S3: E18: OB3 and The Eye of the Storm

Why compare OB3 to a hurricane? Because after months of preparation, anticipation, and the intensity of the first year of implementation, it feels as though we’ve withstood the fury of the storm’s first wall and may now be sitting in the eye. It’s a chance to assess what happened and what we’ve learned, while knowing the next wall of the storm is still to come.In this episode of Swoonpies and Money, we look back at what institutions learned during year one of OB3 and ask what the next “eyewall” could bring for students, families, enrollment, borrowing, institutional strategy, and the financial aid profession.Michelle talks with Nancy Ferguson and Caitlin Lambert about an upcoming SASFAA webinar featuring professionals sharing their perspectives on the impact of OB3.Then Bill is joined by Katie Conrad (of Georgia Tech), Heidi Kovalick (of Rowan University), and Daniel Barkowitz (of... well we'll get to that) for a candid conversation about where we started, where we are today, what surprised us, and what challenges still remain.Speaking of Daniel, September 8 marked his first day at Penn State. Yes, we know Penn State is outside the SASFAA region, but Daniel remains a SASFAA Hall of Famer, lifetime Swoonie, and podcast contributor.If you head over to our Facebook page, you’ll see the picture the Barkowitz family shared with us. There’s little Daniel, ready for his big day at school, backpack and lunchbox in hand, standing outside the house and headed to the bus stop.The initial wave of OB3 is behind us, but the storm isn't. What does the next eyewall bring?