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At American Student Assistance® (ASA), we provide neutral, honest support to empower borrowers and their families to manage education debt successfully.
Whether students are making decisions about financing their educations or repaying their loans, our experts are their dedicated resource.
We have prepared the following resources for journalists:
- Quick reference information about ASA’s business, history, and role in student lending in the ASA Fact Sheet
- A complete catalog of our past and current press releases
- The news ASA® is making in the world of education loans can be found in our media coverage
- Facts about our organization, business philosophy, and approach to student loans are in our press kit
- Corporate financial information and industry research results summarized in our reports and studies
July 1 Federal Student Loan Changes
Several changes that could impact federal student loan borrowers went into effect July 1, 2010.
- Student loan interest rates dropped.
- Income-based repayment implemented 2 significant changes.
- New ways of determining eligibility for total and permanent disability were established.
ASA has answered commonly asked questions to give more detailed information about these changes.
Available for Interview
Click for biography information:
President and CEO
Paul Combe
President and CEO
Biography
Paul Combe came to ASA in 1996 and has led a process of strategic change and renewal that refocused the organization and positioned it as an industry leader in higher education debt management.
Throughout his tenure, Paul has been a strong advocate for guarantor agency reform and is a founding member of the National Association of Student Loan Administrators (NASLA). Under his direction, ASA refined its vision and mission to align with its public purpose of helping student loan borrowers manage higher education debt. Simply put, the organization has carved out a new role for the guarantor, one that centers its activities on proactively ensuring the financial wellness of the borrowers in its portfolio, rather than the traditional guarantor model of reinsurance and debt collection.
Paul received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education from Framingham State College. He has spoken at numerous local and national industry events and conferences and has addressed members of the U.S. Congress on making student debt more manageable.
To schedule an interview, please contact Allesandra Lanza at lanza@asa.org or 617.728.4631.
Corporate Public Relations Manager
Allesandra Lanza
Corporate Public Relations Manager
Biography
Allesandra Lanza oversees the ASA’s media relations and corporate image.
She has more than 10 years of experience at ASA. During her tenure, Allesandra has:
- Answered borrowers’ questions about federal loans.
- Conducted on-campus loan counseling sessions for students as they enter and exit school.
- Written numerous communications for borrowers about loan repayment, debt management, budgeting, and more.
Allesandra sits on the editorial board of the Student Aid Transcript for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. She has previously been a member of the Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA), serving as newsletter co-chair from 2002 to 2004. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Boston University. She can be reached at lanza@asa.org or 617.728.4631.
