent college or grad school graduates, many of whom are likely to be dealing with student loan repayment themselves, and I always found them to be especially attentive when the subject turned to PSLF, because many of them potentially qualify for it. But even if not, I sometimes remind them (my Congressperson's staff hear from me often enough that I think my code name is "great, him again") of what many of their classmates are dealing with.
Keep these Hill visits going...all gas, no brakes! I encourage everyone to get involved, be it through NASFAA or your state or regional associations. This type of advocacy is some of the most important work we can do for students.
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