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The Post PLUS Pod, powered by Clasp

Education EN ↓ 6 episodes

Your playbook for life after PLUS loans. The Post PLUS Podcast , powered by Clasp, explores the biggest shake-up in education finance—the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). Hosted by David Kafafian , each episode brings you into conversation with the people shaping the future of higher education and workforce development. From policymakers and campus leaders to budget experts and innovators, we unpack what OBBB means: who wins, who worries, and what to build next. If you’re making decisions in higher ed or workforce development, this podcast is your guide to navigating change with clarity and purp...

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Episodes

The Future of Student Loans: Inside HR1 With NCHER’s Alex Ricci 10.12.2025 41:48

In this episode of The Post Podcast, we sit down with Alex Ricci, President of the National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER), to unpack the sweeping changes coming to higher education under HR1. Alex breaks down the new definition of professional degrees, why the shift matters, and how it will reshape borrowing limits, workforce pathways, and institutional strategy. From proration of...

Accountability, ROI, and the Future of Student Loans with Preston Cooper 11.11.2025 31:58

Dr. Preston Cooper, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins host David Kafafian to unpack the sweeping higher education reforms under the 'One Big Beautiful Bill'. They discuss what new accountability measures mean for colleges, how students are “voting with their feet,” and why some programs may lose access to federal loans. Plus, Preston shares insights on student loan delinque...

Fixing the Talent Pipeline: Kristi Henderson on Tuition Support, Not Student Debt 27.10.2025 31:43

As healthcare braces for the ripple effects of new federal funding shifts and mounting workforce shortages, one thing is clear: the old model isn’t working. In this episode, Confluent Health CEO Kristi Henderson unpacks how the “one big, beautiful bill” moment could accelerate the move from sick care to well care—redirecting dollars and attention toward prevention, outcomes, and access. She conne...

Run Don’t Walk: Phil Hill On How Universities Should Prepare Post OBBB 02.10.2025 45:56

In this episode, we’re joined by Phil Hill, one of the most insightful voices in higher education and ed-tech. With the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) ushering in a new era of accountability, Phil and David dig into the central debates shaping higher ed today: how to measure value through the earnings premium, what to expect from negotiated rule-making committees, and, most importantly, what univer...

The New Accountability Era: Michael Itzkowitz On Data, Value, and the OBBB 22.09.2025 37:03

Michael Itzkowitz, founding director of the College Scorecard and head of the HEA Group, joins us to unpack how the conversation around value in higher education has evolved. From the early days of measuring cost and graduation rates to today’s 2,000+ data points, he shares how transparency, ROI, and new federal requirements are reshaping what college means for students, institutions, and the work...

Repayment Reimagined: SLSA's Scott Buchanan on the OBBB and the Future of Student Loans 10.09.2025 47:07

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) is reshaping the landscape of federal student loan repayment—impacting millions of borrowers and transforming how servicers operate. In this episode, Scott Buchanan, Executive Director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, breaks down what the shift from SAVE to RAP means in practice, the implications of new loan caps, and evolving borrower defense rules. We e...