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New OSAR chief named; closed‑school outreach after ICON Collective closure prompts hundreds of student contacts and STRF payments
Summary
The bureau introduced Yan Keough as the new chief for the Office of Student Assistance and Relief, and OSAR and STRF reported outreach and payments after school closures including ICON Collective.
The bureau introduced Yan (pronounced Yan) Keough as the new chief of the Office of Student Assistance and Relief (OSAR). Keough said she brings experience representing students and working on supervision and enforcement at the federal level and in advocacy roles.
“I'm excited to be addressing issues that are facing students,” Yan Keough told the advisory committee, and she described her prior work representing students and in consumer protection roles.
Brian Vest, OSAR manager, reported outreach and assistance activity. The office conducted 24 informed‑choice outreach events this year and met with 1,891 prospective students. OSAR also carried out targeted closed‑school outreach after campus closures: for the ICON Collective closure the office obtained a roster for 310 students and outreach emails prompted closed‑school workshops and one‑on‑one appointments; about 40 students attended in‑depth workshops.
OSAR tracked phone and email inquiries and reported a rise in calls associated with STRF application assistance and other relief options. The office also reported increased one‑on‑one appointments in June related to ICON Collective.
The Student Tuition Recovery Fund team, led by Yvette Johnson, said STRF processed 120 claims in quarter 4 and approved 99 payment claims totaling about $1.75 million. At quarter end the STRF unit had 41 check requests at the State Controller’s Office totaling $736,978.91. Johnson said the STRF fund balance stood at $33,891,000 at the end of quarter 4.
STRF staff noted they continue to receive more applications through Connect than by paper, but vacancies in STRF staffing—an office technician and an associate governmental program analyst—have reduced throughput and are expected to depress claims processing in coming quarters until hires are completed.
Why it matters: OSAR and STRF are the bureau’s primary student assistance mechanisms after institutional closures. Rapid outreach can help students access transcripts, apply for STRF relief and pursue federal borrower relief where appropriate.
What’s next: OSAR and STRF will continue closed‑school outreach, encourage students to file via Connect and seek to fill STRF vacancies to restore processing capacity.
